Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Top wine business students rate London market

Published: 18 February, 2015

A host of top MSc students in the wine sector are travelling to London to evaluate the wine trade this week as part of their studies.

'Painful moment' for Argentina's wine exporters, says Rabobank

Published: 17 February, 2015

Argentina's wine exporters are having a "painful moment" as fast-rising inflation rates make it unprofitable to ship goods, says Rabobank.

Education franchise Local Wine School grows turnover 42%

Published: 17 February, 2015

The UK-wide Local Wine School network has seen turnover grow 42% to £1.26 million in 2014, as seven new franchises opened.

Cape Wine 2015 auction raises over R10.5m

Published: 17 February, 2015

The 2015 AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction raised R10.565 million for education in the Cape Winelands, up 50% on last year.

Sales up 5% at Spanish wine giant Bodegas Torres

Published: 16 February, 2015

Spanish wine giant Bodegas Torres, which also produces wines in Chile and California, has seen its sales grow 5% to €240 million in 2014.

Wine sales rocket 20% to €44m at Vente-Privee

Published: 16 February, 2015

Wine sales rocketed in 2014 at flash sales site Vente-Privée, which is celebrating a 20% increase in wine turnover to €44 million, as it ramps up its UK focus with the appointment of a new managing director.

Tim Atkin takes the Vinopolis stage for Skin Côntact Comic Relief gig

Published: 16 February, 2015

Anyone in the wine trade who has been on the receiving end of a review by wine critic and journalist Tim Atkin MW - good or bad - will get the chance to give him a critique back when he bravely takes the stage as one of the guest singers for the ever growing Skin Côntact band when it plays its one off gig on March 9 to raise money for Comic Relief.

UK wine industry backs calls for alcohol duty cut

Published: 16 February, 2015

The UK's growing wine industry has called for the Chancellor to cut the high rate of alcohol duty rate by 2% in the upcoming Budget.

Vinoteca's Kings Cross site to open in March

Published: 16 February, 2015

Vinoteca's fifth site, this time at the One Pancras Square development in Kings Cross, is getting ready to open its doors as head chef Kieren Steinborn joins the team.

Yealands relaunches Hawke's Bay Crossroads with Enotria

Published: 16 February, 2015

Yealands Wine Group is moving is its Hawke's Bay Crossroads wines to Enotria from Mentzendorff to streamline UK distribution.

French wine exports to the UK fall 10% by value in 2014

Published: 13 February, 2015

France's wine exports to the UK have fallen 10% by value in 2014, although British consumers still take in 12.2% of their neighbour's wines, making it the second biggest export market for France.

Global sales of Rioja wine grow by 5m bottles in 2014

Published: 13 February, 2015

Global sales of Rioja wine grew by 5 million bottles in 2014, hitting a new record of 281 million litres of wine, driven by a thirst for barrel-aged Rioja wines and whites.

Armit Wines boosts Tuscan portfolio with Fattoria Le Pupille

Published: 13 February, 2015

Armit Wines, UK distributor for a host of Italy's icon wines, has added southern Tuscany's Fattoria Le Pupille to its portfolio.

Calling on wine and spirits producers around the world to back Drop the Duty campaign

Published: 13 February, 2015

Today Harpers is calling on wine and spirits producers around the world concerned about the high alcohol duty levels in the UK to get involved in the Drop the Duty campaign and have their voice heard by the Chancellor, George Osborne.

Pernod Ricard celebrates strong UK half-year performance

Published: 12 February, 2015

Pernod Ricard's UK chief says the market is now in "full recovery" as its brands, in particular those at the top end of the scale, outperform the market.

M&S signs deal to bottle New World wines at Kingsland

Published: 12 February, 2015

Marks & Spencer will use a UK firm for the first time for its New World bulk wine bottling, after striking a deal with Manchester's Kingsland.

London's premium on-trade wine market growing 18% per year

Published: 12 February, 2015

The market for top wines is growing at a rate of 18.4% by value in London restaurants, against a backdrop of declining wine sales in the on-trade overall, down 9.3% by value for the year to July 2014.

Cold weather fails to dampen eating out sales in January

Published: 12 February, 2015

Restaurants and managed pubs saw like-for-like sales grow 1.4% in January, despite the snow and cold weather.

Flint Wines takes on Tim Mondavi's Napa estate Continuum

Published: 11 February, 2015

Flint Wines has expanded its US wine selection by becoming the exclusive UK agent for Tim Mondavi's Napa estate, Continuum.

England and New Zealand's sparkling wines clash ahead of Cricket World Cup

Published: 11 February, 2015

The doyens of the English and New Zealand sparkling wine industry are ratcheting up the competition ahead of the Cricket World Cup with a blind taste off.