Leading analysts and trade experts are divided over whether the Tesco accounting scandal will have ramifications for the wider trade. Some say there will be "no change whatsoever" in the retail landscape, while others say the change will be "seismic".
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Tesco has taken a bit of a battering in recent months, with profits slipping and then the little matter of the £250 million profit overstatement. But although Tesco is in the spotlight, there are issues for all of the major retailers right now, as the discounters go from strength to strength and the Big Four's choke hold on the market weakens. Harpers.co.uk spoke to some of the wine trade's key suppliers and ex-buyers to find out their views.
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Last week the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois arrived in London for the fifth annual review of the wines deemed worthy to use the Cru Bourgeois seal of approval. Five years into the new incarnation of the classification Heather Dougherty reviews its successes and challenges - and looks at its prospects for the future.
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The tapas craze helped boost sherry sales temporarily but the category is now in decline, and Port is still struggling to shake its fusty and festive image. Gemma McKenna and Erin Smith look at how fortified wines can carve a niche
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When it comes to driving best value at a lower cost there is a lot to learn from the Lidl buying philosophy, says Angela Mount
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The new "Lidl Surprises" tagline is the latest UK brand-positioning success story from the hard discounter. Gemma McKenna looks at how its buying strategies are now expanding its wine offer
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The overall European wine harvest for 2014 looks like being down on last year, according to the latest report from Ciatti, the global grape broking business, but France is set to return to its position as the biggest wine supplier in the world.
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Eduardo Chadwick's pioneering Berlin Series Tastings have helped change global perception of Chilean wine in their 10-year run. Andrew Catchpole, who was at the seminal first event, assesses their impact
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In the second of her series of 'Buyer to Buyer' interviews, former Somerfield head wine buyer, Angela Mount, talks to Matt Pym and Chris Hardy of Majestic Wines about their buying strategy and what they are looking for from their suppliers.
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Gemma McKenna reports on why Chilean winemakers are shifting focus to a more premium offering
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Despite the domestic economic challenges Argentinian producers are facing, UK consumers still can't get enough of their wines. Ahead of the Wines of the Beautiful South tasting Erin Smith analyses the category
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Own-label and private-label wines are no longer the preserve of the major multiples, but what is the attraction for independent merchants and restaurants alike?
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Bulgaria is looking to promote itself as a very different kind of wine-producing country than it was 30 years ago and it seems to be attracting the right level of investment and interest to potentially change its image in the UK wine trade.
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South Africa's wine industry is changing and the premium wine segment is no exception. Harpers.co.uk talks to the leaders who are pushing the boundaries of Distell's premium wine portfolio, Cape Legends.
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The Smith Report takes a look at the opportunities for wine producers in South Africa, where its currency exchange has proven to be both its best friend and its worst enemy.
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South Africa may be known for its value-for-money wine, but the country is vying for a spot in more premium territory, as Gemma McKenna and Erin Smith find out
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As Oddbins announces plans to open up 200 franchise stores, Gemma McKenna looks at franchising in the wine trade and, as the economy recovers, asks whether taking on a business that already has the wow factor could be the way forward
Read more...It's good news for the wine and spirits trade as the UK is set to be the fastest growing major advanced economy in 2014, according to Euromonitor's mid-year global economy update, which should boost consumer spending.
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Many believe that classic Italian styles are poised for a major comeback, but could they be obscuring the depth and breadth of Italian wine?
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Serious about working with leading independent wine merchants? Then this is a must read for you. Members of Harpers Independent Wine Crew set out what it is they like and don't like from the major wine distributors. Richard Siddle and Erin Smith report
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