Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Villa Maria vintage update - two weeks behind

Published: 06 February, 2012

Alastair Maling MW, Villa Maria group winemaker, is hoping for a drier February, and forecasts that yields will be down in Marlborough.

Villa Maria vintage update - two weeks behind

Published: 06 February, 2012

Alastair Maling MW, Villa Maria group winemaker, is hoping for a drier February, and forecasts that yields will be down in Marlborough.

Tim Wildman MW: Australia in the Goldilocks Zone

Published: 03 February, 2012

In a bright, white gallery space on The Kings Road in Chelsea the annual Australia Day Wine Tasting took place last week. Amid the slurping and spitting, tasters who listened very carefully may have detected a rumbling; deep, subterranean, underground. It could have been a tube train passing below, or a low flying plane overhead. But it was neither of these. The rumbling you may have heard, over the clatter of bottles of Chardonnay and Shiraz, is the sound made as the tectonic plates of the Great Australian Wine Industry shift and rearrange themselves for the first time in a generation.

Global reshuffle at Treasury Wine

Published: 30 January, 2012

Treasury Wine Estates has hired Bacardi's global travel retail boss to head up its EMEA regional business - in a move which will see the managing director role expanded.

Oxford triumphs in University Wine Championship

Published: 30 January, 2012

As Oxford University scoops the award for Wine Australia's University Wine Champion initiative, the generic body looks to expand the initiative into 2013.

Trade urged to support up-and-coming regions

Published: 26 January, 2012

Open-minded importers are urging major supermarkets and restaurants to get behind wines from emerging regions like Croatia, Slovenia and Moldova.

PLB launches wholesale roadshow

Published: 20 January, 2012

UK importer, PLB is to launch its first regional roadshow in February, in order to unveil its new and improved wholesale portfolio.

Pernod Ricard UK appoints senior roles

Published: 19 January, 2012

Pernod Ricard UK has made three senior appointments to its executive committee and senior management group, with immediate effect.

Slurp to use 'SlurpVision' as major sales platform

Published: 18 January, 2012

Online retailer Slurp is celebrating its 'SlurpVision' video channel passing its 100 tasting video mark and its emergence as a major platform supporting online sales.

Carmenere deserves promotion to Premiership of grape varieties, says Atkin

Published: 17 January, 2012

Carmenere, the indigenous Chilean grape variety, can now claim to have gained promotion to the so-called "Premiership" of first class wine varieties, according to wine critic and broadcaster, Tim Atkin MW.

Anne Krebiehl: a review of the Thrilling Vintages from Germany tasting by The Wine Barn

Published: 17 January, 2012

"It is just important to give the trade the opportunity to taste, to show how good and versatile these wines are," said Iris Ellmann, MD of German specialist merchant The Wine Barn at yesterday's Annual Trade Tasting.

Cooler climate wines lead the way in Wines of Chile awards

Published: 16 January, 2012

Eleven of the 17 trophies awarded at last week's Chilean Wine Awards were from its cooler climate wine regions including Limari, Elqui, San Antonio, Casablanca and Bío Bío.

Emmanuel Charrier elected president of BIVC

Published: 16 January, 2012

Emmanuel Charrier has been elected the new president of the regional trade body for the AOP wines of the Centre Loire vineyard, the BIVC.

Pernod Ricard's Simon Thomas new Benevolent chair

Published: 10 January, 2012

Pernod Ricard UK's deputy managing director Simon Thomas has been appointed the new chairman of the Benevolent.

Oxford Wine Company appoints MW as buyer

Published: 06 January, 2012

The Oxford Wine Company has appointed Marcia Waters MW as its new wine buyer.

Online wine retailers slash prices in January sales

Published: 06 January, 2012

Online retailers are leading the way in slashing prices for the January sales, offering up to 60% discount, while for the high street merchant it's back to business as usual.

Brancott Estate unveils new look

Published: 04 January, 2012

New Zealand wine brand, Brancott Estate, is to unveil its final transition from Montana to Brancott Estate, with a contemporary new look and extensive re-packaging.

CA Grand Crus expands into Burgundy with Chateau de Santenay acquisition

Published: 27 December, 2011

CA Grands Crus, the subsidiary of Credit Agricole, has added to
its strong portfolio of Bordeaux estates with the acquisition of
Chateau de Santenay in Burgundy. The purchase gives the French retail
banking giant some 90 hectares of various Burgundian parcels from
entry level standard to Grand Cru status, a fifth of a hectare having
been taken up in Clos de Vougeot.