Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Michael Cox: the importance of the UK market for producers

Published: 06 August, 2012

Michael Cox, European director of Wines of Chile, gives his views on how the changing global wine market is affecting marketing spend in the UK.

Chablis producers anticipate smaller harvest

Published: 03 August, 2012

Chablis producers are predicting the harvest could be down by around 20%, thanks to bad weather earlier in the growing season.

Winemaker Tour hits London, Manchester and Bristol

Published: 02 August, 2012

Independents are invited to meet six of Australia and New Zealand's leading winemakers during the Negociants UK Winemaker Tour.

Could you be the Rioja Retailer of the Year?

Published: 02 August, 2012

There's still time for independent merchants to enter the Wines from Rioja Retailer of the Year Competition.

Brand Phoenix launches FirstCape Light

Published: 01 August, 2012

Brand Phoenix has added to its portfolio with the launch of FirstCape Light.

Ross Sleet takes up marketing role at DGB in South Africa

Published: 01 August, 2012

Ross Sleet, formerly of Kleine Zalze, is the new marketing manager of DGB wineries Boschendal and Brampton Wines in South Africa.

Anne Krebiehl: her take on the New Zealand Medal Winners tasting

Published: 01 August, 2012

As the men and women of the beach volleyball teams fought it out in the preliminary matches on Horse Guards Parade below us, another measuring up took place at the Penthouse of New Zealand House: The New Zealand Medal Winners Tasting.

Gallo's Barefoot brand triumphs at What Food, What Wine?

Published: 31 July, 2012

E&J Gallo's Barefoot label has fooled MWs who think "big equals bad" after winning three trophies and five 5-star awards in the blindly judged competition What Food, What Wine?

Pernod Ricard and the AA team up in anti-drink-driving campaign

Published: 30 July, 2012

Pernod Ricard UK and the Automobile Association (AA) plan to tackle the issue of drink-driving among young UK adults, through the launch of the fourth phase of their anti-drink-driving marketing campaign.

Richard Siddle: why Accolade and Treasury Wine Estates partnership should be applauded

Published: 27 July, 2012

The beginning of August is supposed to herald the start of what our newspaper colleagues would call the Silly Season. A time when there is very little hard news around and our daily news feed is full of stories of escaped pigs, or retired policemen travelling around the country in a bath of baked beans. But the world of wine and spirits does not look ready for a summer holiday just yet.

Mike Matthews: behind the scenes at "Braaiday" at High Timber

Published: 26 July, 2012

High Timber in London, a South African based restaurant with a wine cellar containing 40,000 bottles for your pleasure, played host to a motley crew of wine writers and bloggers recently as Wines of South Africa fired up the barbie for a good old South African Braai.

Geoffrey Dean: hits the spot in Languedoc-Roussillon

Published: 23 July, 2012

When La Revue de Vin de Fance, the esteemed French wine magazine, gave Foncalieu one of its coveted annual awards in Paris in January, the wine world sat up and took note. Les Vignobles Foncalieu, to give them their full name, was crowned French co-operative of the year, following in the footsteps of La Chablisienne in Chablis and Embres et Castelmaure in Corbieres. Twenty years after its formation as a union of co-operatives, the Languedoc-centred Foncalieu had won a most notable accolade.

Treasury Wine Estates appoints new chairman

Published: 23 July, 2012

Non-executive director Paul Rayner is set to become Treasury Wine Estate's new chairman from September 1...

Trade hits back against wine "rip offs" on Twitter

Published: 16 July, 2012

Some high-profile members of the trade have hit back against supermarkets' cut-price wine deals, which they brand "cynical and misleading".

David Cox leaves New Zealand Winegrowers

Published: 16 July, 2012

David Cox has stepped down from his post as European director of New Zealand Winegrowers.

Santa Rita's Terry Pennington looks at the Irish on-trade

Published: 12 July, 2012

Terry Pennington, commercial director for the UK and Ireland at Santa Rita, talks to Harpers about how the on-trade is coping in Ireland amid the euro crisis and on the back of the fall of the Celtic Tiger.

Pernod Ricard rewards design talent in Absolut Blank competition

Published: 11 July, 2012

Pernod Ricard-owned Absolut rewarded new UK design talent in its second Absolut Blank competition at the New Designers graduate exhibition in London.

Call for indies to enter Rioja Retailer of the Year

Published: 10 July, 2012

Creative Rioja-loving independent wine merchants are being called on to show their skills in the Wines from Rioja Retailer of the Year Competition.

Beltrán Domecq appointed president of sherry council

Published: 10 July, 2012

Beltrán Domecq has become the new president of the Board of the Consejo Regulador, where he will help to decide the future of sherry alongside growers and winemakers.

Armit takes on Champagne Gratiot-Pillière and Bell Hill

Published: 09 July, 2012

Armit Wines has been appointed exclusive UK agent for the New Zealand winery Bell Hill and the Champagne house Gratiot-Pillière with immediate effect.