Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

IWSC hosts first mini-showcase in South Africa

Published: 23 July, 2008

On 14 November, the International Wine & Spirit Competition hosted its inaugural Mini-Showcase Tasting at Spier Conference Centre in Stellenbosch,
South Africa.

No EU tax harmonisation

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Rebecca Gibb
The European Court of Justice has ruled that consumers will not be allowed to buy alcohol or cigarettes from Europe over the internet without paying domestic import duty.

WSET: Education leads to bigger spend

Published: 23 July, 2008

Consumers are willing to increase their spend and experiment if they attend a wine course, according to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and research from Wine Intelligence.

Italian wine still baffles consumers

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Rebecca Gibb
Two-thirds of drinkers of Italian wine admit that they are confused by the country's grape varieties and regions.

The Bell at Skenfrith on the Welsh borders has won Champagne Taittinger's wine list award for small hotels, pipping Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham and The Crown at Whitebrook near Monmouth. According to judges the list was a really good read'. Holbeck Ghyll in Cumbria won the category for larger establishments, for Hotels and Spas in the UK and Ireland, beating Combe House in Devon, Cotswold House Hotel in Gloucestershire and Sharrow Bay in Cumbria.

Unknown chef wins Michael Nadell Pastry Trophy

Published: 23 July, 2008

Chris Corbishley, who is training to become a pastry chef at Stoke-on-Trent College, has won the Michael Nadell Pastry Trophy, sponsored by Champagne Duval-Leroy.

Corney & Barrow take on yet more on-trade staff

Published: 23 July, 2008

Corney & Barrow, with two new appointments in recent weeks, has added five staff to its on-trade supply area in the past six months, and there are more to come, says on-trade manager James Franklin.

Gun owners open new venture

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tom and Ed Martin, proprietors of The Gun gastropub in London's Docklands, are to open a striking, colonial-themed pub in London's east end. The former name of the establishment, The Empress of India, is to be restored in a return to authentic style - the wording refers to one of Queen Victoria's overseas roles. Hand-painted silk wallpaper depicting Indian scenes and a recently laid mosaic floor have been constructed, with input from Concorde Interiors.

Edinburgh second-best city for eating out

Published: 23 July, 2008

The best city to eat out in in the UK after London is Edinburgh, according to the Harden's new restaurant guide. The vegetarian restaurant David Bann, as well as VinCaffe, part of Valvona & Crolla, were among more than 20 venues in the city to have impressed reviewers in the 2007 guide. Edinburgh was followed by Brighton, Leeds and Manchester, with Bristol managing a surprisingly lowly tenth place. In the individual awards for top restaurants, sponsored by Rmy Martin, the new Soho-based diner Arbutus was placed first for its imaginative rendition of French and European dishes.

Rogan buys new Henley site

Published: 23 July, 2008

Simon Rogan is planning a less-pricey version of his Lake District restaurant L'Enclume, in a bid to subsidise his highly rated Cumbrian site at the fine dining level.

Mas calls for EU subsidy shake-up

Published: 23 July, 2008

Languedoc producer Jean-Claude Mas has called on the EU to end its policy of subsidising winemakers.

Leigh to leave Kensington Place after nearly 20 years

Published: 23 July, 2008

Rowley Leigh is to leave Kensington Place and is looking at a handful of new projects to work on as head chef. Speaking to Harpers, Leigh said that he was sad in some ways, but I've had a good innings. Kensington Place was becoming like a warm bath for me and I needed something new.'

No cases of 24-hour opening

Published: 23 July, 2008

Not a single UK pub is open for 24 hours, a year after new licensing laws came in, allowing longer opening, and predictions of increased town-centre violence fuelled by higher alcohol consumption have failed to materialise.

Batali given two stars out of blue

Published: 23 July, 2008

Mario Batali's new Del Posto restaurant has come from nowhere to gain two-star status in the 2007 Michelin guide to New York.

Cocktail culture

Published: 23 July, 2008

There's a lot more to cocktails than vodka, though you wouldn't know that from what most bars have been offering for the past five years. Robbie Bargh, who advises barmen on how to improve their drinks, via his company Gorgeous, speaks for quite a few in his belief that: There are so many terrible drinks out there that are overmixed beyond belief, some really awful concoctions. Instead of tricksy, clever things, it's so much better to keep things simple, like you can when making a plain, old classic'.

Solid partnership

Published: 23 July, 2008

During the 1980s, Ian Botham (Beefy' to his friends) was probably the most high-profile sportsman in the country. He took 5 for 74 on his Test debut against Australia in 1977, and was at one time the leading wicket-taker in Test Match cricket. He began his career at Somerset, and also played for Worcestershire and Durham, before retiring in 1993. In Test Matches, he scored 5,200 runs and took 383 wickets.

Points of difference

Published: 23 July, 2008

How many times, I wonder, have I heard the simple term Greek wine' used to describe a wine from Greece? I'm sure every reader has heard this term. It begs the question, what exactly is Greek wine'? But when I try to define what precisely those words mean, all I come up with is that a particular wine has been produced within the national borders of this most ancient of winemaking regions. But in reality, this tells me nothing about the individual wine.

Massey joins Butcher & Grill

Published: 23 July, 2008

David Massey has become head chef at Butcher & Grill, the Battersea meat restaurant with shop attached, after his brief stint at Sonny's, in Barnes. Prior to Massey, the long-standing head chef was Helena Puolaka. She is now heading the kitchen at Harvey Nicols' Fifth Floor restaurant. Ed Wilson, 30, has taken over from Massey at Sonny's, having worked at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, The Wolseley and Orrery.

NZ winery forced to change name

Published: 23 July, 2008

A US producer specialising in kosher wine has forced a boutique winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, to change its name.

Riesling devotees form fellowship

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Stuart Peskett
Some of the greatest Riesling producers in the world gathered at The German Embassy in London to discuss the grape and how it is affected by its terroir.