Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Has the bubble burst on sparkling wine?

Published: 25 March, 2015

Online sales of sparkling wines have fallen for the first time, prompting concern that the bubble on sparkling wine may be in danger of bursting.

English winery Ridgeview Wine Estates celebrates 20th anniversary with new branding

Published: 11 March, 2015

Award winning English winery Ridgeview Wine Estates is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a new look across its entire range of English sparkling wines.

Jascots launches own Italian sparkling wine on draught called 'Vino Vispo' for the on-trade

Published: 05 March, 2015

Jascots Wine Merchants launched its own brand Italian sparkling wine on draught called 'Vino Vispo' targeting the on-trade casual dining sector.

England and New Zealand sparkling wines go head to head in a "Battle of the Bubbles"

Published: 23 February, 2015

Competition between English and New Zealand sparkling wine came to a head last week as the two countries tied in a blind-tasting organised to coincide with the Cricket World Cup.

Moet launches pop-up Champagne academy in London

Published: 19 February, 2015

Moët & Chandon is launching a pop-up Champagne school on London's Southbank in order to show consumers how the premium French fizz differs from other sparkling wines.

Virgin Wines sees festive sales boost of £10m

Published: 10 February, 2015

Online wine retailer Virgin Wines saw like-for-like sales jump 20% over the festive period, accounting for an extra £10 million - driven by a stellar performance from fizz.

Drinks producers and retailers 'get personal' for Valentine's Day

Published: 09 February, 2015

Wine and spirits retailers and producers are looking to cash in on love this Valentine's Day with a host of personalised and quirky products alongside the more straightforward deals.

Heidsieck Monopole Champagne signs 3-year deal to sponsor Hyde Park concerts

Published: 20 January, 2015

Champagne brand Heidsieck Monopole has signed a deal to become the official Champagne partner for the Hyde Park summer series of concerts for the next three years.

English sparkling wine Coates & Seely moves from Liberty to Gonzalez Byass

Published: 20 January, 2015

English sparkling wine producer Coates & Seely has switched its UK distribution from Liberty Wines to Gonzalez Byass.

On-trade supplier Matthew Clark toasts bumper December as sales top £100m

Published: 20 January, 2015

On-trade drinks supplier Matthew Clark says December was its most successful month ever as sales broke the £100 million mark, as customers plumped for top-end wines and Champagnes.

Nielsen confirms sparkling wine and major spirits categories as big Christmas winners

Published: 16 January, 2015

Nielsen has confirmed that sparkling wine and the main spirits categories were the big winners during Christmas 2014.

Sparkling wine Luc Belaire gets glow-in-the-dark label

Published: 14 January, 2015

Sovereign Brands is launching a limited edition sparkling rosé wine under its Luc Belaire label which will have a glow-in-the-dark label activated via a power button.

Sparkling wine supplier Frizzenti hits back over Prosecco legal battle

Published: 12 January, 2015

Daniel Spinath, director of sparkling wine supplier Frizzenti, has hit back at claims that selling Prosecco on tap will be "illegal" if Italian producers of the wine win the legal right to fine bars and pubs that sell the drink by the keg instead of bottles.

English wine gears up for bumper 2015

Published: 07 January, 2015

English wine is gearing up for another cracking year as its sales edge closer to the ambitious £100 million target and top MPs and industry chiefs begin to champion its progress both at home and abroad.

Major wine retailers boast mixed fortunes over Christmas

Published: 07 January, 2015

Majestic Wine saw sales creep up 1.1% over a "difficult Christmas" while Waitrose celebrated a bumper 15.4% increase in BWS sales over the same period last year.

Sparkling wine is top performing grocery category at Christmas

Published: 05 January, 2015

Sparkling wine was the top-performing grocery category in the supermarkets for the six weeks of Christmas growing by £25.4 million on the previous year.

Prosecco sales rocket while still wine lags

Published: 22 December, 2014

Off-trade alcohol sales have risen 2.4% to £14 billion, with volumes up 0.8% - and Italian sparkler Prosecco has seen the most stunning increase of all, with values up 55% throughout 2014.

Sparkling wine is success story of 2014, as still wine sales fall, says WSTA report

Published: 19 December, 2014

Wine sales fell 3% in the off-trade in 2014, and 2% in the on-trade - but sparkling wines are still in the ascendancy, says the latest market report from the Wine & Spirits Trade Association.

Prosecco dominates festive fizz sales at major retailers

Published: 11 December, 2014

Sales of Prosecco are fizzing across the major retailers in the run-up to Christmas, with Tesco predicting one in three bottles of sparkling wine sold this year will be the Italian favourite.

Cava brand says 'we are not Champagne, we are Codorniu' in new ad campaign

Published: 08 December, 2014

Cava producer Codorníu has launched a global ad campaign which emphasises the brand's suitability for all occasions and its differences to Champagne - "we're not big on formalities, we prefer hugs and kisses" - in time for Christmas.