Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Growth slows at Pernod Ricard

Published: 18 October, 2019

Sales growth at global drinks giant Pernod Ricard has slowed, with first-quarter turnover of €2.483bn revealing underlying growth of just 1.3%, in line with expectations.

Tariffs will slash US whisky exports by 20%, SWA warns

Published: 18 October, 2019

The 25% tariff on the import of Scottish single-malt whisky to the US, which came into force last night, will lose the industry 20% of its US exports in the first year, the Scotch Whisky Association has estimated.

UK is the world’s third largest ecommerce market for alcohol – but can you name one and two?

Published: 17 October, 2019

The UK has been identified as one of the top countries in the world for sales of alcohol online, with a surprising outcome for the first and second spot.

Veuve Clicquot to open London Champagne bar

Published: 17 October, 2019

Veuve Clicquot has partnered with award-winning US singer-songwriter Annie Clark, better known as St Vincent, to open a Champagne bar in London’s Covent Garden.

SWA in crisis meeting with govt as tariff deadline looms

Published: 17 October, 2019

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is to meet secretary of state for trade Liz Truss later today to demand government action on the threatened US tariffs on Scotch.

New marketing director for Bordeaux

Published: 16 October, 2019

The CIVB has appointed Julie Rambaud-Texier to head its newly restructured marketing department.

Asda workers take to streets as contract row escalates

Published: 16 October, 2019

Asda workers will take to the streets of Leeds this afternoon to protest against the retailer’s decision to impose a new contract on all of its staff.

Changing of the guard at Taittinger

Published: 16 October, 2019

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger is to step down as president of the eponymous family-owned Champagne house at the end of 2019.

Co-op unveils wines for Christmas

Published: 08 October, 2019

Co-op has added 25 new wines to its range in the run-up to Christmas.

MPs demand government action on US Scotch tariffs

Published: 08 October, 2019

Scottish MPs have demanded that Boris Johnson speaks directly to US president Donald Trump to avert the imposition of 25% import tariffs on Scotch.

New Israeli listing for Oddbins

Published: 25 September, 2019

Israeli wine Dalton Canaan Red 2018 has won its first listing at Oddbins in the UK.

Cider is Wine alliance gains momentum with new member

Published: 17 September, 2019

Cider is Wine, the new trade alliance that aims to create a “global cider category” made from 100% apples (or pears for perry) has gained a new member.

Cider aligns with wine

Published: 16 September, 2019

A new association aiming to promote cider’s quality credentials is putting it side-by-side with wine. Jo Gilbert looks at how it holds up

Daniel Lambert offering up the wine trip of a lifetime

Published: 09 September, 2019

Daniel Lambert Wines has the dream round-the-world ticket up for grabs to the winner of its new independent incentive scheme.

Two to three big Christmases left for gin amid premium spirits boom

Published: 23 August, 2019

Pernod Ricard is banking on another big hurrah for gin growth this festive season, with its on-going popularity and major presence in the UK’s cocktail culture helping to boost growth of premium spirits.

Friday Read: Riding the tequila wave

Published: 09 August, 2019

It is a tumultuous time to be a smaller tequila producer. External forces are a mixture of positive market growth and negative trade tensions, including rising supply costs (agave, in 2018, was up 571% since 2016), fuel shortages engendered by pipeline pirates and fraying civil structure in the main production area of Jalisco. Against this background ‘adaptation’ is the keyword for the smaller producer.

Thousands of US jobs at risk if drinks tariffs imposed

Published: 06 August, 2019

Nearly 80,000 jobs in the US drinks sector could go if the US government targets wine and spirits in its tariff dispute with the EU, the industry has warned.

Tim Atkin MW: Canary in the global coalmine

Published: 05 August, 2019

“Phew. What A Scorcher!” I’m old enough to remember June 1976, when we had 15 consecutive days above 32°C. The Sun’s headline captured some of the excitement I felt as a teenager. In those days British summers were frequently cool, overcast affairs and all of a sudden Kent felt like the Costa Brava. What was scorching then seems almost temperate now. Last week Cambridge sweated through the second hottest day ever at 38.1°C, just behind Faversham’s UK record of 38.5°C in August 2003.