News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Kingsland Drinks signs new partnership with The Iconic Estate

Published: 05 October, 2021

Kingsland Drinks has agreed a new partnership with Romanian wine producer – The Iconic Estate – in a move to further broaden its offering.

Hospitality leaders fight to recruit and retain staff as labour shortages bite

Published: 04 October, 2021

One in six (16%) hospitality jobs currently lie vacant, triggering intense competition among firms to recruit and retain team members, the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth has said.

Cross-industry call for permanent lower VAT rate

Published: 04 October, 2021

Following the recent call from The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) for the Treasury to extend the hospitality VAT reduction, leading trade bodies from the hospitality and tourism sector have aligned to add their voice to the plea.

Cantine Settesoli renews sustainability commitment

Published: 04 October, 2021

Leading Sicilian co-operative Cantine Settesoli has renewed its commitment to environmental sustainability by implementing Alta Qualità Bio (AQB) as part of its 2021 agricultural campaign.

Hatch Mansfield announces new leadership direction

Published: 04 October, 2021

UK specialist agent Hatch Mansfield has announced that managerial changes will come into effect immediately.

WSTA calls for duty freeze and extended VAT reduction in Budget

Published: 04 October, 2021

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called on the Treasury to freeze wine and spirit duty and extend the hospitality VAT reduction in the Autumn Budget to allow the country to climb out of the Covid-19 slump.

Late-night sector reacts to passport ‘shambles’ in Scotland

Published: 04 October, 2021

The Scottish late-night sector has labelled the introduction of Covid passports, which came into force on Friday 1 October, as a “shambles”.

Casa Real joins La Place

Published: 30 September, 2021

Chile’s Casa Real has become the latest New World producer to offer wine through La Place de Bordeaux, with its 2018 Reserva Especial marked for distribution via this high-end route to market with immediate effect.

London Cocktail Week prepares to welcome guest bartenders from all over Europe

Published: 30 September, 2021

London Cocktail Week is kicking off tomorrow (1 October) for another extended month-long celebration of the city’s top bars, with an emphasis on bar takeovers and bartenders flying in from all over Europe.

IWCA membership swells with 12 new high-profile applicants

Published: 30 September, 2021

The International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) grouping has accepted application for membership from 12 new wineries to join its ranks.

Long read: Raising a glass to Australian wines

Published: 30 September, 2021

The UK’s love for Australian wines shows no signs of abating. With good availability, competitive pricing, and good transport and distribution networks, supply from Australia is still extremely attractive for UK buyers and wine drinkers. Here, Paul Braydon, buying controller for Kingsland Drinks, delves into the wine trends emerging from Australia, shares insights on the category post-FTA (Free Trade Agreement), and what the UK drinks sector can expect to see next.

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris’ comeback planned for 2022

Published: 30 September, 2021

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris is returning to the city’s Expo Porte de Versailles in February 2022 for its third edition – the first time the event has been held in person since 2020.

Calling all entries for Harpers Wine Stars 2022

Published: 30 September, 2021

Harpers Wine Stars awards is gearing up for its early 2022 round of judging, with entries for the competition invited by 14 October this year.

Dine-in occasions bounce back with a vengeance

Published: 29 September, 2021

Dine-in occasions are on the rise as consumers return in-person to restaurants – a shift in consumption patterns which has resulted in greater buy-in for drinks.

Global organic vineyard area reaches half-a-million hectares

Published: 29 September, 2021

A new report from the OIV shows that organic viticulture is gaining major ground across the world, with nearly half-a-million hectares worldwide now dedicated to organic vines.

UK brands soar in value but still trail global giants

Published: 29 September, 2021

The UK’s leading brands are showing positive signs of recovery in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaping in value by 22% to reach a new record high of $278.8 (£207 billion), according to Kantar’s BrandZTM Most Valuable UK Brands 2021 ranking. However, growth rates show they are lagging behind the biggest global brands.

Hospices de Beaune collaboration with Sotheby’s

Published: 29 September, 2021

Burgundy’s annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction has partnered with Sotheby’s for its 2021 charity sale in what it describes as a “new chapter” in its history.

New Pix wine platform on global ‘matchmaking mission’

Published: 29 September, 2021

An ambitious new wine discovery platform is soon to launch with the aim of becoming the “biggest wine platform in the world,” according to its creators.

Brits hoover up Portuguese wine as loss of tourism shows the “Portuguese don’t drink Port”

Published: 29 September, 2021

As the biggest consumers of wine per capita globally, it might be expected that domestic sales of Portuguese wines would have fared well over the course of the pandemic, where drinkers globally were largely turned onto local vinous offerings.

Petrol and driver shortages impact UK supply

Published: 28 September, 2021

A perfect storm of rising transport costs, a shortage of freight capacity and a severe lack of HGV drivers is putting increasing pressure on the UK’s drink distribution network.