Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Ruth Spivey joins Carte Blanche

Published: 29 October, 2024

Carte Blanche has welcomed wine industry professional Ruth Spivey to their team on a part-time basis to oversee sales across the south east and support marketing efforts.

Armit Wines invests in staff to support growth plans

Published: 14 October, 2024

Armit Wines is investing in new staff as part of its five-year strategy to build on its recent turnaround.

Celeb backed brands aren’t failsafe for success

Published: 06 September, 2024

New data has revealed the precarious business of investing in celebrity backed brands; for while they tend to outperform their total category, celebrity involvement doesn’t always guarantee success.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Is a key marketing tool hiding in plain sight?

Published: 17 July, 2024

During the 1990’s my business sold millions of bottles of great value Hungarian wines to the UK’s supermarkets. The wines were made under the guidance of a young Australian winemaker whose hands on approach ensured they bristled with ripe fruit flavours. Retailing at the equivalent of £6-£8 at today’s prices they went down a storm in the high-volume part of the burgeoning wine market.

Friday Read: Why luxury drinks need to change tack

Published: 01 December, 2023

Chris Jeffreys, creative director at Love agency, argues there’s no room for complacency with high-end brands in this era of high inflation.

Soapbox: On the face of it – harnessing star power

Published: 10 August, 2023

Michael Goldstein, entrepreneur and founder of prosecco.com, questions whether celebrity investment in the booze business is all it’s cracked up to be.

Celebrity status is lighting up the spirits, wine and cocktail scene, with A-list faces trading scripts for spirits and couture for wine cellars. A stroll down the drinks aisle can now sometimes feel like a walk down the red carpet, with famous names backing many labels. But stardom does not necessarily guarantee long-term success for a beverage brand.

Portman Group offers marketing training for smaller producers and start-ups

Published: 28 April, 2022

The Portman Group has launched a new online training programme on responsible marketing specifically for smaller producers and start-ups.

Connected packaging could become 'main' marketing bridge to customers

Published: 03 February, 2022

More and more brands are using QR codes and smartphone apps to transform simple packaging into digital experiences.

David Sandys-Renton passes away

Published: 27 January, 2022

Wine pioneer David Sandys-Renton has died, aged 85.

Waitrose expands bulk buying team

Published: 19 January, 2022

The UK's leading supermarket retailer of premium wines has appointed Barry Dick MW to its BWS bulk buying team.

Bordeaux Wine Week to fold in Vinexpo Bordeaux

Published: 20 December, 2021

The long-running trade fair Vinexpo Bordeaux has been officially retired by its organisers, replaced by the inaugural 'Bordeaux Wine Week' in 2022.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Is it time to kill wine’s sacred cows?

Published: 01 December, 2021

It really is hard to know what to believe these days. The digital world enables instant sharing of information across the globe, which seems good and democratic. Just about anyone can participate. But with it comes lower reliability and veracity of what is being communicated, making it easier to seed fake gospels claiming that two plus two equals five, or seven, or even nine. Perhaps what really matters is the extent to which people make decisions and take actions as a result.

Trivento Malbec triumphs as UK's best-selling wine

Published: 24 November, 2021

Trivento's Reserve Malbec has become the best-selling wine SKU in the UK, according to recent Nielsen data.

Headline hero: Javier Santafé, DO Navarra

Published: 02 November, 2021

In association with Wines of Navarra

Kingsland Drinks hires new head of marketing and insights

Published: 08 September, 2021

Industry stalwart Charles Overin has joined the Kingsland Drinks team, recruited to oversee the company's marketing strategy at the head office in Salford.

Pernod Ricard appoints new marketing director

Published: 28 June, 2021

Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK) has appointment Leanne Banks to the position of marketing director, replacing Raja Banerji.

Graft expands sales team as it returns to London

Published: 24 June, 2021

The Graft Wine Company has appointed two new sales people, while also reopening a London office.

Technology: Power of the network

Published: 17 June, 2021

The phrase ‘content is king’ gained new meaning at this year’s LWF where two sessions focused on how runaway digital adoption rates among consumers are leading to seismic shifts around how the industry markets and sells wine. Jo Gilbert reports.

Cava in the round

Published: 09 June, 2021

DO Cava has announced a series of educational webinars aimed at UK and US trade and communicators as part of its 2021 marketing campaign.

Soapbox: Talking of funny foreigners

Published: 19 January, 2021

Have you ever used the ‘F word’ during a meeting with your biggest client? I have. Several times and, to make it worse, several times during the same meeting. The client was Jon Woodriffe, now of Origin Wines, but then Sainsbury’s buyer for French wines.