Armit Wines announces release of Torre de Oña Martelo 2014

Armit Wines has announced it will be releasing Torre de Oña Martelo 2014 from Torre de Oña next month.

The Wine Show confirms it’s ‘in talks’ with Oval Space about ‘wine event’ in place of cancelled The Wine Show ‘Live’

The Wine Show has confirmed it is in “active discussion” with Oval Space to arrange an event' for next year following the cancellation of The Wine Show ‘Live' wine festival earlier this year. 
 
A spokesman for the Channel 5 programme told Harpers no dates had been set, but said the programme was in talks with Oval Space to "arrange a wine event” for 2019, with exact dates to be released when “fully confirmed”.
 
The originally planned three-day wine festival, which was announced in May and was set to take place in London from the 10th to the 12th of August this year, had been postponed due to “logistical difficulties that would ultimately have impacted the entire production", said Oval Space.
 
“We decided to postpone until next year due to our commitment to producing an exceptional event - there were some difficulties which hampered this endeavour so we felt that rather than cancel, we should postpone to give us enough runway to manage these challenges,” event producer Layla Qassim told Harpers.
 
Ticket holders for The Wine Show ‘Live’ wine festival had been contacted at the beginning of July this year and offered the option of either a full refund or to hold the tickets for the new dates, she added.
 
The original The Wine Show ‘Live’, developed in partnership with Channel 5's The Wine Show, was set to be hosted by the show’s presenters - Joe Fattorini and Amelia Singer, who were set to be joined by 11 producers from around the world. 
 
The festival was scheduled to included masterclasses by the hosts in addition to the producers showcasing their top picks.
 
Plans for a 2019 event has yet to be revealed. 

Repositioning South Africa

Celebrated by critics but crippled by drought and low returns, South Africa rarely has an easy ride. 

Few in the trade could have missed the ongoing challenges facing South Africa’s wine producers as the worst drought in 100 years continues to afflict the Cape. With the 2018 crop predicted to be down by 15% after two years of water shortage that almost saw Cape Town meet “day zero” and turn off its domestic supply, the harvest has been described by Bibendum’s South Africa buyer, Paul Meihuizen, as “the most challenging I have ever known”.

WSTA reveals keynote annual conference speakers

The WSTA has announced two keynote speakers in advance of its annual conference.

Plumpton College creates wine brand manager position

Plumpton College has appointed Danielle Whitehead to the role of wine brand manager - a newly created position.

Rhône coops chase cru margins to balance tough market

Rhône Valley cooperatives are on a mission to premiumise their offering, as market pressures mean they can “no longer compete with the New World at £3 a bottle”.

Berry Bros & Rudd opens trial concession at London Bridge

Berry Bros & Rudd has confirmed to Harpers it is running a trial concession in London Bridge train station but would not comment further on future plans and whether the concept may be rolled out to other sites.

Germany sees earliest grape harvests on record

Germany has seen its earliest grape harvests on record this year due to warm weather and early flowering.

Smart packaging: wine gets clever

With so much attention to detail going into what’s inside the bottle, marketing and packaging innovation can sometimes be seen as an afterthought in the wine industry. But as new and more inventive technologies appear on the horizon, companies are now showing that smart packaging can be a vital tool in the ongoing battle of engaging consumers and decoding shopping habits. 

Harpers regulars Atkin and Woodward go ‘mano a mano’ for International Wine Columnist Award

With only two weeks to go until the 4 September final of the prestigious Louis Roederer International Wine Awards, Harpers columnists Tim Atkin MW and Guy Woodward are among the hopeful writers awaiting the final judging decisions.

Waitrose at forefront of organic wine boom

Waitrose has revealed that organic wine sales are up 57% year-on-year as customers look for more sustainable wines.

Madeira: Bringing it all back home with Archie McDiarmid

Barbeito Madeira through their UK importer, Raymond Reynolds, run the hugely successful #MadeiraDay competition in December each year, bringing together independent retailers from all over the UK in celebration of this outstanding fortified wine. Luvians won the 2017 edition and after being presented with our certificate at the Big Fortified Tasting earlier this year, I got the chance to fly out to the island (this Portuguese colony lies some 280 miles off the coast of Africa) to get a personal perspective on how this bewitching wine is made.

Experience economy increasing consumer confidence in wine

Consumer confidence in the wine category is increasing, driven by the ‘experience economy’ and the growing engagement with the drinks category, research analyst Wine Intelligence has claimed.

Looking ahead: Richard Cochrane, Félix Solís UK

Hallgarten appoints Francois Lincoln as business development director

Hallgarten has recruited a second business development director as part of its ongoing drive to grow the business.

Red Squirrel hits the road for portfolio tasting

Red Squirrel is heading out of London for its annual tasting for the first time, with plans to bring its focus on small artisanal producers to Bristol and Manchester.

Friarwood adds wines from Carlos Moro’s La Rioja project

Friarwood Fine Wines has announced it is expanding its Spanish portfolio with an exclusive selection from winemaker Carlos Moro.

Looking ahead: Mark Roberts, Lanchester Wines

As the first half of 2018 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, on-going trends and opportunities

Lure of the East

Countries such as Greece, Turkey, Hungary and Romania are no longer considered off-piste when it comes  to winemaking. Justin Keay looks at what’s on offer

Abbi Moreno plans new hybrid wine business after parting ways with family firm

Abbi Moreno, third generation scion of family wine merchant Moreno Wines, has parted company with her old firm after 21 years, announcing her intention to open a hybrid wine shop-come-wine bar business in early 2019.