Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Malbec du Monde

Published: 23 July, 2008

A French co-op used Vinexpo to launch what it describes as the first international Malbec brand in the world' - Terreo, Malbec du Monde.

Argentina goes for growth

Published: 23 July, 2008

Argentina is looking to grab at least 6% of the total wine market by 2020, according to Roberto Luca, president of Wines of Argentina (WoA).

Allied carve-up nears completion

Published: 23 July, 2008

Pernod Ricard is on the verge of aquiring its bigger rival Allied Domecq after both sets of shareholders backed the 7.6 billion deal and regulatory approval was given by both the US and EU competition authorities.

Mumm sets high dining record

Published: 23 July, 2008

A former SAS soldier and an explorer who has scaled Mount Everest have helped break the world record for the highest formal dinner party.

O&G goes off-trade

Published: 23 July, 2008

Waverley TBS's successful on-trade range, Oliver & Greg's, is being launched into the off-trade.

Men of wine dominate WSTA's new executive board

Published: 23 July, 2008

Members of the wine trade dominate the list of appointees to what The Wine & Spirit Trade Association describes as the new, lean' executive board which was unveiled at the body's AGM earlier this week.

Prestige cuves for autumn release

Published: 23 July, 2008

1998 Dom Prignon

The latest Dom Prignon vintage, 1998, was offered to a group of UK journalists at Chteau Saran on 28 June by chef de caves Richard Geoffroy. This most metaphysical of winemakers used the opportunity to expound the philosophy behind both Dom Prignon and the recently disgorged mature vintages in the OEnothque range.

Almost half of small Australian wineries losing money

Published: 23 July, 2008

A new report on the Australian wine industry has painted a gloomy picture for mid- and small-sized Australian wineries, with almost one in two wineries reporting a loss in 2004'.

English sparkle at award ceremonies

Published: 23 July, 2008

English sparkling wine producers Nyetimber and Ridgeview both scooped prestigious awards last week.

Wine trade bares all

Published: 23 July, 2008

They came, they saw, they screamed. More than 150 female members of the wine trade raised the roof last week while watching eight of the industry's leading male members do (almost) The Full Monty' for the benefit of Prostate Cancer.

Mot to sue Vinexpo

Published: 23 July, 2008

Mot & Chandon is set to sue Vinexpo for loss of business, image and credibility' after not being allowed to occupy its contracted stand space at last month's exhibition in Bordeaux.

Eastern wisdom

Published: 23 July, 2008

When wine folk speak of Valpolicella, they are almost invariably referring to the magnificent hilly zone lying north and west of the city of Verona.

Cloudy Bay founder keeps it in the family

Published: 23 July, 2008

David Hohnen, the man behind Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle, has launched a new range of Margaret River wines with the help of his daughter and brother-in-law.

Pernod shareholders back Allied acquisition

Published: 23 July, 2008

Pernod Ricard is on the verge of acquiring Allied Domecq after its shareholders approved a move to increase the group's share capital.

100 face KWV sack

Published: 23 July, 2008

Some 104 people could be made redundant from South African producer KWV.

Vinexpo numbers up

Published: 23 July, 2008

In a statement that will surprise many of this year's visitors to Vinexpo, the organisers of the biennial trade fair in Bordeaux have declared last week's five-day event an unexpected' success, with an increase in visitor numbers on the previous show in 2003, and a record number of non-French visitors.

Mixed messages

Published: 23 July, 2008

When considering Friuli, there are certain accepted truths' that need to be discarded. First, the idea that Friuli is solely a land of white wine production; this is largely correct, but by no means entirely. Second, the notion that Friuli (or Friuli-Venezia Giulia to give it its full and more proper title) is a compact unit, when in reality it is highly complex and variegated.

Tapanappa launched

Published: 23 July, 2008

Australian wine pioneer Brian Croser, Lynch-Bages's Jean-Michel Cazes and Bollinger's Arnould d'Hautefeuille brought the first samples from Tapanappa, their new Australian joint venture in Wrattonbully, South Australia, to London last month.

Costa leaves ICEP after six years

Published: 23 July, 2008

Joo Costa, the public face of Portuguese wine promotion in the UK, is to leave the country's trade and tourism office (ICEP) after six years.

The Kiwi Dozen come to town

Published: 23 July, 2008

New Zealand wine family The Twelve came to London last Monday hot on the heels from similar events in San Francisco and New York, to explain their initiative and show their wines.