Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Wine educator is new fizz ambassador

Published: 23 July, 2008

Wine educator Carol Whitehead has won this year's Champagne Ambassadors' Award.

NATO to fund cork research project

Published: 23 July, 2008

By CONAL GREGORY MW
NATO is to fund a major research project to investigate the problem of pesticide contamination in cork forests.

Mumm launches Champagne gourmet programme

Published: 23 July, 2008

Champagne GH Mumm has created a Gourmet Dinner toolkit' with invitations, menu cards and educational material for on-trade clients which list GH Mumm Champagne as a pouring wine.

NZ harvest to break 200,000-tonne barrier

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Stuart Peskett
The 2007 harvest in New Zealand is on course to hit the 200,000 tonne mark, according to Warren Adamson, UK and European director of New Zealand WineGrowers.

Italian version of Wagamama

Published: 23 July, 2008

A new chain of pasta restaurants, called Raviolo, will open with a first branch in Balham, in January.

Big expansion plans for Conran Restaurants

Published: 23 July, 2008

Conran Restaurants is to launch four restaurants in the next year, in the wake of a 49% purchase of the company by two employees.

Park Lane steps it up in the culinary stakes

Published: 23 July, 2008

London's Park Lane is to gain three top chefs, bringing the level of the street's dining in line with the wealth of its residents and hotel guests.

Wine still a drink for the upper class'

Published: 23 July, 2008

A survey of nearly 1,000 adults has shown that wine is still considered to be a drink consumed by the upper classes.

Co-op lists first Fairtrade wines from Argentina

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Co-op has just added four own-label Fairtrade wines from Argentina to its list, the first UK retailer to do so.

Sainsbury's McEvoy moves to Thresher

Published: 23 July, 2008

Sainsbury's wine buyer Helen McEvoy is leaving on
17 November to join Threshers as senior wine buyer.

Stone, Vine & Sun founder takes Waitrose buying job

Published: 23 July, 2008

Andrew Shaw, one of the co-directors of award-winning distance seller Stone, Vine & Sun, is to join the buying team at Waitrose.

Hardy's CEO to step down in 2007

Published: 23 July, 2008

David Woods, CEO and MD of Hardy Wine Company, has announced that he will be stepping down on 30 June next year.

Dates for next year's SITT event announced

Published: 23 July, 2008

Details of the 2007 Specialist Importers Trade Tastings have been announced.
The first event will take place on Monday 26 February at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, with the London tasting held at Vinopolis two days later.

WOSA boss will quit post in New Year

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Christian Davis
One of the best-known faces in the UK wine trade, Wines
of South Africa's (WOSA) UK market manager Sophie Waggett, has decided to step down.

GM vine trials may get go-ahead in South Africa

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Stuart Peskett
Trials aimed at producing genetically modified (GM) vines that are resistant to fungus will be carried out by the University of Stellenbosch, provided the government grants permission. And in a separate application, an ex-pat South African has asked for permission to sell GM yeast to winemakers.

Tesco dismisses speculative story

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Christian Davis
Tesco has dismissed a story in last Tuesday's Financial Times, Tesco to promote responsible drinking', as purely speculation'.

Penderyn goes nationwide

Published: 23 July, 2008

Welsh single malt whisky Penderyn will be available across the UK for the first time, after it signed agreements with Tesco and Thresher. The whisky was only available in its homeland and a handful of outlets in the UK, but will be on the Tesco and Thresher shelves as of this month.
Penderyn MD Stephen Davies said: Penderyn has come a long way this year with a successful launch into the USA, further distribution and increased sales in Benelux, France and Germany, as well as increased sales in the UK. It is testament to the hard work of a small dedicated team who have been instrumental in this success.'

Cullen is first in Oz to go carbon neutral

Published: 23 July, 2008

by Sarah Ahmed
Margaret River producer Cullen has become Australia's first carbon neutral winery.

Sales to under-18s show slight decrease

Published: 23 July, 2008

Alcohol sales to minors are still proving a problem for the Government, according to new figures released last week.

Beadles anger over headlines about health warning labels

Published: 23 July, 2008

Jeremy Beadles, the chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), has hit out at headlines which claim that wine bottles are to carry a health danger on labels to curb binge drinking.