Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Domaines Paul Mas opens UK office

Published: 07 November, 2012

Languedoc producer Domaines Paul Mas has appointed Elin Mann to run its first ever dedicated sales and marketing office based in London.

Languedoc's white wines growing in popularity in UK

Published: 06 November, 2012

Renowned for its red wines, the Languedoc is seeing an increase in demand from UK buyers for its "fashionable" whites.

Rioja and Tempranillo lead Spanish charge

Published: 02 November, 2012

Rioja remains the top Spanish wine, but other Tempranillo-based wines are helping to drive the category, according to buyers.

CIVL buyers' trip: Gordon Coates

Published: 02 November, 2012

Stone, Vine & Sun buyer Gordon Coates was among the lucky few who headed to the Languedoc last week for the CIVL study tour, organised in conjunction with Harpers and designed to open buyers' eyes to the diversity on offer.

Treasury Wine Estates acquires Rapaura Vintners

Published: 02 November, 2012

Treasury Wine Estates has purchased the remaining 50% of Rapaura Vintners from Babich Wines in a bid to strengthen its foothold in Marlborough.

Wines of Chile holds second sommelier challenge

Published: 02 November, 2012

Wines of Chile has held the second Sommelier Chile Challenge in a bid to illustrate the country's value-for-money on-trade offering.

Stevens Garnier takes on Loiseau-Bichot range

Published: 31 October, 2012

Stevens Garnier has taken on an exclusive range of Loiseau-Bichot wines from Burgundy with the aim of bringing "additional prestige" to its portfolio.

Italian screwcap decree is a 'crass compromise', says expert

Published: 30 October, 2012

The Italian Ministry of Agriculture has agreed to relax laws on wines allowed to be bottled under screwcap, but renowned expert David Gleave MW of Liberty says it hasn't gone far enough.

ProWein boosts seminars for 2013 event

Published: 29 October, 2012

ProWein is ramping up its programme of seminars on offer for its 2013 event to be hosted at a central lecture forum.

González Byass puts in strong sales performance

Published: 26 October, 2012

González Byass has finished its financial year up with "really good growth on wine and Tio Pepe", says marketing director Jeremy Rockett.

Douglas Blyde on discovering the world of Amarone through Sandro Boscaini and Masi Agricola

Published: 25 October, 2012

Bedecked in stripes, from suit to socks, Sandro Boscaini, president of Masi Agricola, was in town earlier this month to celebrate the launch of a hardback book about arguably the best-known wine from Valpolicella, from where he was born. 'Amarone - The Making of an Italian Wine Phenomenon' is written by British expat, Kate Singleton (who also collaborated on Wines of Sicily and The Golden Book of Chocolate). Six corks, one embossed, grace its cover.

Buckingham Schenk launches pre-filled wine glasses in Sainsbury's

Published: 24 October, 2012

Buckingham Schenk has launched a range of pre-filled PET wine goblets under the Italian brand Cavatina exclusively to Sainsbury's.

Burgundy faces smallest harvest since 1950s

Published: 24 October, 2012

Burgundy is facing up to its smallest harvest since the mid-1950s after the vineyards of the Côte d'Or suffered a mixture of frost, hail, mildew and poor flowering.

Argentina's Catena family launches new wines in UK through Enotria

Published: 24 October, 2012

Argentinian wine dynasty Catena has launched wines from its new winery Bodega Cuarto Dominio in the UK through Enotria.

Christina Pickard looks at the latest winemaking trends in Rioja

Published: 24 October, 2012

"My favourite wine is Rioja". It's a line I hear a lot. Despite the UK's frequent absence on Rioja's top five list of most important export markets, the British have had a long standing love affair with wines from this notoriously wealthy Spanish region.

UK to become expert resource centre for global wine supply

Published: 23 October, 2012

The UK is turning itself into a global centre of excellence for wine distribution and understanding as it loses its place as the world's most critical wine market.

Oddbins blog: hunt for UK's top novice wine taster

Published: 19 October, 2012

A sustainability officer at Camden Council has been declared the UK's best amateur wine taster as winner of Oddbins' The Palate 2012 competition.

Win case of Absolutely Cracking French Wines

Published: 19 October, 2012

Harpers is offering one lucky reader a case of 12 wines, personally selected by the Harpers and IWC teams from a line-up of more than 150 at the Absolutely Cracking French Wines tasting, organised by Sopexa.

Geoffrey Dean on his discoveries in Piedmont

Published: 19 October, 2012

In contrast to the wettest British summer for a century, Piedmont enjoyed such a dry, sunny growing season that the harvest was completed much earlier than normal.

Jenny Mackenzie heads to Loire tasting with Les Caves de Pyrene

Published: 18 October, 2012

Les Caves de Pryene held a dedicated Loire tasting this week "to show the incredible diversity of the region and its vintage variation". It was also a timely reminder that the latest in its growing number of natural wine bars, the Green Man and French Horn in London's St Martin's Lane is dedicated to the food and wine of the Loire.