Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Bulk wine driven by price not green issues

Published: 24 April, 2014

Wine buyers who justify bulk shipping by citing the green argument are simply 'ticking boxes' when price is driving sales, say industry experts.

Douglas Blyde unleashes his senses on José Sanfins' wines at London's Clos Maggiore

Published: 22 April, 2014

According to research recently published in journal, "Science", the average human is equipped to differentiate some one trillion odours (999,999,990,000 more than previously thought). Buoyed by these findings, I was keen to apply my apparently amazing snout to the finery at Clos Maggiore's wine club. Tonight's instalment was hosted by Matt Thomas. Formerly a store manager at Majestic Wines, Thomas joined Hallgarten Druitt, as account development manager six months ago. Despite Clos Maggiore's Covent Garden location, Thomas's territory, work-wise and residentially is Dalston where he secured accounts, White Rabbit and Jones & Son, which he highly recommends are worth a visit

Rémy Cointreau warns profits may slump by 40%

Published: 17 April, 2014

Rémy Cointreau has warned that full year profits may plummet by 35 to 40%, thanks to a fall in Chinese sales.

Grower champagnes are riding a wave, says Anne Krebiehl

Published: 17 April, 2014

Growers' Champagnes are riding a wave: while Bordelais tasting rooms remained sluggish and empty during this year's en primeur campaign, Champagne had no trouble attracting visitors, says Anne Krebiehl.

'We cannot be the chateaux' bank forever', says Bordeaux negociant

Published: 16 April, 2014

"We cannot be the bank of the chateaux forever", leading Bordeaux negociant house Ginestet has said as the 2013 en primeur campaign struggles on.

Champagne exports to UK plummet by 5.1%

Published: 14 April, 2014

The UK remains Champagne's biggest export market, despite imports falling to €447.2 million last year, a decline of 5.1% by volume and 3.8% by value.

'No compelling reason to buy' Bordeaux 2013, say merchants

Published: 10 April, 2014

Merchants have so far sold very little, if any, Bordeaux 2013 wines, as collectors lack any compelling reason to buy.

Liv-ex survey finds 'significantly less demand' for Bordeaux 2013 wines

Published: 10 April, 2014

The annual Liv-ex en primeur survey found that 78% of merchants expect "significantly less demand" - down by at least a fifth - for 2013 wines compared to their 2012 counterparts.

Bordeaux 2013: the Left Bank

Published: 09 April, 2014

Panos Kakaviatos tasted his way around Bordeaux's top chateaux last week, finding out how winemakers had fared in the troubled 2013 vintage. In part two of a three-part series, he describes how the red wines are "scaled down versions of better vintages".

Bordeaux 2013: Choose whites over reds

Published: 08 April, 2014

Panos Kakaviatos tasted his way around Bordeaux's top chateaux last week, finding out how winemakers had fared in the troubled 2013 vintage. In part one of a three-part series, he describes why his money is on the white wines.

Bordeaux negociants say demand for 2013 wine is 'dead'

Published: 07 April, 2014

Wholesale wine merchants in Bordeaux were underwhelmed by a rapid burst of 2013 en primeur price releases Monday morning, describing current demand as "dead."

UK trade still finds Bordeaux 2013 wines to buy

Published: 07 April, 2014

After much criticism ahead of the 2013 en primeur tastings, it seems that many UK merchants have been undeterred by negative press and plan to buy and sell this year's wines.

Entire Bordeaux 2013 production will be drunk within 10 years, says UGCB president

Published: 07 April, 2014

The head of the body which represents Bordeaux's top chateaux has predicted that 2013 wines will have been consumed within 10 years, but merchants are less sure.

Tim Atkin MW: Why en primeur is not working

Published: 04 April, 2014

Tim Atkin MW on why the en primeur system needs urgent reform to not only regain the trust of critics and the trade alike but most importantly keep it relevant and credible to future investors.

Senior wine critics call for en primeur "sham" to be overhauled

Published: 04 April, 2014

Two of wine's most-respected wine critics have called for urgent reform of Bordeaux's en primeur system, describing it, in turn, as a "con" a "sham" and a system that the trade and investors have "lost faith in".

Gareth Morgan discusses the drawbacks of older vintages being absent in wine classes

Published: 03 April, 2014

Gareth Morgan, a wine educator, is concerned over the obvious absence of older vintages in wine classes for the public.

Stevens Garnier to add major brand every six months

Published: 03 April, 2014

Stevens Garnier is on the look-out for major old world brands, and plans to boost its portfolio by adding one every six months.

En primeur: Château Gazin's €1 drop 'insufficient'

Published: 03 April, 2014

Bordeaux's Château Gazin released its en primeur price early Thursday, at €38 per bottle from the estate to wholesale merchants, a drop of €1 on the 2012 vintage.

Bordeaux wine sales to UK grow 14% in 2013

Published: 02 April, 2014

Bordeaux wines have grown 14.2% by volume and 18.6% by value in the last year, according to figures collated by market research firm IRI.

En primeur: rapid campaign to unfold, but no demand

Published: 02 April, 2014

Following the surprising early release price of Pontet-Canet last week at €60-a-bottle - the same as 2012 - sources in Bordeaux say that the campaign will be very short, with many wines releasing prices by next week.