Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Sparkling to be worst affected by triple whammy of price pressures

Published: 14 February, 2017

It's Valentine's Day, which means consumers will be spurring on the nation's love of sparkling wine by heading to fizz shelves today.

Record half-year global profits at TWE, but Brexit costs lead to category decline in the UK

Published: 14 February, 2017

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) is on its way to exceeding its 2016 full-year profit, having reached 75% of last year's full-year profit after tax while only half way through the year.

A family affair: Carson & Carnevale

Published: 14 February, 2017

Christopher Carson is still well remembered by many in the trade for his former roles as CEO of BRL Hardy Europe and as CEO of Constellation Europe.

Own-brand Prosecco grows 79% year-on-year at Lidl

Published: 13 February, 2017

Sky-high sales of Prosecco helped Dry January to get off to a damp start in 2017.

Changing perceptions at Davy's Wine Merchants

Published: 13 February, 2017

Many will have fond memories of Davy's wine bars, which throughout the 1970s and 1980s was at the forefront of the emerging wine bar craze

Aldi launches fine wine range with budget price tag after being named the UK's fifth largest supermarket

Published: 13 February, 2017

Aldi is moving up in the world.

Battle of the Bubbles

Published: 13 February, 2017

For decades, the very mention of the word Champagne conjured up almost mystical properties for UK consumers in the market for premium sparkling wine.

Export of French Crémant to British shores increased 53% in volume and 61% by value in 2016

Published: 10 February, 2017

Prosecco's sparkling success finally appears to be opening doors for other fizz categories

Part 2: 'Mediterranean wine' - A goldmine of untapped potential?

Published: 10 February, 2017

Yesterday, we began looking further into last week's Vinisud 2017, when the saleability of Mediterranean wines as a category was promoted to visitors.

Jerry Lockspeiser: That's your bloody GDP. Not ours.

Published: 10 February, 2017

Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, recently announced an increase in the annual growth forecast for the UK economy from 1.4% to 2%. But things may not be as good as they sound.

'Mediterranean wine' - A goldmine of untapped potential?

Published: 09 February, 2017

As Elizabeth Gabay MW noted elsewhere on Harpers.co.uk this week, wines from the Mediterranean showed enormous diversity at Vinisud 2017.

Guy Woodward: Why is the wine trade still slow to deliver fulfilment?

Published: 09 February, 2017

As a middle-aged, middle-class man, my weekly highlight is Saturday morning, illuminated by a warm croissant (180ºC for eight minutes, served with passion fruit curd), a Nespresso coffee (medium froth, Ristretto pod) plus the weekend papers - and here's the most indulgent part - delivered to the door.

Tim Atkin MW: Can artificial intelligence replace human judgment in the world of wine?

Published: 08 February, 2017

What do you think of the following tasting note? "Inconspicuous boysenberries and cigar wrappers revel in unresolved rosehips, while dried wormwood and chemically tanned leather swim amongst illusive black liquorice." And this? "Like a sherry, wet wool, mead, musk and nail polish remover cocktail."

Italian fizz continues to bubble at Buckingham Schenk

Published: 08 February, 2017

Wine importer Buckingham Schenk is celebrating a 19% increase in annual turnover thanks to the indomitable UK favourites of Argentinian Malbec and Italian sparkling.

Ridgeview clinches national US distribution

Published: 08 February, 2017

Ridgeview's sparkling wine could feature on wine lists from West Virginia to Washington thanks to a distribution deal in the US.

Industry calls for beers, wines and spirits duty cuts - but who will get what?

Published: 07 February, 2017

Voices across the trade are speaking out this week against "crippling" levels of alcohol duty in the UK - where consumers pay a quarter of all EU spirits tax.

Viña Santa Rita extends strategic direction from UK to Asia with new Chinese distribution deal

Published: 07 February, 2017

Viña Santa Rita is aiming to capitalise on the growth of Chile in the international off-trade as it prepares to gain further traction in China - its largest export market.

The Champagne Academy appoints new Chairman

Published: 07 February, 2017

The academy which aims to find "Champagne's future stars" and is operated by top Champagne houses has appointed a new chairman.

Indies: Calm before the storm?

Published: 07 February, 2017

Christmas appears to have arrived on time and with good cheer for many independent merchants, with an early survey of businesses suggesting that sales were generally comfortably up on last year's festive period.

Q&A: Courtney Quattrini, Vivino

Published: 06 February, 2017

As scan-and-share wine app Vivino tops 21 million users globally and begins to evolve its sales and data potential, we asked its communications guru for a download on what to expect next.