Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

González Byass releases rare 1878 vintage

Published: 02 November, 2020

González Byass has released an ultra-limited-edition Pedro Ximénez – with just 78 bottles for sale.

CyT thrives in Q3 despite pandemic

Published: 02 November, 2020

Net profits at Chilean wine giant Viña Concha y Toro have risen 54% in the third quarter, the company has announced, with EBITDA growing 53%.

Second national lockdown a "calamity" for hospitality without more govt support

Published: 02 November, 2020

There are deep concerns across the hospitality sector about the impact of the government’s latest lockdown measures for England which were announced on Saturday evening by the prime minister.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Which wines do Pamela Anderson and Kate Moss remind you of?

Published: 26 October, 2020

About 30 million people in the UK drink wine. For years, producers and marketeers have been trying to grab their attention, hoping to figure out how to successfully communicate their wines through words and images.

Diversity talk urges wine industry to own up to its privilege

Published: 22 October, 2020

Wine education to diploma level costs upwards of £10,000 – a number which has been used to highlight the issues involved in making the wine industry a more diverse and inclusive place.

UK retail lifts moribund global sales at Pernod Ricard

Published: 22 October, 2020

Drinks giant Pernod Ricard has seen its sales drop 6% in the first quarter of the financial year, though UK retail sales remain dynamic.

South Africa looks to higher ground

Published: 22 October, 2020

Hard hit by the pandemic, South Africa’s winemakers are proving their resilience and fighting back with an eye on higher quality and pricing. By Andrew Catchpole

Medium and smaller brands take lead over private label

Published: 21 October, 2020

Private label sales are down across almost all European countries, with mid-sized brands and smaller companies performing best.

South Yorkshire follows Manchester into Tier 3

Published: 21 October, 2020

South Yorkshire has officially joined Manchester in the highest bracket of Covid measures, meaning bars and restaurants not serving seated meals will close.

Simon Thorpe MW joins Wine GB team

Published: 21 October, 2020

Wine GB has strengthened its team with the appointment of Simon Thorpe MW as new CEO.

Popular trade figure Terry Threlfall passes away

Published: 19 October, 2020

It was with surprise and a heavy heart that the wine trade community – in the UK and beyond – received the news of Terry Threlfall’s untimely death. Terry passed away last Friday from a heart attack, aged just 43.

Wine drinking occasions up in lockdowns

Published: 16 October, 2020

Wine drinkers across key consumption markets have been turning more often to the beverage during the pandemic. This is spurred by new lockdown occasions and more drinking outside of mealtimes, according to a new Wine Consumer Trends in the Covid-19 Era report released by Wine Intelligence.

Wine GB launches industry hallmark for classic method wines

Published: 15 October, 2020

Wine GB has announced its first ever collective campaign for producers in England and Wales, including a hallmark to help to differentiate English and Welsh PDO sparkling wines made using the “time and craft-intensive classic method”.

Tier 2 restrictions for London on-trade, with North West facing Tier 3

Published: 15 October, 2020

In a further escalation of the rolling partial lockdowns across the UK, the government is introducing Tier 2 restrictions on Londoners from midnight tomorrow (Friday 16 October), Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, announced in the Commons today.

Bars and restaurants are footing the Covid bill

Published: 15 October, 2020

The government has made a meal out of eating out, with serious repercussions for the trade. Chris Losh reports

GBK follows Carluccio’s to Boparan following Covid squeeze

Published: 14 October, 2020

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), owner of Carluccio’s, has acquired burger brand Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), saving 35 trading sites national-wide.

Domino effect looms as NI declares health and hospitality crisis

Published: 14 October, 2020

Northern Ireland has announced a month-long circuit breaker lockdown, signalling fears that similar measures could be on the way for the rest of the UK.

Profile: John Timothy, The Portman Group

Published: 14 October, 2020

Health rose to the top of the agenda at the beginning of 2020 in a way we’ve never seen before. Jo Gilbert speaks to the face of alcohol responsibility in the UK about meeting this challenge

New indie Christmas campaign for Bordeaux

Published: 07 October, 2020

Bordeaux Wines UK has inveiled a new Christmas campaign aimed at independent wine merchants.

Lindeman's goes carbon neutral in Europe

Published: 07 October, 2020

The Lindeman’s wine brand is set to be certified carbon neutral in Europe, thanks to a new partnership between brand-owner Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) and the Carbon Trust.