Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Enotria chooses Junior for wine director role

Published: 19 November, 2015

Enotria has announced the appointment of Dirceu Vianna Junior MW as wine director.

McKinley Vintners to merge with New Generation Wines

Published: 18 November, 2015

New Generation Wines and McKinley Vintners are to merge from January 1, 2016, Harpers has learned.

HMRC alcohol tax fraud regulation to cost thousands of jobs

Published: 18 November, 2015

New Government legislation to end alcohol tax fraud could lead to thousands of job losses, a leading insolvency lawyer has warned.

Bibendum hosts sky high South America tasting at The Shard

Published: 18 November, 2015

On-trade distributor Bibendum has partnered with The View from The Shard to offer consumers an innovative tasting experience.

Openings: German Gymnasium

Published: 12 November, 2015

D&D to launch the "German Gymnasium", uniting patisserie counter, Grand Café, restaurant and bar, on today in a Grade II former gym at King's Cross.

Roots taps rum ambassador Burrell for Caribbean restaurant launch

Published: 12 November, 2015

Entrepreneur, chef and musician Levi Roots has partnered with global rum ambassador Ian Burrell for the launch of his first restaurant.

Red Squirrel opens pop-up Christmas wine bar in Dalston

Published: 12 November, 2015

West London-based wine importer Red Squirrel Wine is to launch its first pop-up wine bar through the Christmas season.

Conviviality confirms taste for Peppermint, reveals latest figures

Published: 12 November, 2015

Conviviality is to buy London-based bar and events company Peppermint.

Matthew Clark racks up slew of new account signings

Published: 10 November, 2015

Leading on-trade distributor, Matthew Clark, has won seven new premium accounts.

Openings: 68 & Boston

Published: 10 November, 2015

Douglas Blyde visits 68 & Boston where popular wine blogger Denise Medrano created the list for the Soho-based venue.

Iconic Artesian bar loses several key bar staff members

Published: 09 November, 2015

Is it the end of an era for the iconic Artesian bar, a four-time winner of the World's 50 Best Bars, which lost its two lead bartenders Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale and nine other staff members?

Frizzenti expands wine-on-tap range

Published: 09 November, 2015

Frizzenti, the supplier of wine on tap to the on-trade, has added nine new wines to its range.

Buckingham Schenk targets on-trade with strengthened wine list

Published: 05 November, 2015

Buckingham Schenk has released a new wine list, designed to strengthen its foothold in the on-trade.

Insights: What wine trends will be driving this year's festive period

Published: 03 November, 2015

et the planning, stock, marketing and sales mix right and Christmas should deliver a bumper season, with a sales uplift over the extended period that, for many, can come close to matching the take for the rest of the year. Conversely, though, at its most extreme, depressed or underperforming, Christmas trading can seriously impact on the ongoing health of a business. Which is why it is so important to make the most of this seasonal drinkfest.

Openings: Sexy Fish

Published: 02 November, 2015

Douglas Blyde weighs in Sexy Fish. The ambitious, 190-cover late October opening from Caprice Holdings (owners of The Ivy) which is inherently design-led.

Analysis: Spirits brands set to make the most of Christmas trading period

Published: 02 November, 2015

With the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas the most crucial for all in the drinks trade, Erin Smith looks at how the spirits sector fares at this time of year.

On-trade: The rising popularity of pop-ups

Published: 30 October, 2015

From wine car boot sales to pop-up shops and mobile wine vans, Jo Bruce looks at how operators' fresh formats are uncorking wine sales

The Smith Report: A consumer-centric Christmas

Published: 30 October, 2015

As we head into November and the throes of the busiest trading period of the year, many retailers are changing strategies in an effort to pull in more consumers during the final weeks of 2015.

Guy Woodward: Why aren't restaurants offering more wines by the glass?

Published: 30 October, 2015

Along, it seemed, with half the UK's wine press, I was at the launch of Les 110 de Taillevent in London's Cavendish Square last week. My verdict? Go - and be sure to order the crab ravioli. What was most notable about the night, though, was not the guest list or the menu, but that here was a major restaurant being launched off the back of its wine offering.

Industry cautious on government proposals for revised Pubs Code

Published: 29 October, 2015

Government plans announced today to redraw the relationship between tied pub tenants and their landlords have received a cautious welcome from the industry.