Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Profile: Miles Beale in the thick of it

Published: 29 July, 2020

The WSTA’s Miles Beale talks Andrew Catchpole through life at the trade’s lobbying body during extraordinary times

The Wine Show branches out with TWS Creative

Published: 28 July, 2020

The Wine Show’s commercial arm has been renamed TWS Creative to better reflect the digital marketing and branding consultancy services offered by the business.

Co-op reports record growth as market share soars

Published: 27 July, 2020

The Co-Op has reported record sales over the past quarter, with the fastest share growth in the grocery retail industry for the 12 weeks to 14 June (Kantar). Sales are up 29.1%, bringing their market share to 7.4% – their highest since 2001.

Lords advocate ditching VI-1s in favour of digital wine passport

Published: 27 July, 2020

The introduction of burdensome VI-1 forms to wine entering the UK from the EU has found its way into the House of Lords where members debated scrapping them via an amendment to the Agriculture Bill.

Champagne fails to agree 2020 yield amid “worst crisis since WW2”

Published: 24 July, 2020

The Champenois are in disarray as efforts to reach agreement on the level of yield for the 2020 harvest failed at a recent meeting of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) in Epernay.

Welsh Wine Week to launch with online tasting

Published: 23 July, 2020

Welsh Wine Week will launch with an online tasting led by wine experts Charlie Womersley and Oz Clarke OBE, who will be joined by iconic Welsh performer Max Boyce.

Majestic reveals new own-label strategy as it expands range

Published: 20 July, 2020

Majestic has added 14 wines to its Definition label, at the same time revealing a change in strategy towards own-label.

Restaurant Rescue project launched by Cape winemakers

Published: 17 July, 2020

A new initiative urging wine estates to adopt a restaurant has been launched in Cape Town in response to the blow of the renewed government ban on drinking.

Friday read: Retail sales boom belies range stagnation

Published: 17 July, 2020

With supermarket wine sales soaring, buying strategies have altered dramatically, as Angela Mount reports.

On-trade reports 40% drop in weekly sales

Published: 17 July, 2020

Sales across on-trade sites open in England in the first week after lockdown was lifted were down 39.8% compared to the same week last year, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data released today.

Berry Bros & Rudd announces new CEO

Published: 16 July, 2020

Berry Bros & Rudd has appointed Emma Fox as its new CEO with effect from 3 August 2020.

AB InBev canned wine enters UK with rosé made for British market

Published: 16 July, 2020

US canned wine brand Babe has made its UK debut with a French sparkling rosé developed specially for the British market.

Further postponement of Bordeaux Day

Published: 16 July, 2020

Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) has postponed its inaugural Bordeaux Day for the second time due to Covid-19.

NVV raises £5,000 for The Drinks Trust

Published: 16 July, 2020

Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) has so far raised £5,000 via its fundraising initiative in support of The Drinks Trust.

Pandemic weighs down on Gen Z

Published: 15 July, 2020

The generation of youngest drinkers are the most difficult age group to entice back through the bar, restaurant or shop door, Wine Intelligence has suggested, with the fallout from Covid-19 likely to have the most detrimental impact on their buying behaviours.

Brand and packaging rethink needed as convenience and sustainability trends accelerate

Published: 15 July, 2020

A major shift in the way alcoholic drinks are packaged, dispensed and branded may well be here to stay in the wake of the pandemic.

Woes mount as SA wine industry reacts to second drinking ban

Published: 14 July, 2020

South Africa’s already hard-pressed wine industry has greeted the renewed ban on alcohol sales with dismay, with Vinpro describing the government-imposed clamp down as a “devastating blow”.

Henry Boyes joins Freixenet Copestick

Published: 14 July, 2020

Freixenet Copestick has appointed Henry Boyes to the newly created position of buying and innovation controller.

Further blow to SA as another ban on alcohol is introduced

Published: 13 July, 2020

South Africa has banned alcohol sales again as part of a set of new restrictions to combat Covid-19.

June delivers another bumper month for online BWS sales

Published: 09 July, 2020

Despite the reopening of bricks and mortar stores, online continued to surge through June, surpassing May’s figure by 3.5%, representing a 33.9% upswing year-on-year.