Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Bargain Booze expands in south of England

Published: 31 March, 2014

Bargain Booze has opened its first Kent store as part of parent company Conviviality Retail's expansion strategy.

Wines of Brazil hopes official World Cup wine will help boost its wines sales in the UK

Published: 28 March, 2014

Wines of Brazil hopes the release of a new limited edition official licensed wine for the FIFA World Cup will bring added attention to all the country's wines in the UK and all its key export markets around the world.

Drinkaware's Derek Lewis to head up Community Alcohol Partnerships scheme

Published: 28 March, 2014

Derek Lewis, the former head of Drinkaware, has been appointed chair of the Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP)scheme as it hopes to ramp up its impact in troubled drinking areas of the UK.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

Published: 28 March, 2014

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have done a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Jancis Robinson and Justin Howard-Sneyd part of speaker line-up at UK's first cool climate event

Published: 28 March, 2014

Leading UK wine trade figures, Jancis Robinson MW and Justin Howard-Sneyd, are two of the speakers that have been announced for the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium which takes place in the UK for the first time between May 26 and May 28, 2016.

Wine sales down 2% in on and off-trade, says WSTA report

Published: 27 March, 2014

Wine is still struggling in both the on and off-trade, with sales down 2% over the last year, says the latest WSTA market report.

Call My Wine Bluff hopes to top £1m in money raised at May 8 event

Published: 27 March, 2014

Call My Wine Bluff, founded by UK wine trade consultant Jerry Lockspeiser, hopes to again raise much needed money for AcionAid when it takes place on May 8 in London's Gibson Hall.

Wine Australia prepares for on-trade push

Published: 27 March, 2014

Wine Australia is getting ready to up the ante in the on-trade with "extraordinary" dinners in London as part of Tourism Australia's latest campaign.

Pomerol's La Conseillante buys new plot

Published: 27 March, 2014

Pomerol's Château La Conseillante, owned for the past 140 years by the Nicolas family, has acquired an additional 3,000m² plot in the area.

Les Grands Chais de France to launch wine based and sparkling wine over ice brands to the UK

Published: 26 March, 2014

French wine giant, Les Grands Chais de France, is looking to release a number of wine-based drinks, including a Merlot mixed with cola, as it looks to capitalise on the growing interest in fruit based and innovative sparkling wine products both in France and overseas.

I Heart Wine close to hitting 1 million case sales around the world

Published: 26 March, 2014

Copestick Murray's I Heart brand is closing to hitting 1 million 9 litre case sales around the world.

Pontet-Canet's early high price could make it 'un-saleable'

Published: 26 March, 2014

In an unprecedented move Bordeaux wine producer Château Pontet-Canet broke ranks on Wednesday by releasing its trade price, of €60 per bottle for the 2013 vintage, ahead of next week's official tastings.

NZ wineries import Sauvignon Blanc to cope with demand

Published: 26 March, 2014

Shortages of New Zealand's signature grape have led to imports of Sauvignon Blanc from Chile and South Africa to satisfy demand.

'Sinful' wine and beer RTD launches

Published: 26 March, 2014

Mosel-based German wine producer ZGM has come up with the unthinkable: an RTD mixing beer and wine, being sold as an 'aromatised wine-cocktail' in a small, crown-capped beer bottle.

Q&A with James Marvin, winner of BBC's Michel Roux's Service programme, three years on

Published: 26 March, 2014

The BBC programme Michel Roux's Service focused on recruiting young people to consider the hospitality industry and in particular front-of-house as a career. It first screened in 2011, and has just been repeated on BBC Two.

ProWein visitors up 7% to 48,000

Published: 26 March, 2014

Visitors to Dusseldorf's international wine fair ProWein have jumped 7% on last year to 48,000, with twice as many Chinese and Hong Kong visitors compared to last year.

Prosecco cocktails could be next big UK drinking trend, says Robin Copestick

Published: 25 March, 2014

Prosecco cocktails which have become popular across Italy and Germany could be the next big drinking trend in the UK, according to Robin Copestick of wine agency, Copestick Murray.