Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Pierre Gagnaire: the chef other chefs want to be

Published: 10 April, 2015

oplePierre Gagnaire is one of the most admired and successful chefs in the world. James Steen talks to him about the Beatles, Beaujolais and the three Michelin stars he has held for nearly 20 years

Le Vignoble on bringing award winning retailing to the south west

Published: 10 April, 2015

Le Vignoble in Plymouth is a buzzy wine boutique and lounge keen to educate its consumers and turn them into life-long wine connoisseurs

Old Bridge Hotel turns to wine retailing to build success

Published: 10 April, 2015

When Huntingdon's Old Bridge Hotel launched its own wine shop, the idea seemed something of a folly. But, as Glynn Davis finds, it has been a runaway success

London Wine Fair 2015: Why LWF 2015 will the most diverse show in its history

Published: 10 April, 2015

After last year's make-or-break return to central London, London Wine Fair organisers Ross Carter and Will Broadfoot talk about what they claim is going to make London Wine Fair 2015 the most diverse show in its 35-year history.

Q&A: Mission Estate's Giles James on toppling Cloudy Bay and looking beyond Sauvignon Blanc

Published: 31 March, 2015

Mission Estate, New Zealand's oldest winery, may not yet be the most familiar of brand names in the UK wine world, but it has just managed to topple Cloudy Bay from its position as best selling New Zealand wine in the on trade. Helen Arnold caught up with UK business development manager Giles James to discover how it was achieved.

Q&A: Coravin's new boss Frederic Levy on changing the way people access wine at home

Published: 30 March, 2015

Coravin's new boss Frédéric Levy talks about the gadget that is causing a stir in the on-trade and his plans to change the way people access and drink wine at home.

Q&A: Hervé Deschamps, chief winemaker at Perrier-Jouët, talks about his work at the iconic brand spanning three decades

Published: 25 March, 2015

Hervé Deschamps talks to Erin Smith about the pressures of being chief winemaker at Perrier-Jouët

Why English wine's Litmus Wines is on board with Branson's South African hotel venture

Published: 23 March, 2015

English winemaking consultants Litmus Wines recently teamed up with Richard Branson's private hotel collection Virgin Limited Edition to launch a new joint-venture wine business in South Africa's Franschhoek region. Litmus' founder and director John Worontschak, and VLE's managing director, Jon Brown, talked to Harpers.co.uk about the venture and what it will mean for the Surrey-based business.

The Institute of Masters of Wine inducts five new members

Published: 23 March, 2015

The Institute of Masters of Wine has welcomed five new Masters of Wine into its membership bringing the total number of MWs to 332 globally.

Q&A: Beltrán Domecq of the Consejo Regulador on sherry cocktails and sherry's affinity with food

Published: 16 March, 2015

Beltrán Domecq, president of Consejo Regulador de las denominaciones de origen Jerez and Graham Hines, UK director of The Sherry Institute of Spain talk to Harpers.co.uk about sherry, its affinity with food and the growth of sherry-based cocktails.

Maxxium promotes Mark Riley from head of off-trade to group's managing director

Published: 10 March, 2015

Spirit distributor Maxxium UK has named Mark Riley as its new managing director, who will take up the role next month.

Mark Holdsworth, Half Hitch Gin, on breathing new life in to London gin

Published: 06 March, 2015

Camden Lock in north London was once the centre of the capital's gin production. Fifty years after the last distiller moved out, Mark Holdsworth is breathing new life into the area. He talks about craft gin and his plans for Half Hitch with Helen Arnold.

Denis O'Flynn, Pernod Ricard UK, why we need to get behind the WSTA

Published: 06 March, 2015

Denis O'Flynn, managing director of Pernod Ricard UK, talks about his plans as the new chairman of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.

Pernod Ricard shakes up team to boost Asian growth

Published: 27 February, 2015

Pernod Richard has shaken up its executive team as it looks to boost growth in Asia.

World expert John Gauntner introduces us to sake

Published: 13 February, 2015

John Gauntner is renowned as being one of the English-speaking world's foremost experts on sake. Here he explains how he got into sake, and what's happening in the industry now.

Q&A: BiBoViNo's Frantz Roesch on why BIB wine is going upmarket

Published: 10 February, 2015

Frantz Roesch, founder of French bag-in-box retail concept BiBoViNo, reveals his plans for UK expansion, high profile backers and why it will focus on old world wines only.

Tim Heath, senior winemaker of Cloudy Bay, talks about the challenges of making an iconic Sauvignon Blanc

Published: 06 February, 2015

Tim Heath, Cloudy Bay's straight-talking 38-year-old Aussie winemaker, talks about the challenges of producing one of the world's most iconic Sauvignons, his winemaking ethos - and his loathing of accountants.

Q&A: Conviviality's Diana Hunter on acquisitions and expanding ranges

Published: 05 February, 2015

The ink has barely dried on Conviviality's latest acquisition deal - to take on 37 stores across Yorkshire and the East Midlands - and chief executive Diana Hunter already has plans in place for further expansion.

Q&A: Buckingham Schenk's new MD Craig Durham outlines his plans

Published: 22 January, 2015

Newly-appointed managing director of wine supplier Buckingham Schenk Craig Durham takes up the role on February 1. He is the current sales director at the firm and replaces Jon Pepper MW, who is moving to Enotria. Here he shares his plans, current successes, how to expand on brand ranges, and why he'd love to see Swiss wines in the UK.

Alfred Cointreau on history and how to engage with modern bartenders

Published: 14 January, 2015

Alfred Cointreau is a sixth generation member of the Cointreau family, and since 2011, has been the liqueur brand's heritage manager. He fills us in on the French brand's 165-year history and how he engages with bartenders today.