Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

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.

MMD ultra marathon fundraiser to raise support for California fires

Published: 24 November, 2020

Maisons Marques et Domaines (MMD) is embarking on a collaborative Ultra Marathon in order to raise funds in support of the US wineries affected by this year’s devastating wildfires.

Beaujolais Nouveau producers ‘forced’ to make hand sanitiser

Published: 23 November, 2020

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.

France and the US top Robert Parker’s inaugural Top 100 Wine Discoveries List

Published: 18 November, 2020

France and the US cap off a new list of wines from Robert Parker Wine Advocate, which aims to identify the next big icon wines and trends from around the globe.

EU and US renew calls for end to retaliatory wine tariffs

Published: 10 November, 2020

The Brussels-based CEEV (Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins) and Wine Institute of California have renewed calls for a suspension of retaliatory tariffs on wine in response to the trans-Atlantic dispute over Boeing aircraft subsidies.

Washington State adds Candy Mountain to AVAs

Published: 05 October, 2020

Candy Mountain has been confirmed as Washington State’s 16th American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

North South to raise wildfire funds

Published: 05 October, 2020

North South Wines is to launch a new wine in the UK from Monterey-based Scheid Family Wines as part of a drive to raise crisis funds for businesses and communities devastated by the recent wildfires in California.

Robust retail demand reverses fortunes at Diageo

Published: 29 September, 2020

Drinks giant Diageo has revealed that its outlook for the first half of the fiscal year 2021 has “improved since the year-end”, reversing a moribund earlier forecast for a year that has been rocked by Covid-19.

English wine exports double

Published: 08 September, 2020

Exports of English wine more than doubled in 2019 while sales overall rocketed 70%, according to the latest data from Wine GB released today.

2020 NZ harvest "exceptional"

Published: 03 September, 2020

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, New Zealand’s 2020 vintage is “exceptional” in terms of both quality and quantity, according to the 2020 New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report.

Sales at Pernod Ricard slump post-Covid

Published: 02 September, 2020

Organic sales at Pernod Ricard fell 9.5% as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the company has reported, with revenues for the year to 30 June reaching €8.5bn.

Aviation Gin takes off with Diageo in $610m deal

Published: 18 August, 2020

Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin brand has landed a mega-deal with drinks giant Diageo, which has been acquired via parent company Davos Brands.

Relief as gin spared from US tariff hikes, but battle for Scotch continues

Published: 13 August, 2020

The US has backed down on its threat to expand a 16-year old trade fight with the European Union to impose tariffs on gin – a move which would have been “hugely detrimental” for the British alcohol industry.

Global online buying frenzy levelling out

Published: 11 August, 2020

The extraordinary upward curve in online wine and spirit sales appears to be flattening, suggests the latest data from Wine-Searcher.

Mud House pushes outdoors lifestyles in new global campaign

Published: 11 August, 2020

Leading NZ wine brand Mud House has launched a new global campaign titled ‘Taste the Adventure’.

Premium spirits to defy Covid pressures

Published: 05 August, 2020

Premium-and-above spirits are forecasted to increase their global volume market share to 13% by 2024 as consumers continue to search for “authenticity and status”, according to the IWSR.

Pernod Ricard issues more upbeat guidance for 2020

Published: 23 July, 2020

Pernod Ricard is predicting a softer impact on its business as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, according to its latest guidance for its 2020 results.

Italy rising in half-year Liv-ex trades

Published: 23 July, 2020

The growing importance of Italian wines on global trading markets is reflected in the half-year data released by Liv-ex, the online fine-wine trading platform.

SWA calls on whisky fans to urge government to ‘call time on tariffs’

Published: 20 July, 2020

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has launched a campaign urging whisky lovers to write to their MPs underlining the damage that US tariffs are causing to the Scotch whisky industry and asking them to “urge the government to call time on tariffs”.