Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Conservative Party members oppose wine tax hikes

Published: 09 August, 2022

According to new YouGov research, over three-quarters of Tory party members want tax on wine to be frozen at its current rate or reduced.

Tequila’s star continues to rise as supermarkets sales double

Published: 25 July, 2022

Tequila is stealing a march on other spirits categories, with an impressive 94% growth spurt in two years underpinning the rise of the Mexican spirit in the UK.

WSTA welcomes Alcohol Duty Review delay

Published: 22 July, 2022

Following months of lobbying from the trade, the government yesterday (July 20) delayed its alcohol duty review till the Autumn.

Harpers' 30 under 30 take centre stage at LWF

Published: 15 July, 2022

Harpers’ future leaders symposium at last month’s London Wine Fair had a core question embedded in its lively panel discussion – what does staff progression look like post-Covid, and how can those insights be used to address the industry’s increasingly serious recruitment problems?

Nusrat Ghani, MP, calls for more support for UK vineyards

Published: 21 June, 2022

Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wine and Spirits, wants to see the government do more to help English and Welsh winemakers.

WSTA celebrates LWF return, though "Recovery is not a given"

Published: 07 June, 2022

The WSTA struck a note somewhere between optimism and realism at the opening briefing of this year’s London Wine Fair, calling for “resilience and resistance” in order to manifest a more fully formed recovery of the wine and spirit trade post-Covid.

Harpers' 30 Under 30 winners announced

Published: 06 June, 2022

What a couple of years the trade has had. What ups and downs. During the worst months of Covid, we’re sure there are some who felt a bit like Midas’s barber in the ancient tales. Forced under pain of death to keep his master’s secret – that the former Greek king was hiding a pair of donkey’s ears beneath his hat – the unfortunate barber was only able to vent by taking himself to a bed of reeds and screaming that the king had, indeed, become part-ass.

The weighty burden of alcohol’s rising costs

Published: 30 May, 2022

When chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his proposed changes to alcohol duty in the October Budget, he described them as the “most radical simplification of alcohol duties for over 140 years”. Under the present system, there are three duty rates on wine – one for still wine, a slightly higher one for sparkling wine and an even higher one for fortified wine.

Nusrat Ghani MP announced as new co-chair of Wine and Spirit APPG

Published: 23 May, 2022

Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, has taken up her new role as co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wine and Spirits following the Group’s recent AGM.

Miles Beale speaks out against the government’s £300m tax increase on wine

Published: 23 May, 2022

As the latest Wine Drinkers UK communique suggests, taxing alcohol is set to cost the wine industry an estimated £300 million and push up prices for UK consumers, without bringing any significant boost to Treasury funds.

WSTA appoints new Chair and Deputy Chair

Published: 29 April, 2022

The Board of Directors of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has announced a new chair, Mark Riley of Edrington UK. He will be supported by Pierpaolo Petrassi MW from Waitrose in a new position as deputy chair.

After the gin boom

Published: 22 April, 2022

The past two years have been tough for everyone and Britain’s gin distillers are no exception. The various lockdowns and general uncertainty hit the industry hard and, while retailers and direct sales helped alleviate the shortfall, “the on-trade could never be replaced by home consumption”, according to Nick Cook, director-general of the Gin Guild.

Calls to review ‘punishing’ tax regime aired in Parliament

Published: 22 March, 2022

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has convened a meeting of MPs and Lords to hear first-hand from British businesses how the ‘punishing’ proposals for duty reform from three to 27 tax bands will negatively impact the drinks industry and consumers.

Vinitaly Academy launches Buyer Program in the UK

Published: 15 March, 2022

Vinitaly International Academy, the educational arm of the Verona show which aims to showcase the breath and diversity of the Italian peninsula, is launching a brand new focus in the UK.

New Zealand trade deal could mean cheaper wine for UK shoppers

Published: 01 March, 2022

The UK has signed a far-reaching trade deal with New Zealand to remove trade barriers on many UK goods and services and provide new opportunities for British businesses.

Trade urged to act ahead of duty review consultation deadline

Published: 26 January, 2022

With just four days to go before the 30 January consultation deadline on the UK Government’s proposed changes to the way excise duty on alcohol is calculated, the last chance to be heard is fast closing in.

Outrage over ‘cynical’ ProWein move

Published: 21 January, 2022

The UK trade has expressed its outrage that ProWein has changed its date to clash with the London Wine Fair (LWF) in 2022 – while also expressing deep sympathy for the LWF which is due to return in physical form for the first time in two years.

Duty amends will “wipe out the benefits” of non-EU trade deals – make your voice heard

Published: 21 January, 2022

Accolade Wines is the latest major wine company to join calls urging the government to take stock of its alcohol duty review.

Time to act as alcohol duty review consultation deadline looms

Published: 18 January, 2022

Calls for the drinks trade to voice its concerns over the government’s alcohol duty review have ramped up as the consultation period nears its close on 30 January, potentially adding a £220 million additional tax burden on wine.