Budget 2015: Chancellor cuts duty on cider and spirits by 2% and wine duty frozen

The Chancellor George Osborne has today cut the duty on cider and spirits by 2%, frozen duty on wine and cut beer by a penny a pint for the third year running in his last pre-election Budget.

'Unprecedented' demand from producers to promote South Africa at Cape Wine 2015

Cape Wine, the trade show for South African Wine, has seen unprecedented demand from producers six months before the show opens its doors.

Budget 2015: Drinks industry waits with bated breath

As the Chancellor prepares to deliver his last pre-election Budget to the House of Commons today, the drinks industry waits nervously to find out if this year's campaign has persuaded him to Drop the Duty!

Budget 2015: Industry hails duty cuts announced in today's Budget

The drinks industry has welcomed the Chancellor's decision to cut the duty on spirits and cider.

Panos Kakaviatos: Domaine Zind Humbrecht 2013s - just bottled and delicious

They have not hit store shelves yet, but wine lovers should take note: many Domaine Zind Humbrecht 2013 wines exude crispy freshness, purity of fruit, delectable mid-palate sap, medium to full body, and often long and pleasing finishes

Craft beer now used to calculate CPI as sales increase

Craft beer enters the mainstream as it goes in the basket used to calculate inflation for the first time.

Argentina must look beyond Malbec, leading Argentinian winemaker says

Argentina needs to look beyond Malbec in order to take avoid commoditising its flagship grape, the former president of Wines of Argentina has said.

Sainsbury's sees like-for-like sales down 1.9% in latest quarter

Sainsbury saw like-for-like retail sales fall 1.9% in the ten weeks to 14 March 2015, as it warned that food deflation is here to stay.

En primeur risks "exodus" unless it rebalances, Vin-X boss warns

A fine wine investment expert has warned that the en primeur system risks seeing an exodus of châteaux from the system and negociants going to the wall, unless it gets its pricing "right".

Enotria's move to new warehouse set to boost supplier's flexibilty

Between a rock and a hard place: Bordeaux and en primeur 2014

En primeur is upon us; as soon as the days begin to lengthen and warm, the wine trade starts looking forward to (or complaining about) en primeur. Depending on who you ask its either a 'bacchanallian feast for the senses', and a tantalising glimpse of the most recent harvest, OR an onerous week of listening to winemakers tell you once again that it's the best vintage ever (since last time) and gazing into the tea leaves of barrel samples being tasted far too early.

Day One at de Prowein House

Getting on the 10am Easy Jet flight from Gatwick to Dusseldorf yesterday morning was a bit like joining the Wine Trade Sunday School outing. The pull of Prowein has been building vastly over the last few years and it was good to see so many interested parties on the plane.

Q&A: Beltrán Domecq of the Consejo Regulador on sherry cocktails and sherry's affinity with food

Beltrán Domecq, president of Consejo Regulador de las denominaciones de origen Jerez and Graham Hines, UK director of The Sherry Institute of Spain talk to Harpers.co.uk about sherry, its affinity with food and the growth of sherry-based cocktails.

Food diagnostics company launces glycerol wine analysis kit

A new wine analysis kit which can detect glycerol in wine has been unveiled by Randox Food Diagnostics this month.

Industry welcomes Treasury plans to review business rates

Industry bodies have welcomed the government's ambitious review of business rates, which were laid out today by The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander.

Accolade Wines sees profits rise £4m

Accolade Wines saw profits rise more than £4m in the 12 months to 30 June 2014, according to accounts filed at Companies House.

Drop the Duty!: WSTA thanks industry for support as it waits for Budget Day

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has commended the drinks industry for uniting behind the WSTA's Drop the Duty campaign and producing a compelling case for a 2% cut in duty.

Miles Beale: whatever the result thank you for supporting Drop the Duty campaign

In the final countdown to next week's Budget, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association thanks Harpers readers for their support in rallying to the 'Drop the Duty!' cause. 

Distillers City Debate to explore how innovative whisky is compared to other categories

Is the whisky category sufficiently innovative and how does it compare with other drinks categories will be the key issues up for debate at the Distillers City Debate 2015 organised by the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

'Drop the Duty!': whatever the result, thank you for getting involved!

In the final countdown to next week's Budget, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association thanks Harpers readers for their support in rallying to the 'Drop the Duty!' cause.