Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Hambledon announces new MD

Published: 24 January, 2024

Hambledon Vineyard has announced it has a new MD as it prepares to embark on a future under joint Symington Family Estates and Berry Bros. & Rudd ownership.

All change for Gusbourne as it announces CEO

Published: 17 January, 2024

Leading sparkling and fine wine producer Gusbourne has today announced it has a new CEO, with former marketing director Jonathan White stepping up following a ‘rigorous internal and external search process’.

WineGB looks back on ‘miracle’ harvest

Published: 21 December, 2023

WineGB is celebrating what it believes will be Great Britain’s largest-ever grape harvest as freshly collected data reveals 2023 is set to produce a record-breaking estimated 20 million bottles – twice the size of Britain’s previous record year in 2018.

English fizz enters Swedish monopoly

Published: 01 December, 2023

Hattingley Valley has become the first English wine to secure a Swedish monopoly set listing, thus guaranteeing it a certain level of distribution across a defined number of stores, after it came out top against 14 other wines in a competitive blind tasting.

Five minutes with Talya Roberson, Marasby

Published: 07 November, 2023

Jo Gilbert gets clued up on Roberson’s latest venture – the first of its kind platform, which promises to offer consumers the chance to buy English wine, direct from producers, at vineyard prices. 

The White Hart: On the trail of English wine

Published: 24 October, 2023

Jo Gilbert visited the White Hart pub & restaurant in East Sussex to find out how the venue is looking to become a hub for English wine.

Gusbourne follows English wine boom with record harvest

Published: 23 October, 2023

English sparkling and fine wine producer, Gusbourne, has followed in the footsteps of several other domestic wineries in 2023, by announcing a record-breaking harvest.

Vineyards become the fastest growing crop in England

Published: 11 October, 2023

Wine grapes are the fastest-growing edible agricultural crop sector for human consumption in England, it has been confirmed, with recent statistics from Defra putting the growth of vineyard hectarage in pole position.

Nyetimber announces biggest ever harvest

Published: 29 September, 2023

English sparkling pioneer Nyetimber has revealed that harvest 2023 will be its biggest ever, with 350ha of vines to be harvested, up almost 8% on last year.

New look Wine GB leadership team looks to the future

Published: 05 September, 2023

Wine GB opened its annual tasting at Battersea Arts Centre this morning, with a briefing which sketched what the future might look like for the the UK’s homegrown wine industry.

WineGB announces new CEO

Published: 23 August, 2023

Wines of Great Britain (WineGB) has announced the appointed of Nicola Bates as its new CEO.

Proposals to remove ban on international blending in the UK

Published: 07 July, 2023

The government claims new proposals to enable businesses to ‘blend’ and ‘transform’ bulk wine on UK turf will ‘put a rocket’ under UK trade, by allowing businesses the flexibility to blend across countries of origin – though some say this will sound death knell for wines of provenance.

Vagabond opens English wine bar South Downs at Gatwick

Published: 23 June, 2023

Coinciding with English Wine Week, Vagabond, the award-winning urban winery has opened its second outlet at Gatwick Airport, South Downs – an English wine bar in the heart of the South Terminal departure lounge.

Friday read: London’s wineries offer ‘disruptive’ balance to English Wine Week

Published: 23 June, 2023

London’s urban wineries’ inaugural joint tasting this week (19 June) marked an intriguing counterpoint to the more regular medley of tasting, dinners and vineyard picnics that typically mark English Wine Week.

Profile: Defined Wine

Published: 15 June, 2023

A dynamic, Kent-based contract winemaker is creating waves across the English scene. Andrew Catchpole drops by to find out what the noise is all about.

Chapel Down stunt “raises eyebrows” among the Champenois

Published: 13 June, 2023

English winery Chapel Down has loosed the cat among the proverbial pigeons in Reims ahead of English Wine Week, by going undercover as Champagne – and apparently beating the Champenois at their own game.

Sam Linter says farewell to Bolney

Published: 20 April, 2023

Bolney Wine Estate’s longstanding chief winemaker is moving on to pursue new opportunities, following a transition period to new owners Freixenet Copestick.

Emma Rice to work as consultant for burgeoning English wine industry

Published: 17 April, 2023

One of the UK’s most reputable winemakers, Emma Rice has set up her own winemaking consultancy company to help further advance the burgeoning UK wine industry. Rice will provide expertise in winery design, equipment sourcing, sensory evaluation and wine style strategy as part of her consultancy offering.

Balfour outlines ambitious plans for growth

Published: 05 April, 2023

Balfour has revealed plans to double its annual production to one million bottles, made at the 400-acre Hush Heath Estate in Kent.

Friday read: Hampshire wines making their mark

Published: 24 March, 2023

Ahead of next week’s Vineyards of Hampshire trade tasting, Justin Keay dives into how the wider English wine industry has changed, with regions outside Kent and Sussex growing all the while.