Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Drinks writer Bert Blaize opens wine shop

Published: 18 November, 2020

Wine writer Bert Blaize has teamed up with specialist car showroom Hexagon Classics to launch a wine and deli shop in London’s Highgate.

Bourgogne UK wine exports up 11.6%

Published: 18 November, 2020

Exports of Bourgogne wine to the UK rose 11.9% in volume in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year, with value up 1.3%, according to the latest Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) data.

Barrel of Burgundy sells for £136,400

Published: 17 November, 2020

Zachys has revealed the results of its London II auction, which included what the business claims to be the world’s first barrel of Burgundy to be sold at auction.

Naked Wines appoints chief financial officer

Published: 17 November, 2020

Naked Wines has appointed Shawn Tabak as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

Hakkasan launches nationwide wine delivery service

Published: 17 November, 2020

Hakkasan has launched a nationwide wine delivery service to build on the success of its Covid inspired Hakkasan at Home initiative launched in March.

Symington family pays tribute to “dedicated” Port maker, James Symington

Published: 16 November, 2020

Leading Port maker James Symington has passed away, leaving behind many decades’ worth of dedication to his and his family’s craft.

IXSIR powers through Lebanon challenges to declare healthy vintage

Published: 16 November, 2020

Leading Lebanese winery IXSIR is reporting a “healthy” 2020 vintage, despite the harvest beginning within days of the deadly explosion that rocked Beirut and increasing Covid-19 restrictions.

Roederer completes organic conversion

Published: 13 November, 2020

Champagne Louis Roederer has joined the growing global club of big name producers that have completed conversion to organic certification.

Kleine Zalze tops Platter’s gongs

Published: 13 November, 2020

Stellenbosch producer Kleine Zalze has been named Top Performing Winery of the Year in the latest annual Platter’s South African wine guide.

Freixenet returns to TV screens

Published: 12 November, 2020

Freixenet has unveiled a new commercial aimed at showcasing its sparkling range as well as its Italian still wine collection launched earlier this year.

Calabria acquires three wine brands from Henkell Freixenet

Published: 12 November, 2020

Calabria Family Wines has acquired a trio of Australian wine brands – Deakin Estate, La La Land and Azahara, from Wingara Wine Group [part of Henkell Freixenet], for an undisclosed sum.

Guy Woodward: The language of wine needs to change

Published: 12 November, 2020

What’s the point of tasting notes? Who are they actually for? Who reaps the benefit, for example, of reading that a wine has notes of “gentian, elderflower, seaweed, mussels, salt spray, chicken stock, sage, fennel, peach kernel, lemon, alkali and wet stone”, as David Schildknecht’s highly attuned nose detected in the 2004 Riesling Steinriesler of Nikolaihof Wachau?

Brits set to mix up Christmas drink choices

Published: 11 November, 2020

Brits are gearing up to throw out the festive rule book this Christmas with new research showing a shift in festive consumer drinking trends.

UK overtakes US as biggest export market for Bordeaux dry whites

Published: 11 November, 2020

The UK has overtaken the US as the biggest export market for Bordeaux dry white wines for the first time after years of the CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council) focusing on promoting the region’s whites to Brits.

Harpers Reassessing Ribera webinar to explore evolving face of region

Published: 10 November, 2020

Join Harpers’ editor Andrew Catchpole, Tim Atkin MW, plus a panel of leading winemakers and trade buyers to discover how Ribera del Duero is hitting the sweet spot with its new styles of wines at our Reassessing Ribera webinar on Tuesday 17 November at 3pm.

BWS supermarket sales rise 15%

Published: 10 November, 2020

Supermarket sales of beer, wines and spirits (BWS) rose 15% in the four weeks to 31 October as the category remained one of the fastest growing ahead of packaged grocery (11%) but behind frozen (16%).

C&C Wines expands Italian and Spanish portfolios

Published: 10 November, 2020

Carson & Carnevale Wines (C&C Wines) has been appointed the UK agent for Chianti Classico winery Tenuta Villa Trasqua and Ribera del Duero’s Bodegas y Viñedos Monteabellón.

Wines of Germany reveals Retailer Partnership Fund winners

Published: 06 November, 2020

Wines of Germany has revealed the 14 winners of its £65k Retailer Partnership Fund, who will all receive financial support for the promotion of the country’s wines to consumers.

TWE opens ecommerce platform to trade

Published: 06 November, 2020

The Winery Collection, Treasury Wine Estate’s (TWE) ‘luxury’ e-commerce platform, has launched a new trade portal, offering exclusive access for wine merchants and independents.

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris postponed until June

Published: 05 November, 2020

In light of the ongoing health crisis and after consulting with industry representatives, Vinexposium, the world’s leading organiser of wine and spirits trade events, has made major changes to its schedule for 2021.