Soaring sherry sales prop up Tio Pepe’s 12th release

Spirits vs Wine: Rolling with the times

Definitive figures from Kantar show just how much shopping habits changed in 2020, with spirits overtaking wine in baskets for the first time and online reaching hitherto unmatched heights, as Jo Gilbert discovers.

Spirits overtake wine in shopping baskets

Spirits reached a major milestone in 2020, overtaking wine to become the largest category in terms of penetration in the off-trade for the first time in at least five years.

Year of shuttered restaurants and bars has left hospitality ‘shattered’

In the year since the first hospitality shutdown, the sector has taken a battering with more than eight months of closure delivering a heavy blow.

Indies: Staying ahead

A new year is likely to bring new challenges for indies looking to hold on to new custom, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Soaring demand for rosé and exports at Nyetimber

Nyetimber has reported a major spike in demand for rosé in 2020 from their south east England vineyards, despite the loss of social drinking occasions often associated with pink wines.

Atkin Rioja Report awards first-ever 100 point score to a white

Tim Atkin MW has revealed a perfect score for a wine for Rioja for the first time – and it’s a white.

Nicholls marks one year Covid ‘anniversary’ – “We didn’t know it would be a tsunami”

UK Hospitality chief Kate Nicholls has renewed calls for additional government support a year on from her first strategy meetings with ministers at the beginning of the pandemic.

2021 Events guide

James Lawrence rounds up the highlights of the coming year’s events calendar

Harpers 48h blackout: We’re still here

In a very 2020 twist to the New Year, Harpers was welcomed into January with multiple power blackouts which cut all access to our email server.

That’s it for 2020: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Harpers

As we teeter on the edge of 2021, a new year and a fresh shot at health and prosperity for the drinks trade, Harpers would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas break in whatever form that takes this year.

WSTA membership climbs as it releases Brexit checklist

A record number of wine and spirit businesses have joined the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) this year following a recruitment drive bolstered by concerns over Covid and Brexit.

Michael Saunders’ 2020 vision

Michael Saunders takes a deep dive into the challenges facing the trade as Andrew Catchpole catches up with Bibendum’s CEO and chair of the WSTA

Fine wine reaches a record high on Liv-ex

Fine wine has remained buoyant this year, with increased reliance on technology and automated trading helping the market to reach as yet unprecedented levels.

Balfour and Majestic launch English wine follow-up

Majestic Wine and Balfour Wines at Hush Heath Estate are following up the debut of their English wine partnership, with a sophomore release of limited edition labels.

Drinks Trust survey highlights need for upskilling and greater diversity inclusion

The drinks industry still has a way to go to being a more supportive place for those facing employment, mental health and inclusion issues, the Drinks Trust’s annual survey has found.

The survey, which aims to inform the objectives and support offered by the charity each year, found that 66% of respondents believe that diversity has remained the same in the industry in 2020, with only 29% receiving any kind of training on diversity and inclusion. A further 23% revealed they had faced discrimination due to race, gender, sexuality or disability in the workplace.

Cautious optimism returns for hospitality’s businesses prospects

A new survey has revealed a rise in optimism among hospitality operators for the future of their business over the next 12 months, albeit from a very low threshhold – but representing a substantial increase from the third quarter of the year.

New Zealand wine exports reach NZ$2 billion

International demand for New Zealand wine has surged over the past decade, with total export value now reaching a record-breaking NZ$2 billion in 2020.

Beaujolais Nouveau producers ‘forced’ to make hand sanitiser

Producers of Beaujolais Nouveau have been left with no choice but to turn part of their crop into pure alcohol, it has been reported, after exports of wine from the region fell during the first nine months of the year.

Naked apologises for site crash due to Christmas surge

Naked Wines has seen pre-sales of its Deluxe Christmas Collection sky-rocket, with 40,000 cases being snapped up in the first 24 hours.