News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Hallgarten expands Champagne portfolio

Published: 30 May, 2025

Champagne Abelé 1757, the fifth-oldest Champagne house, has signed an exclusive import agreement with Hallgarten & Novum Wines.

Sogevinus unveils name change

Published: 29 May, 2025

Portuguese wine producer Sogevinus will henceforth be known as the Kopke Group, paying homage to the country's oldest Port house.

Friday Read: A taste of Kopke’s Colheitas

Published: 29 May, 2025

First sampling the luxury of Kopke’s new hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia, Abbie Bennington then joined master blender Carlos Alves for a taste of this venerable port house’s wines

IWSR expects global drinks trade to grow by $16bn

Published: 29 May, 2025

Data from IWSR predicts that the global drinks industry will grow by USD $16bn over the next five years. The positive outlook contrasts to the relative stagnation the global trade saw in 2024.

Bibendum-owner C&C Group's operating profit rises with revenue stable

Published: 28 May, 2025

The owner of importer Bibendum, C&C Group has announced its results for the financial year ending 28 February 2025.

Nick Gillett: Why Trump’s tariffs are not just a question of cost

Published: 28 May, 2025

Trade tariffs. It’s a term that’s been looming over us for the past few months, without ever really coming to a full conclusion or a new status quo. Yes, we have a trade deal, complete with a minimum 10% tariff, but when it comes to spirits specifically – the water is very murky indeed.

Kingsbarns Distillery launches secure whisky cask ownership programme

Published: 28 May, 2025

St Andrews-based Kingsbarns Distillery has launched a cask ownership programme, offering whisky lovers the opportunity to securely buy their own barrel of the spirit through a secure and transparent process.

Joint statement bemoans impact of EPR on hospitality

Published: 27 May, 2025

In a letter sent to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, a coalition of leading pub, hospitality and brewing bodies has laid out its concerns regarding the cost and impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy.

Forty-three breweries went bust in past year

Published: 26 May, 2025

National accountancy group UHY Hacker Young has reported 43 breweries went bust in the year to 28 February, many of them small independents, including Fourpure, Magic Rock and Burton Town.

London Wine Fair showcases emerging regions and fresh innovation

Published: 23 May, 2025

After three days of networking, tasting and connecting, the London Wine Fair (LWF) has come to a close for another year. The Fair’s emergence as a champion for emerging wine regions was on clear display at the event, as was both vinous and technological innovation. The event also saw growth in visitor numbers with 9,741 attending the fair, up 5% from 2024.

Georgia backs UK growth with upped investment

Published: 22 May, 2025

Few could miss the Georgia stand at this year’s London Wine Fair, with this on-trend country planting 16 of its producers on a sizable stand at the centre of the hall. And this enlarged presence sets the tone for the rest of this year, following an uplift in UK volume sales of Georgian wines of 72% in 2024, backed by an increase of investment in the British market by 50% for 2025.

Research shows hospitality has worst hourly pay of any UK industry

Published: 22 May, 2025

Analysis of ONS data on average hours worked and median average pay by experts at money.co.uk shows that the hospitality sector offers the worst hourly pay of any UK industry.

Vega Sicilia appoints Jessica Julmy as new MD

Published: 22 May, 2025

Spanish producer Tempos Vega Sicilia has announced the appointment of Jessica Julmy as its new MD. Julmy will begin her directorship at the end of August, leading the Álvarez family's six estates including the flagship Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero.

Loch Lomond Group acquires New York Distilling Company

Published: 22 May, 2025

Scotch producer Loch Lomond Group has announced the acquisition of the Brooklyn-based New York Distilling Company. The stateside distiller will join the likes of Loch Lomond and Glen Scotia whiskies in the group’s well-known portfolio.

Planning causing barriers to UK wine tourism, finds report

Published: 21 May, 2025

A report by planning and development consultancy Lichfields suggests that UK wine tourism’s potential is being held back by planning challenges.

Fine wine market suffers biggest drop since August 2023

Published: 20 May, 2025

The fine wine index dropped in April by the greatest amount since August 2023. The Liv-ex May Market Intelligence Report said the industry standard Fine Wine 100 closed down 1.7%, attributing the decline to the introduction of tariffs and the En Primeur tastings.

Bancroft onboards Riebeek Valley Wine Company’s RAAR range to portfolio

Published: 20 May, 2025

Bancroft Wines has announced the addition of South African Riebeek Valley Wine Company to its portfolio. The new deal will see the Swartland producer’s RAAR range imported to the UK.

UK Hospitality welcomes youth travel element of UK-EU trade deal

Published: 19 May, 2025

UK Hospitality has welcomed the news that a UK trade deal agreed with the EU yesterday (Monday) includes cooperation on a youth experience scheme which could see young people able to work and travel freely in Europe again.

Eyes to the East: Q&A with Caroline Gilby MW

Published: 19 May, 2025

Partnering with The Ultimate CEE Wine Fair, Harpers and its editor Andrew Catchpole speak with co-founder and regional expert Caroline Gilby MW to discover more about her mission to champion the diverse wines of these excitingly promising countries.

UK brewery numbers continue to decline

Published: 19 May, 2025

The number of breweries in the UK has declined by 136 since the end of March, continuing the downward trend reported in January, when brewery numbers had dropped by 100 since the start of 2024.