Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Halliday to auction iconic DRC collection

Published: 01 June, 2020

Legendary Australian wine critic James Halliday is to auction 250 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from his private cellar.

Wine Australia improves educational programme

Published: 01 May, 2020

Wine Australia has improved its Australian Wine Discovered (AWD) educational programme with all modules and materials refreshed and three new modules added.

The Wine Society adds Australian wine to En Primeur offer

Published: 01 May, 2020

The Wine Society has added Torbreck's The Steading 2018 to its portfolio, making the first time the business has offered an Australian wine En Primeur.

Wine consumption in OZ holding up but spend is down

Published: 23 April, 2020

Wine consumption in Australia has been holding up during lockdown, but spend per bottle is down, according to new Wine Intelligence Covid-19 research.

Oz wine exports to UK drop in value and volume

Published: 16 April, 2020

Wine Australia has reported a drop in exports to the UK in both value and volume terms.

New research says ‘not all hope lost' when it comes to smoke taint

Published: 08 April, 2020

A multi-faceted, multi-agency smoke taint project, supported by the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) and funded by the Australian government, has confirmed that blending or dilution with unaffected wine can be an effective remedy for smoke-affected wine.

TWE and Penfolds consider separating

Published: 08 April, 2020

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) and Penfolds are considering going their separate ways, with the latter set to be split off into a separate company to pursue global expansion into luxury beverages.

Wine Australia reveals AUD $500m raised in charitable donations

Published: 22 January, 2020

Wine Australia has revealed that more than AUD $500m has been raised so far in charitable donations from across the globe in relation to the devastating bushfires.

Tyrrell’s reduces 2020 vintage ‘severely’ due to smoke taint

Published: 22 January, 2020

Tyrrell’s Wines has made the decision to have a “severely reduced” 2020 vintage due to smoke taint caused by the bushfires, with the Australian producer estimating a total crop loss of 80%.

Yalumba unveils minimal intervention range

Published: 21 January, 2020

Yalumba unveiled its latest NPD at Australia Trade Tasting - a four-strong range of wine made with minimal intervention.

Tough growing season spells drop in yields for Riverland

Published: 20 January, 2020

Hot and dry conditions have made for a tough growing season in many South Australian regions, according to the state’s Riverland where harvest has begun with early Chardonnay grapes picked for sparkling wine.

Randall moves into Australia’s Riverland

Published: 14 January, 2020

The Randall Wine Group (RWG) has acquired its first vineyard in Australia’s Riverland, marking the latest target in a string of acquisitions aimed to fuel its sales in China.

ABS brings Hedonist Ecology range to the UK

Published: 13 January, 2020

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies (ABS) has announced it is bringing Hedonist Wines’ organic and biodynamic Ecology range to the UK on an exclusive basis.

Maximum of 1% of Australia’s total vineyard area damaged by fires to date

Published: 07 January, 2020

Wine Australia has said that, while the “toll on individuals cannot be underestimated and should not be downplayed”, a review of fire maps suggests a maximum of around 1,500ha of vineyards fall within the regions affected by the current bushfires to date.

Hazel Murphy remembered as champion of Australian wine

Published: 02 January, 2020

The trade awoke to a new year with the sad news that Hazel Murphy AM had passed away on 1 January.

Spotlight on 2020: Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australia

Published: 11 December, 2019

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.

Yellow Tail launches ‘lighter style’

Published: 04 November, 2019

Yellow Tail has launched a ‘lighter style’ 8.5% abv wine to tap the burgeoning low/no category.

Leading Langhorne Creek wineries join forces to raise profile

Published: 02 October, 2019

A number of Langhorne Creek’s leading wineries and industry bodies have joined forces in a bid to grow the region’s profile among industry players and drinkers.