Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Staples bolsters Lay & Wheeler senior team

Published: 23 April, 2020

Lay & Wheeler has bolstered its senior team with the immediate addition of Simon Staples and Catherine Petrie MW.

Domaine de la Commaraine acquires new vineyards in the Côte de Nuits

Published: 09 April, 2020

Domaine de la Commaraine has purchased 5.8 acre of vineyards in the Côte de Nuits for an undisclosed sum.

France: Shaking up the south

Published: 31 March, 2020

Off-piste wines from southern climes are increasingly drawing the spotlight, as Jo Gilbert reports.

Majestic reassures over stock after big spike in demand for EU wines

Published: 17 March, 2020

Majestic Wine has realised a statement saying “shelves will stay stacked with wine” after customer stockpiling drove dramatic increases in demand for wines over the weekend.

France lockdown presenting challenge for some UK importers

Published: 17 March, 2020

President Macron’s announcement on Monday (16 March) that France is to close its borders to all but essential movement and trade, coupled with a ban on non-essential movement of people domestically, is also seeing some warehouses and businesses shut up shop as the coronavirus situation worsens.

Southern hemisphere wines to receive post-Brexit boost

Published: 10 February, 2020

Wines from the southern hemisphere will thrive most in post-Brexit Britain, according to the latest Wine Trade Monitor from food-and-drink communications agency Sopexa.

Trump trade truce puts US tariffs on French wine on hold

Published: 22 January, 2020

The USA’s threat of slapping 100% tariffs on US$2.4 billion worth of French imports including wine and Champagne seems to have been put on hold after the countries’ leaders announced a ceasefire on Twitter.

Q&A: Anne-Catherine Vigouroux, French Wine Discoveries

Published: 14 January, 2020

Founder of Wine 4 Trade Anne-Catherine Vigouroux outlines to James Lawrence what visitors can expect from the French Wine Discoveries 2020 tasting on January 21, and the opportunities for French producers in a post-Brexit Britain

French strikes damaging for Paris on-trade, says leading Champagne brand

Published: 13 December, 2019

The ongoing nationwide French strikes, combined with declining tourist numbers, are causing misery for Paris' restaurant and bar sector, according to Champagne Palmer's communication manager Francois Demouy.

Global organic wine sales to double in a decade

Published: 11 December, 2019

Organic wine consumption worldwide is set to hit around a billion bottles a year by 2023, a new report from organic wine fair Millésime Bio suggests.

Trump versus France spat intensifies with threat of 100% wine tariffs

Published: 03 December, 2019

Tariffs on French wine entering the US could be subjected to 100% tariffs, authorities have warned, following an investigation into whether a new technology tax in France unfairly targets American companies.

Jascots signs distribution deal with Château de Pommard

Published: 09 October, 2019

Jascots has signed a deal with Château de Pommard as its privileged on-trade distributor across the UK.

Bourgogne 2019 vintage an ‘exceptional but peculiar one'

Published: 04 October, 2019

The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) has described the 2019 vintage as “without doubt a peculiar one”, adding the grape quality was "exceptional and "worthy of a year with a nine".

Wine club collapse prompts major sell-off

Published: 04 October, 2019

Over 4,000 bottles of fine wine are to go under the hammer in an online auction next week following the collapse of Lincolnshire-based wine club 3D Wines.

Pernod Ricard consolidates business in France

Published: 03 October, 2019

French giant Pernod Ricard is consolidating in an effort to cut costs after it emerged that sales in France have fallen by €60 million (£53.4 million) over the past two years.

Gymkhana star takes home Sud de France UK Sommelier gong

Published: 03 October, 2019

A new winner has been crowned the Sud de France UK Sommelier of the Year after finalists went head-to-head to put their skills and knowledge to the test under the eyes of the judges.

March of the crèmants

Published: 18 September, 2019

Over the past decade, the UK sparkling wine market has increasingly become a tale of two sparklers.

Provence harvest off to a ‘promising’ start

Published: 12 September, 2019

Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence (CIVP) has announced a “promising start” to the harvest season across Côtes de Provence, Coteaux Varois en Provence and Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence.

Jeroboams brings taste of Malkovich to UK

Published: 09 September, 2019

Jeroboams has become the latest merchant to tap into star potential with the UK launch of a range from actor John Malkovich’s southern French estate, Les Quelles de la Coste.

Ask a sommelier: Gaëtan Lacoste, Le Clarence, Paris

Published: 21 August, 2019

Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant Le Clarence was established in 2015 by Domaine Clarence Dillon which owns a number of historical French wine estates including Bordeaux First Growth Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Saint-Émilion’s Château Quintus.