Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Platter's five-star wines announced

Published: 23 July, 2008

A total of 11 wines have been awarded the coveted five-star rating in the 2006 John Platter South African Wine Guide.

Nielsen to include three Ms' data

Published: 23 July, 2008

Leading marketing information gatherer AC Nielsen is to include full EPOS data from Majestic, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, and Unwins for the first time.

BVI ceases trading

Published: 23 July, 2008

Wine investment company Bordeaux Vintners Ltd, trading as BVI, has ceased trading. Tim Dunton, the sole director, wrote to investors on 22 July telling them that not all the wine they had paid for was available due to the failure of one of his suppliers.

Port family sues over stolen' land

Published: 23 July, 2008

The British Government is being sued for 14 million by a British family which made its name in the Port trade.

Festival-goers prefer English fizz to Champagne'

Published: 23 July, 2008

The organiser of the English Wine and Regional Food Festival claims that top English sparklers like RidgeView and Nyetimber are equal to if not better than the best Champagnes.

UK is the most sophisticated' market for Pinot Noir

Published: 23 July, 2008

Top German red producer August Kesseler called the UK the most sophisticated' market for Pinot Noir last week but said it would be a long time' before German producers of the noble grape could gain a significant foothold. Kesseler, of Weingut August Kesseler, was speaking at what was billed as the first ever German red wine symposium', organised by German wine specialist Wine Barn at London's Capital Hotel on 19 August.

Export boom for New Zealand

Published: 23 July, 2008

Exports of New Zealand wines have surpassed domestic sales for the first time in the industry's history, according to the 2005 Annual Report from New Zealand Wine Growers, with wine destined for foreign markets now accounting for 53% of production.

Croser leaves Petaluma

Published: 23 July, 2008

Brian Croser, one of Australia's most prominent and outspoken wine-industry figures, has finally severed his ties with Petaluma, the winery he set up three decades ago in the Adelaide Hills

Australia faces worst crisis in a decade'

Published: 23 July, 2008

Sam Tolley, chief executive of industry body the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC), said last week during a speech in Melbourne that there is no doubt that the wine sector is facing its toughest challenges in over a decade'.

La vie en ROSA

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) has unveiled plans to set up a government-run cork-processing park with a state-of-the-art pay-as-you-go' communal cork-boiling unit. According to APCOR president Antnio Rios de Amorim, who is also chairman of the world's largest cork producer, Amorim & Irmos, the idea is to give small producers shared access to the latest technology for reducing TCA to avoid the financial burden of investing in expensive new equipment.

Maori umbrella brand unites wine and seafood

Published: 23 July, 2008

White wine and seafood have long been comfortable partners, but a new initiative from Tohu Wines will see the relationship brought even closer.

New NZ boss: We can be the premium New World region

Published: 23 July, 2008

The new head of New Zealand Winegrowers (NZWG) believes that New Zealand can be the premium New World wine region for the UK'.

Balnaves wins wine award

Published: 23 July, 2008

The winemaker at top Coonawarra estate Balnaves, Pete Bissel, has won the Qantas/Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Award.

Read takes over at Villa Maria UK

Published: 23 July, 2008

Villa Maria has announced that Charlotte Read is to be its new European wine manager.

When takeovers raise value

Published: 23 July, 2008

Many studies have revealed that takeovers destroy value for the shareholders of the purchasing company. The mooted savings through rationalisation and size rarely deliver the benefits promised by the acquiring directors and their highly rewarded City advisers.

From Douro drought to glut

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Port trade is suffering at both ends of the river Douro.

Dunn manages Chile's Via Valdivieso

Published: 23 July, 2008

Connect Wine, the new business venture set up by former International Wine Services commercial director Paul Dunn, has signed up the Chilean winery Via Valdivieso as a client.

Majestic Burgundy parcel

Published: 23 July, 2008

Majestic wine has secured a stunning' 36,000-bottle parcel of red and white Burgundies from the 1997 to 2000 vintages.

Liberty Wines takes Grosset

Published: 23 July, 2008

Liberty Wines has taken over the distribution of famed Clare Valley producer Jeffrey Grosset.

New Alliance for branded Burgundy

Published: 23 July, 2008

A new Beaune-based ngociant, La Nouvelle Alliance/The New Alliance (LNA), has been founded by partners on opposite sides of The Channel with the aim of bridging the gap between small Burgundy growers and traditional ngociants'.