Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Beam Global acts as support wing for RSPB

Published: 10 September, 2008

Beam Global UK has donated £3,000 to the RSPB on behalf of Ardmore Scotch whisky, for a project to re-populate the east coast of Scotland with sea eagles.

Corona adds Ibizan flavour to trade support initiative

Published: 10 September, 2008

Corona Extra has undertaken one of its biggest ever support programmes with the trade by flying 70 key distributors and account customers to Ibiza for a three day party.

Wines in the Press: The chameleon, the conductor and the credit crunch

Published: 09 September, 2008

Jonathan Ray and Jancis Robinson MW are both out and about, meeting a Canadian conductor and a "chameleon" French wine consultant respectively. Closer to home, Victoria Moore makes a surprising discovery when investigating the impact of the credit crunch on British wine buying habits, whilst Tim Aktin MW battles the ring roads and office blocks of Stevenage to sample some of the Wine Society's finest tipples.

Origin switches sourcing of Camden Park to Argentina

Published: 09 September, 2008

Origin Wines is switching the supply of one of its premium brands from Austrailia to Argentina in a bid to make the brand more profitable.

Wetherspoons to hold wine festival

Published: 09 September, 2008

Wetherspoon is to host a 19 day wine festival at which it will showcase a range of wines not previously served in its pubs.

Thresher ramps up store portfolio for Christmas

Published: 09 September, 2008

Thresher Group is opening 15 new stores in the run up to Christmas.

Diageo gives Johnnie Walker the royal treatment

Published: 09 September, 2008

Diageo GB is launching a special edition of its Johnnie Walker whisky to commemorate the first royal warrant granted to the brand in 1934.

Fat Duck sommelier scoops top wine award

Published: 08 September, 2008

Isa Bal, head sommelier of Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray has scooped the Academy of Food & Wine's Dom Perignon Award for Excellence.

Wines of Navarra bids for "stronger links" with UK trade

Published: 08 September, 2008

Consejo Regulador Denominaci?n de Origen Navarra (CRDO) and the Association of Navarran Wineries has announced an autumn trade and press campaign for the UK.

Skyy vodka helps T.G.I. Friday's seek bartender champion

Published: 08 September, 2008

Skyy vodka is to sponsor T.G.I. Friday's national in-house Bartender Championship and become the group's new house vodka.

Fifteen new Masters of Wine announced

Published: 08 September, 2008

The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) has announced the addition of 15 new Masters of Wine, which includes for the first time candidates from Hong Kong, Japan, Spain and Brazil.

New distributor launches into market with vodka brand

Published: 08 September, 2008

A new drinks distributor has entered into the UK market with the launch of Latvian vodka product.

Retailers are shocked by Diageo's new terms

Published: 05 September, 2008

Multiple retailers have told Harpers they are "shocked and amazed" at Diageo's plans to unify its trade agreements across all of its routes to market in what is being seen as a bid to get more control over pricing and promotions of its brands, writes Shirley Webb.

Bols launches competition to find the next "Tom Cruise"

Published: 05 September, 2008

Bols, distributed by Maxxium UK, is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the movie Cocktail with an online competition to find the UK's next "superstar bartender."

Intercontinental Brands secures World Cup sponsorship deal

Published: 05 September, 2008

InterContinental Brands (ICB) has secured exclusive broadcast sponsorship of four of Scotland's live 2010 World Cup away qualifying matches.

Diageo ploughs £41 million into Christmas sales push

Published: 05 September, 2008

Diageo is ploughing a record £41 million into brand, retailer and category activity in the run up to Christmas.

Fischer Boel crowned wine personality of the year

Published: 04 September, 2008

Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, has been awarded the Wine Personality of the Year 2008 award by the International Wine Challenge.