Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Poll backing for licence law changes

Published: 23 July, 2008

British drinkers don't want to return to fixed closing times, according to a YouGov poll for the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Online shopping to reach 15bn record

Published: 23 July, 2008

Online shopping is set to hit a record 15billion in the last quarter of the year.

Punch denies 5 billion Mitchells & Butlers bid

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Punch group has insisted that it is about to take over Mitchells & Butlers, the owner of pub chains All Bar One and Harvester, in a 5 billion deal.

Enterprise says smoking ban will lead to pub closures

Published: 23 July, 2008

Pub group Enterprise Inns has released its first drop in profits for five years, and said that worse could be to come following the smoking ban.

Tesco boss calls for unified drinking age

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy called for a unified drinking age during a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Cognac sales at all-time high

Published: 23 July, 2008

A total of 180 million bottles of Cognac were sold in the 12-month period from October 2006-7.

Morrisons reports strong second half

Published: 23 July, 2008

Morrisons has reported a solid start to the second half of its financial year helped by a rebranding and new advertising campaign.

Fattorini wins Yalumba scholarship

Published: 23 July, 2008

Joe Fattorini, wine writer for the Daily Herald, and Harpers contributor, has won a trip to the Yalumba winery in Australia as part of the Masters of Wine 2007/08 programme.

Diageo fights Californian alcopop ban

Published: 23 July, 2008

US: California authorities have vowed to ban the sale of Smirnoff Ice across the state

McGuigan confident of Australian industry's future

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Australian wine industry is showing signs of recovery, according to the chief executive of McGuigan Simeon Wines.

Liberty X singer agrees to become binge drinker

Published: 23 July, 2008

Michelle Heaton, singer with pop band Liberty X, has been signed up by ITV to live as a binge drinker for one month.

Laphroaig launches virtual whisky debate tonight (November 21)

Published: 23 July, 2008

Beam Global Spirits & Wines is hosting a virtual tasting and online debate for Islay single malt Scotch whisky Laphroaig tonight at 8pm UK time.

Whisky tasting goes virtual

Published: 23 July, 2008

Beam Global Spirits & Wines will host an international online debate and whisky tasting for Islay single malt Scotch whisky, Laphroaig.

Parents urged not to supply their children with alcohol

Published: 23 July, 2008

Parents who supply their children with alcohol are behind soaring rates of binge drinking among Britain's teenagers, the government has warned.

Beer industry blames low duty on wine for sales plummet

Published: 23 July, 2008

The fall by 19 million pints in British pubs since 1979 is down to high duty on beer compared to other areas such as wine, says the brewing industry.

Tokyo is awarded most Michelin stars of any city

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tokyo has the most Michelin stars of any city in the world with the just-released first guide by the French company to the Japanese capital.

Gatwick Express first with Beaujolais Nouveau

Published: 23 July, 2008

Gatwick Express claimed to be the first to serve the new vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau by offering it to customers from one minute past midnight today, November 15.