Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

31 Days of German Riesling powers ahead

Published: 19 May, 2020

July is still the month for German Riesling in the UK, with the promotion once again heading back to British businesses.

Chris Losh: averting an on-trade apocalypse

Published: 17 March, 2020

This was the week that the Coronavirus got real. Ten days ago in the UK Covid-19 was largely the source of ironic fist-bumps and the odd cancelled tasting. Dying and panicking was what other people did. With a complacency that now seems barely credible, the government’s message at the end of February was, broadly, ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’.

UK distillery numbers hit record high

Published: 02 March, 2020

The British gin boom is far from over, if the latest distillery numbers from HMRC are any guide.

Georgian wines up 60% in UK

Published: 11 February, 2020

The National Wine Agency of Georgia has announced a big push on its country’s wines for 2020 after exports rocketed 60% last year.

Wine stars turn out for record number of WSET diploma graduates

Published: 22 January, 2020

Some of the trade’s biggest names turned out last night to celebrate the induction of a record-breaking number of diploma students into the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) alumni hall of fame.

Low and no on-trade sales soar by nearly 50%

Published: 02 December, 2019

Sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks in the on-trade have risen nearly 50% in the last year, according to a new report from food-and-drink sector analysts CGA.

Government hit by fall in wine-duty revenues

Published: 02 December, 2019

Wine duty receipts fell back 2.1% in the first six months of the financial year, according to data released by the government.

London distillery launches white spiced rum

Published: 28 October, 2019

London-based start-up Silk Road Distillers has launched with a white spiced rum.

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.

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.

More segmentation around Christmas needed as trading up accelerates

Published: 27 August, 2019

Pernod Ricard is encouraging retailers and on-trade operators to think about Christmas in a series of moments and occasions that run throughout October, November and December, with different opportunities at different points through the three-month period.

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.

Moving tribute to Gerard Basset crowns IWC Awards gala

Published: 10 July, 2019

The great and the good of the wine trade were out in full force last night to celebrate what turned out to be a memorable and also poignant IWC awards evening – thanks largely to a message from the late, great Gerard Basset, who was filmed accepting his lifetime achievement award at the end of the last year.

Albourne Estate bottles excess grapes for new frizzante

Published: 29 April, 2019

A Sussex estate has chosen to bottle its leftover grapes as an Italian-style fizz after last year’s super harvest meant producers were left with grapes still hanging on the vine.

Bibendum counteracts the “vanilla” effect of the Conviviality machine

Published: 13 March, 2019

Bibendum PLB is back on top form after veering away from Conviviality’s “one-size fits all approach”, according to one of its top bosses.

Veeno bought back from the brink with buyout

Published: 07 March, 2019

Veeno has been saved by investors who have rescued the Italian wine café’s 15-strong estate.

Carluccio’s boss calls out casual dining operators for aggressive expansion plans

Published: 04 March, 2019

Carluccio’s CEO has criticised the UK restaurant sector for focusing on “capex-heavy investments” – the same focus which almost brought the chain to brink of collapse last year.

Google searches for Dry January up 35% on last year as Gen Z knuckles down with no and low

Published: 31 January, 2019

Low and no alcohol serves can no longer be seen as “the poor cousin at the back of the bar” a number of industry experts agreed when faced with the question of what to do about the most teetotal generation in living memory.

Olivier Dauga encourages French producers to adopt sustainable and organic practices

Published: 17 July, 2018

French wine consultant Olivier Dauga was in town last night to present a number of new conversion projects with wine producers in Bordeaux, South and South West France, which focus on organic conversion and sustainability.