United Kingdom - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

UK wine producer MDCV achieves B Corp certification

Published: 04 September, 2026

MDCV UK, the company behind the Kent-based Silverhand Estate, has achieved B Corp certification, highlighting its sustainable commitments.

London City Bond newest Wine GB patron

Published: 02 September, 2026

Wine GB, the trade body for English and Welsh wine, has announced that bonded logistics provider London City Bond (LCB) is the organisation’s latest patron.

Luke Harbor set to join Bolney as general manager

Published: 24 August, 2026

Luke Harbor is set to jump ship from his current role as group beverage director at The Pig Hotels and become general manager at Sussex’s Bolney Wine Estate.

Balfour pens deal with Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club

Published: 20 August, 2026

Kent’s Balfour Winery has signed a five-year partnership with Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club becoming the Premier League team’s English Wine Partner.

Nyetimber joins English optimism with vintage expectations from earliest ever harvest

Published: 20 August, 2026

Nyetimber is expecting 2026 to be another vintage year – following 2025 – suggesting that its grapes will be of ‘distinctive quality’ despite some challanges along the way.

Rathfinny expects excellent vintage after record-breaking summer

Published: 14 August, 2026

As harvest approaches, Rathfinny Wine Estate has reported encouraging signs of quality in its vineyards, with yields expected to be 30% higher than last year, and the fruit showing ‘exceptional promise’.

Wine GB ‘optimistic’ about 2026 harvest after heatwave summer

Published: 07 August, 2026

Wine GB has said that it is “optimistic” about the size and quality of the UK harvest, in response to speculation about this year’s crop.

Wine GB Conference: Renewed export drive for sparkling wines

Published: 03 August, 2026

There’s no doubt that the English and Welsh wine sector has been on quite a roll. Production, quality and positive perception have all continued to rise, helping fuel the optimistic buzz at this year’s Wine GB Conference in London. Convened around a central theme of building ‘resilience’ into the industry, delegates were reminded by Helen Brocklebank, CEO of luxury brands body Walpole, that the homegrown wine sector has upped in size by 69% over the past decade. And this despite the challenges of Brexit, Covid, various geopolitical crisis and ongoing cost of living issues.

Wine tourism: Rathfinny announces expansion of vineyard accommodation

Published: 27 July, 2026

Rathfinny Wine Estate has unveiled plans for a significant expansion of its on-site guest accommodation, following unanimous approval from the South Downs National Park Authority.

Breaky Bottom Vineyard put up for sale in move to preserve legacy

Published: 13 July, 2026

Breaky Bottom Vineyard has been put on the market for £4,000,000 following founder Peter Hall’s death last October, in a move that looks to safeguard and continue his and his widow Christine’s pioneering work.

Gusbourne marks 20 years of winemaking with rare cellar release

Published: 08 July, 2026

To celebrate 20 vintages of winemaking, Gusbourne Estate is opening its cellar for a rare release of wines – some of which may not be available in this form again.

Exton Park starts ‘next chapter’ by appointing new CEO and chairman

Published: 06 July, 2026

Exton Park Vineyard has appointed Nick Morton to the role of CEO, while Hugh Sturges has been made chairman in what the estate called the beginning of its “next chapter”.

Pushing English boundaries: Hampshire’s Black Chalk unveils 89.6 magnum

Published: 06 July, 2026

At one of Shoreditch’s newest culinary offerings, Tavern, Black Chalk winemakers Zoë Driver and Jacob Leadley showcased their latest creation – a magnum blanc de blancs from 2020 named 89.6.

First British-made sparkling wine bottle enters production

Published: 26 June, 2026

The UK’s first British-made sparkling wine bottle, a collaboration between packaging firm Croxsons and glass manufacturer Encirc, has completed its first production run with nearly a million bottles produced.

Wine GB Awards medalists show strength of still and emerging diversity

Published: 17 June, 2026

The Wine GB Awards winners has been unveiled by the trade body, with still wine entries and medals surpassing sparkling for the second year on the trot.

Emma Rice joins English producer The Heretics as winemaker

Published: 10 June, 2026

English wine producer The Heretics has announced that Emma Rice is set to join as in-house winemaker.

Wine GB: Charlie Holland takes on chair role

Published: 27 May, 2026

Wine GB – the trade body representing UK wine – has announced the appointment of Charlie Holland as its new chair.

Wine GB launches regenerative viticulture guide in wider sustainability push

Published: 15 May, 2026

Trade body Wine GB has unveiled its latest guide, in partnership with the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF). The creation of its regenerative viticulture guide comes in response to a growing interest among its members regarding the farming practice.

Artelium eases path to international sales via ‘digital cellar door’

Published: 14 May, 2026

Artelium Wine Estate has launched a “digital cellar door”, which will allow consumers to purchase wines directly from its website and have them delivered internationally.

English still wine emerges from fizz shadow

Published: 15 May, 2026

English still wine remains a niche proposition. According to Worldpanel by Numerator, for the 52-week period ending 22 March 2026, total off-trade value sales sat at just below £3m. To put this figure into perspective, the category represents 0.1% of consumers’ retail still wine spend. The most recently available bottle production figures from Wine GB showed that, in 2024, still wine made up 31% (around 3.3 million bottles) of the total (10.7 million), with sparkling accounting for the remaining 69%.