News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Wigan succeeds Rose at Hill-Smith Family Estates

Published: 06 November, 2023

Hill-Smith Family Estates has announced that Sam Wigan will take over the role of head winemaker from Louisa Rose ahead of the 2024 vintage.

Goedhuis and Waddesdon announce merger

Published: 03 November, 2023

Goedhuis & Co and Waddesdon Wine have announced an agreement to merge, with the deal effective from today (3 November). Both companies will initially continue to trade under their existing names, while the two businesses are fully integrated to ensure no disruption to clients or suppliers.

Makarounas Winery joins the Bancroft Portfolio

Published: 03 November, 2023

Bancroft Wines has welcomed Makarounas Winery as a new producer, marking the first range of Cypriot wines to join the portfolio.

Memorial service for Philip Tuck MW

Published: 03 November, 2023

A memorial service for Philip Tuck MW, co-founder and wine director at Hatch Mansfield for many years, is being held in February.

Friday read: The Verdicchio Renaissance

Published: 03 November, 2023

The white wines made from Verdicchio in Italy’s central Marche region were once famous for lining the supermarket shelves in its recognisable hourglass shaped bottle. Often considered generic in style, the varietal has undergone a renaissance in recent years. Is it time to revisit verdant Verdicchio in all its forms?

Homecoming for The Good Wine Shop’s fifth opening

Published: 02 November, 2023

The Good Wine Shop has expanded to a fifth site, taking over a former Oddbins site in St Margarets, Twickenham.

SWA open for entries

Published: 02 November, 2023

After a Covid-delivered hiatus of several years, the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA), the UK’s premier on-trade wine competition, is back with a bang and ready to receive this year’s exciting entries.

Majestic expands on-trade ambitions with Craggy Range partnership

Published: 01 November, 2023

Majestic’s B2B division, Majestic Commercial, is continuing to build momentum in the UK on-trade by welcoming Craggy Range back to the company’s arsenal after a seven-year absence, by becoming its exclusive on-trade agent.

Drinks One to ‘revolutionise’ drinks brands’ path to market

Published: 01 November, 2023

New drinks agency Drinks One has launched an ecommerce arm aimed at both trade and consumer as part of its disruptive strategy to allow brands to bypass the traditional middleman.

Insolvencies peak driven by hospitality and retail

Published: 01 November, 2023

Newly released figures from the Insolvency Service show that a higher rate of UK insolvencies over the 12 months have been driven by pressures in consumer facing industries such as leisure, hospitality and retail. However, research suggests the worst might now be in the rear-view mirror, with an easing now expected to follow as the industry works through some of its core challenges.

Customer loyalty reins supreme in cost-of-living crisis

Published: 31 October, 2023

New research has unveiled the importance of providing consistently good experiences in hospitality, with nearly half of consumers saying just one or two bad experiences at a hospitality venue would cause them to feel less loyal to a brand.

Champagne Day 2023: Recovery for the world’s top sparkler

Published: 31 October, 2023

Champagne appears to be holding onto its status as everyone’s favourite premium sparkling wine, new figures reveal, as the category continues an export drive dating back more than 20 years.

Barcelona Wine Week aims to put Spain on the global map

Published: 30 October, 2023

Barcelona Wine Week is continuing to cement its position as the pre-eminent wine fair for Spanish wine as it prepares for a sold out 2024 event.

Lafage leads new raft of silver memberships at IWCA

Published: 30 October, 2023

Three top wineries have achieved silver member status as part of the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) – a sustainability initiative founded in 2019 by Familia Torres of Spain and Jackson Family Wines in the US.

Licenced premises down by a third since 2003

Published: 30 October, 2023

The number of licenced premises in Britain has fallen below 100,000, marking a 31% decline in the two decades since 2003.

Naked Wines UK appoints new MD

Published: 30 October, 2023

Online wine retailer, Naked Wines, has appointed Rodrigo Maza as MD of the UK business (pictured), as it continues to grapple with the ongoing challenge of new customer acquisition post-Covid.

English bumper crop highlights capacity conundrum

Published: 27 October, 2023

A bumper crop has led to winemakers turning down grapes from growers, highlighting English wine’s capacity conundrum: there’s an insufficient number of wineries to produce wine from the exponential growth of vineyards.

Friday read: Tequila overload and the celeb-driven bottleneck

Published: 27 October, 2023

Just as 818, the new tequila brand from Kardashian scion, Kendall Jenner, lands in the UK, Michael Goldstein, drinks entrepreneur behind Prosecco Ventures asks, ‘Can tequila’s fiery spirits brands continue their ascent, or will they fade into obscurity?’

South African Wine launches new professional body

Published: 27 October, 2023

Today (27 October) marks the launch of the South African Wine Industry Professional Body (SAWIPB) following a presentation in Paarl at the KWV Cathedral Cellar.

Details of Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris revealed

Published: 26 October, 2023

Increasing numbers of international producers are joining Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris 2024 with both new attendees and a more extensive exhibition footprint driving up attendances.