Eating out growth boosts pub and restaurant sales

Pub and restaurant groups saw like-for-like sales grow 3.4% in November, marking the 20^th consecutive month of growth for the sector.

Wine trade supergroup bands together for Comic Relief

A plethora of talented wine trade musicians is set to thrill the industry with a one-off barnstormer of a gig in aid of Comic Relief.

Upcoming Australia Day Tasting builds on revamped 2014 event

2015's Australia Day tasting will showcase more than 1,000 wines and offer a fresh take on food and wine pairings, say event organisers.

Liv-ex: Value of trades drops 19% in November 2014

According to the Liv-ex's most recent market report, "the value of trades in November was down 19% on this time last year" signalling the on-going challenge of Bordeaux's most iconic wines continually demanding the historical prices of just a few years ago.

UK needs to 'take off blinkers' when it comes to bulk wine, says top broker

Seventy percent of all wines are traded at least once in bulk, says leading broker Daniel Murphy, who believes the UK trade needs to wake up to the reality of trading in bulk.

Philglas & Swiggot wine merchant bought by industry consortium including Justin Knock MW

Independent London wine merchant Philglas & Swiggot has been bought over by Justin Knock MW and business partner Damien Jackman, backed by a consortium of investors from across the trade.

New Zealand's Yealands Wine Group looks to fast-track expansion

New Zealand's Yealands Wine Group is looking at funding options in order to fast-track expansion plans and increase its vineyard holdings.

Tesco shares plummet as retailer warns on profits

Tesco has issued a warning flagging full-year trading profit will not exceed £1.4 billion - 20% lower than analysts' expectations.

Q&A: Cherie Spriggs, Nyetimber

Nyetimber is on a roll this year after its Classic Cuvée 2009 won two trophies at this year's International Wine Challenge. Harpers.co.uk caught up with head winemaker Cherie Spriggs to ask what drew her towards the iconic label and where she plans to take it next.

Restaurateur Marlon Abela buys into wine merchant OW Loeb

High profile restaurateur Marlon Abela has taken a majority ownership interest in wine merchant OW Loeb.

Wine app Drync lets consumers search favourite wines and get delivered to local merchant

US wine app Drync has launched a new feature that allows customers to buy online and have their wine shipped to a local wine retailer for pickup - a move it claims turns local shops into the world's largest wine store. 

How trade can help South African wine industry's disadvantaged children through Pebbles Project

Celebrating 10 years of South Africa's Pebbles Project, Harpers.co.uk finds out what the charity has done to help children in the winelands and what more the trade can do to help.

Welsh government report backs minimum pricing for alcohol

Wales is following hot on the heels of Northern Ireland last week, with moves to support a minimum price for alcohol.

Italian wineries must take advantage of wine tourism, finds report

The small size of most Italian wineries means they are struggling to take advantage of wine tourism and professionalise - both of which are required in order to secure the industry's future, a new report says.

Top 30 suppliers control 90% of wine lists in UK on-trade, says new study

The top 30 wine distributors in the UK are responsible for supplying 89% of all on-trade wine lists in the UK, according to new research released this week from Wine Business Solutions.

Fine wine merchant AWC appoints David Murphy operations manager

Fine wine and spirits merchant AWC has appointed David Murphy, formerly of Wine Networks and Liberty Wines, operations manager, as its business grows. 

Christmas Report: Champagne still a staple at any Christmas table

When it comes to celebrating in the Champagne category it pays to have a story, to be different and to stand out from the competition.

COPY: The Week That Was: Top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

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

Naked Wines is UK's most popular specialist online wine retailer, says Harpers new report

Naked Wines is the most popular specialist online wine retailer in the UK, according to a new Harpers report published today that examines the online shopping habits of British consumers.

Over 40% of Brits will buy wine online this Christmas, says Harpers new e-commerce report