Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Nero d’Avola named Britain’s favourite wine

Published: 29 November, 2019

Sicilian red Nero d’Avola came out on top in a mass blind tasting at Majestic stores across the UK.

Rueda DO gets approval for series of modifications

Published: 28 November, 2019

The Rueda DO has got the approval to carry out a series of modifications to its product specification (basic DO regulations) and labelling instructions.

Château de Pommard extends reach of its WSET school to Paris

Published: 28 November, 2019

Burgundy’s Château de Pommard has extended the reach of its Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) wine school, École V, with a new location in Paris.

IWC awards English red gold for the first time

Published: 28 November, 2019

Kent’s Hush Heath has been awarded a gold medal by the International Wine Challenge (IWC) for its The Red Miller 2018 red wine, marking the first time an English red has claimed the top award.

Casual Dining turns focus on wine with new dedicated area

Published: 28 November, 2019

The Casual Dining show is gearing up to launch a dedicated wine area as part of a bigger overall focus on alcoholic drinks.

The Samling Hotel receives World of Fine Wine accolade

Published: 27 November, 2019

The Samling Hotel in Ambleside, the Lake District has received a three star accolade by The Word of Fine Wine for the first time.

Hatch Mansfield recognised in Britain’s Healthiest Workplace awards

Published: 27 November, 2019

Hatch Mansfield has been recognised in the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace awards.

Greencroft’s wine canning line goes live

Published: 27 November, 2019

Greencroft Bottling’s wine canning line has gone live at its facility in County Durham.

Prosecco and Asti spearhead new EU-backed promotion of GI-designated quality produce

Published: 22 November, 2019

The heartland DOCGs of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Asti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano have joined with producers from Provolone Valdpadana PDO, Mozzarella TSG and Olio Extravergine d’Oliva Toscana PGI for the launch of Enjoy European Quality Foods (EEQF).

Mixing politics and wine

Published: 22 November, 2019

What attracted me to wine journalism nine years ago was that the stories were about the wine and the people, not cocaine-fuelled celebrity mishaps or sexual exploits involving a reverse osmosis machine. The beauty of wine was that, by and large, there was no 'news.'

Jerry Lockspeiser: How should the wine trade vote on 12 December?

Published: 22 November, 2019

Running west along London’s Southbank on the section after the London Eye, with the Houses of Parliament to the right across the River Thames and just before Lambeth bridge, I came across a red van selling hot drinks. The side of the van was emblazoned with the words SINGLE ORIGIN HOT CHOCOLATE.

WSET signs three-year deal with The Wine Show

Published: 21 November, 2019

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has announced a three-year deal with The Wine Show, making it the show’s official wine education partner.

Washington closes in on six new AVAs as wineries pass 1,000 mark

Published: 19 November, 2019

Washington State has edged closer to its aim of adding six new AVAs to its current roster of 14 as this Pacific North West producer continues on its fast growth trajectory.

Piedmont declares 2019 a ‘classic and traditional’ vintage

Published: 19 November, 2019

Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato has declared 2019 a “classic and traditional” vintage with the quality of Piedmont grapes “impressive”, leading to a double digit drop in yields.

Soave launches project to tackle soil erosion

Published: 19 November, 2019

The Consorzio of Soave has embarked on a pioneering project to study the impact of soil erosion in its vineyards and to help producers develop and maintain techniques to protect their soil.

Fire and drought continue to threaten New South Wales

Published: 18 November, 2019

The threat of fire continues to hang over the wine growers of New South Wales, with Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology forecasting “severe fire dangers” for Tuesday in a number of regions, including Greater Hunter.

Cava Discovery Week aims to get consumers drinking “better cava”

Published: 14 November, 2019

"The future’s about quality” is the tag line for a new campaign which is looking to reinstate Cava’s premium position in the UK market.

Wine expert Raul Diaz gears up to launch wine and recipe book with a twist

Published: 14 November, 2019

Wine expert Raul Diaz has made his first move into publishing with a wine and recipe book promising to deliver a difference in the burgeoning market.

Specialist Indies talk shop and more...

Published: 13 November, 2019

Independent wine merchants are specialist retailers in their own right offering a service, range and expertise that more general retailers, such as grocers, will always struggle to match.