Chris Losh: averting an on-trade apocalypse

This was the week that the Coronavirus got real. Ten days ago in the UK Covid-19 was largely the source of ironic fist-bumps and the odd cancelled tasting. Dying and panicking was what other people did. With a complacency that now seems barely credible, the government’s message at the end of February was, broadly, ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’.

Coronavirus: Don’t leave pubs and bars in “limbo”

The industry is galvanising its voices to urge the Prime Minister to take decisive action at this afternoon’s coronavirus briefing after pubs, bars and restaurants are left in “limbo” just as the outbreak looks set to take hold in the UK.

Nyetimber and Plumpton join forces to develop winemakers of the future

Nyetimber is looking to help develop the next generation of wine industry leaders via a new placement scheme in conjunction with Plumpton College’s wine division.

NZ research winery to open

The Bragato Research Institute (BRI), New Zealand winegrowers’s new research winery, is to open on 27 February.

FSA releases stark warning to CBD producers targeting pregnant women and vulnerable people

The Food Standards Authority (FSA) has broken its silence on CBD to issue a statement urging businesses to be upfront about potential health risks and suitability for vulnerable groups.

Drinks trade ranks poorly on new sustainability index

The drinks industry is lagging behind other business sectors in its approach to sustainability, according to a new report published today.

NZ tasting: alternative styles playing expanding role in export growth

Rosé, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are among a slew of ‘alternative’ varieties and styles notching up a greater share of New Zealand’s collective wine exports, as “international appetite grows to expand the range”.

Friday Read: The Wild West of cannabis law

Look at any predictions for 2020 and beyond, and odds are that you will see the word ‘cannabis’. Looking back to 2019, a few key things set the tone for the next decade. Constellation Brands led the charge for the gold rush by buying an ever-bigger stake in Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth, with other companies clambering to get a piece of what has been called the next .com bubble.

BIVB becomes WSET patron

Educator to the wine industry, The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), has new backing in the form of Burgundy’s official wine board.

London restaurateurs call for wine duty cut

Spotlight on 2020: Simon Doyle, Concha y Toro UK

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

“It’s still a man’s world” say bartenders promoting sisterhood at all-female takeover

The opportunities for women to reach the pinnacle of their careers in the hospitality industry was one of the hot topics at a recent event at The Artesian bar, which shone a well-deserved light on the talent of the female bartenders working in the industry today.

Government backs down on VI-1 forms

The government has agreed to temporarily suspend the introduction of forms which were feared to create an extra layer of red tape for the wine industry in what is shaping up to be an increasingly disorderly Brexit.

Portman Group welcomes steep decline in drink-drive deaths

The number of deaths from drink-driving has fallen around the world, according to the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking.

SWA in crisis meeting with govt as tariff deadline looms

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is to meet secretary of state for trade Liz Truss later today to demand government action on the threatened US tariffs on Scotch.

New Zealand winemakers prep for bicentenary celebrations

Not many wine regions can claim to know exactly when the first vine was planted in their country.

Sustainability: a transatlantic conversation with California Wines

Harpers and California Wine Institute hosted an insightful and far-reaching seminar at London’s Design Museum, delivering the core message that the wine world is well-placed to better engage consumers in supporting the true costs of advancing sustainability. Andrew Catchpole reports

Scottish government calls for post-Brexit protections for whisky

Scotch whisky must retain its current protected status if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government’s secretary for the rural economy, has said.

Mentzendorff ride smashes fundraising target for The Benevolent

The Mentzendorff team has once again picked up their bikes and donned their lycra to raise an impressive sum for industry drinks charity, The Benevolent.

Sustainability accreditation in the works for UK wine

A new sustainability and climate change mitigation scheme for the UK wine industry could be complete by the end of the year.