Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Alliance hones in on France with three additions

Published: 02 August, 2021

Alliance Wine has become the sole UK agent for three French wineries, strengthening their offering from Burgundy, Provence and Madiran.

Hawksbill and Caskshare prepare for World Rum Day

Published: 08 July, 2021

The great and the good of the rum world are gearing up for World Rum Day, taking place this Saturday 10 July in order to spread word of rum, which was named by the WSTA as the most loved cocktail spirit during 2020’s first lockdown.

Mark McClintock crowned as GB Bartender of the Year

Published: 22 April, 2021

Diageo World Class Competition 2021 has awarded London-based Mark McClintock the title of GB Bartender of the Year.

Historic Inglenook winery renews ties with New Generation Wines

Published: 20 April, 2021

Rutherford’s Inglenook winery has renewed its partnership with UK importer and distributor New Generation Wines as it aims to grow its international appeal.

Champagne: A rollercoaster year

Published: 25 March, 2021

David Kermode takes the measure of Champagne, which managed to add some sparkle to its sales in 2020 despite the loss of celebratory drinking occasions.

Covid and Phylloxera – lessons for the wine trade

Published: 11 March, 2021

Sam Hellyer, head of wine and spirits at Chiswick Auctions, counts 10 years at Oddbins as part of a varied résumé where he headed up the Fine Wine branch in Oxford.

Tim Atkin MW: China’s risky moves

Published: 04 February, 2021

“Don’t trust them,” says Leon Panetta, a rueful former US defense secretary interviewed in BBC documentary China: A New World Order, “that’s the bottom line.” It’s advice the Australian wine industry and now, apparently, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), would have done well to heed.

New Zealand wine exports reach NZ$2 billion

Published: 26 November, 2020

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.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Can we plan for the unknown?

Published: 23 November, 2020

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” Charles Bukowski

Friday Read: What’s going to drive us to drink after the pandemic?

Published: 29 May, 2020

Rowena Curlewis, CEO of drinks design specialist Denomination, looks at the impact that the lockdown will have on our future drinks choices

Amathus Drinks invites consumers to Taste Together online

Published: 29 May, 2020

Wine and Spirit importer, distributor and retailer Amathus Drinks is forging head with a range of interactive online tastings to help customers explore far flung corners of the wine world.

Change of pace: How Covid/climate pressures are accelerating innovation of packaging and design

Published: 20 May, 2020

With drinks fast evolving to meet consumer trends, design and packaging has an ever more important role in communicating change, writes Andrew Catchpole

UK demand for premium Prosecco doubles

Published: 05 May, 2020

Export volumes from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG to the UK doubled in 2019, according to the latest data from its Consorzio.

Premium drinking habits in the firing line amid economic shutdown

Published: 24 March, 2020

The ‘less but better’ mantra adopted by the trade over the past decade could be facing an existential threat, an industry expert has warned, as the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic hits the reset button on drinking habits.

Hardys focuses new branding around “certainty in uncertain times”

Published: 06 March, 2020

Hardys has unveiled a new look for its global branding while also offering customers a 100% money back guarantee with the aim of becoming “a top 10 global power brand by 2025”.

Friday Read: Sustainability, organics or biodynamics – who’s got it right?

Published: 24 January, 2020

Since France’s ‘organic’ fair Millesime Bio began in 1993, France and the rest of the winemaking world have come to embrace the gamut of holistic winemaking practices, from sustainability to organics and biodynamics. But how useful, actually, are they as separate disciplines? And do they have the staying power to be truly ‘sustainable’ longterm? Mike Turner, who was in Montpellier to judge this year’s medal winners, mulls over the big questions.

Jerry Lockspeiser: The winemakers that changed the world…and those that made themselves redundant

Published: 24 January, 2020

Harpers columnist Jerry Lockspeiser is the former chairman of Off Piste Wines. Lockspeiser left at the end of 2019 after ten years at the company, which he helped to grow from ‘acorn to oak tree’ after joining back in 2010. His departure follows an investment in Off Piste just before Christmas, which will take the company into a new phase of development. Lockspeiser was also involved in the founding and building of Bottle Green in 1990 and organic wine specialist Vinceremos Wines in 1985. Here, he takes a reflective look back on 15 years that changed the wine world.

Diageo Reserve hits the road for UK studios tour

Published: 20 January, 2020

Diageo is preparing to get bartenders revved up ahead of its annual World Class cocktail-making competition with a UK-wide ‘training tour’.

Vinexpo and Comexposium join forces

Published: 08 January, 2020

Leading global wine event organisations Vinexpo and Comexposium are to join forces in a new body.

Spotlight on 2020: Hugh Sturges, Jeroboams

Published: 19 December, 2019

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.