Independent wine merchants celebrate festive fillip

Independent wine merchants across the country are toasting a cracking December, with sales up across the board.

2014 Review and Hopes and Fears for 2015: Cambridge Wine Company's Hal Wilson

Hal Wilson, managing director of independent merchant Cambridge Wine Company, gives us the low-down on opening a new wine bar, Cahors wines making a comeback and why he's watching this space with Philglas & Swiggot.

Borough Wines opens sixth shop in London

Independent merchant Borough Wines has opened its sixth London  shop, this time in Clerkenwell.

Good Wine Shop opens third outlet

Independent merchant the Good Wine Shop is opening a third branch - this time in Surrey's Esher - with plans for up to two more outlets in the pipeline.

Hallgarten launches Wine Heroes campaign for independent merchants

Hallgarten Driuitt & Novum has launched Wine Heroes - a campaign tailored to independent wine merchants offering winemaker visits, bespoke POS materials and discounted pricing to help engage consumers.

Hallgarten launches Wine Heroes campaign for independents

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum has launched Wine Heroes - a campaign tailored to independent wine merchants offering winemaker visits, bespoke POS materials and discounted pricing to help engage consumers.

France study tour: Les Grands Chais de France

French wine is the lifeblood of a good independent business. But as the five top merchants who joined Harpers on a recent tour with Les Grands Chais de France discovered, there is still much to learn, even for the most experienced retailer. Richard Siddle reports

Les Grand Chais de France backs independents by signing up to Best Practice Guidelines

French wine producer, Les Grand Chais de France, is the biggest wine name to show its commitment to the independent merchant sector by signing up to the Harpers Best Practice Guidelines that oversee how producers and suppliers are working in the independent sector.

Treasury Wine Estates presents its independent strategy to Top Merchants

Treasury Wine Estates is one of a number of major wine companies looking to build sales in the independent sector. Its fine wine team joined the latest Independent Wine Crew meeting to set out its strategy and find out how it can better serve the sector. Richard Siddle and Erin Smith report

Working together: leading independent merchants pool their skills and resources

The third meeting of Harpers' Independent Wine Crew of leading multi-site wine merchants reflected a real step-change in how they are able to help each other in buying, sourcing and storing wine. Richard Siddle and Erin Smith report

Harpers Awards 2014: still time to enter

The Harpers Awards is a opportunity to be recognised as a key merchant, retailer and UK on-trade establishment in the trade. Be rewarded for all the hard work you and your team do. With a host of categories across the industry and the on- and off-trade, here's how you can get involved.

Independent wine merchants could win £200k investment

Stand out from the crowd and enter the Harpers Awards 2014

The Harpers Awards is your opportunity to be recognised and rewarded for all the hard work you do. With a host of categories across the industry and the on- and off-trade, here's how you can get involved.

?Harpers Awards 2014: How to enter and new awards categories

The Harpers Awards is your opportunity to be recognised and rewarded for all the hard work you do. With a host of categories across the industry and the on- and off-trade, here's how you can get involved

How the late Rodney Densem put the north west on the map

Here we remember Rodney Densem, who sadly died in December, who last year spoke to Carol Emmas about his long career as an independent wine merchant and how his business, Rodney Densem Wines is evolving for the future. 

Independent Wine Crew joins forces to help each other run better businesses

Accolade revamps WinningWithWine.com

Accolade Wines-owned WinningWithWine.com - an online tool for wine retailers and on-trade outlets - has revamped its website to offer a user-friendly platform with more advice than ever.

From the Shop Floor: Katherine Canfield, Hangingditch

A tasting of 50 wines in under 50 minutes is just another day in the life of an independent wine merchant. Anyone working in this sector will agree that most days there is rarely an occasion for which three hours can be spared to leisurely taste and assess a range of wines. It is often an accomplishment to dedicate that amount of time to sleep.

Laithwaite's Wine expands buying team

Laithwaite's Wine has confirmed it is to take on two new buyers - Robin Langton and Davy Zyw - to complement its 10-strong buying team.

Noble Rot looks to continue publishing with crowd-sourcing investment scheme

Noble Rot, the off-beat consumer wine magazine that can boast members of the Beastie Boys and Coldplay as contributors, is looking for investors willing to help it raise money to continue publishing through the web-based crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter.