Wine suppliers say scrapping beer tie will have limited effect on wine

Wine suppliers say the vote to break the beer tie will have a limited effect on wine sales - while it may open up the market, most leaseholders are already free to buy wine from a supplier of their choice.

Supermarket and supplier relations at a "crossroads" warns Pernod Ricard UK chief

Relationships between major supermakets and their suppliers are now at a "crossroads" according to Denis O'Flynn, managing director of Pernod Ricard UK, and we should expect tighter regulations to bring more control over the sector.

Buckingham Schenk MD Jon Pepper joins Enotria

Jon Pepper MW, managing director at Buckingham Schenk, is leaving the firm to become buying and retail director at Enotria.

Benromach launches two single malts aged in French wine casks

Reh Kendermann boss Nik Schritz to step down

Nikolaus Schritz has decided to "quit while ahead", leaving Black Tower brand owner Reh Kendermann at the end of the year with sales up over 20%.

P Diddy looks to grow wine and spirits business

Famed rapper and businessman Sean 'Diddy' Combs has recently grown his partnership with Diageo to include De León tequila as well as Ciroc vodka, and has plans to further boost the portfolio.

Glenfiddich launches online Gallery giving whisky connoisseurs access to rare malts

Glenfiddich has launched a new online service which gives whisky fans and collectors access to rare and unreleased single malts from its collection.

Frustrated restaurateurs create homemade vermouth for own Ethicurean site and independents

Frustrated that they could not find a vermouth good enough to serve in their Bristol restaurant, the team behind the Ethicurean restaurant in Wrington, Bristol, decided to go and make their own.

Nielsen predicts grocery sales to decline by £1bn in 2014

As grocery sales fall for the third consecutive month, Nielsen predicts 2014 will herald an overall decline from £146 billion in 2013 to £145 billion.

Wine businesses slow to change and connect with consumers, says business guru

Wine businesses are too slow to change and engage with consumers, says business mentor Mike Greene.

Chief of the Week: Tyler Balliet and Wine Riot

Now fast talking young American dudes are not totally original when it comes to breaking through in the wine trade. Anyone who has come within half a mile of Gary Vaynerchuk could vouch for that.

Damien Wilson on why wine bloggers are an endangered species

One of the great communication innovations assisting the wine sector's recovery has been the birth of the wine blogger. Since wine blogging began, its role has evolved from being a publicly recorded journal by wine enthusiasts through to a buying guide and discussion platform for news and events in the wine sector.

The Week That Was: Wine Vision recap, top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have done a review of the top online news, financial news for the drinks trade, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Brown-Forman raises its dividend, continuing strong performance

Brown-Forman shows little signs of slowing down following the "most successful year" in the company's history, announcing yesterday that it would be increasing its quarterly cash dividend by 8.6% to $0.315 per share.

González Byass invests €2.5m in sustainability

Spanish sherrymaker and wine firm González Byass is investing €2.5 million in a new sustainability programme over the next three years.

Gallo's Autumn Red wine to appeal to younger consumers and white wine drinkers

Gallo Family Vineyards has added the "smooth and soft" Autumn Red wine, which tastes of blackberry and caramel, to its portfolio, alongside a marketing campaign with chef and forager Caroline Davey.

UK grocery market declines for first time in 20 years, says Kantar WorldPanel

The ongoing price wars in the British grocery market have led sales to decline by 0.2% - the first decrease since market research firm Kantar World Panel began keeping records. 

UK wine trade slow to react to Millennials' sweet tooth, says Mintel

The 18 to 34 year-old age group is partial to sweeter wines, with 44% of wine buyers believing they're better quality than drier ones, but few UK brands have "attacked this space", says Mintel.

France Summit video: what French producers and generics think of the UK market

Being able to highlight the steps they are taking to promote French wine in the UK as well as understand more the challenges of the British market were some of the key reasons producers and French generic and promotional bodies attended last month's Harpers France Summit.

Home Office Minister praises drinks industry efforts at Alcohol Concern conference

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone praised the drinks industry for the steps it has taken as part of the Responsibility Deal, and said local communities were best-placed to solve alcohol-related problems, in a speech at the Alcohol Concern conference yesterday.