Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Tim Atkin MW: Burgundy 2015 - a year for the little guys?

Published: 11 January, 2017

Burgundy and Bordeaux may share a common language, but they are very different places.

Major tourism centre given green-light by Burgundy's wine board

Published: 11 January, 2017

Burgundy's wine board, the BIVB, has approved its ambitious Cité des Vins de Bourgogne, a new wine tourism, culture and education centre that will be built on three sites in Beaune, Chablis and in the Mâcon.

Burgundy en primeur 2015: What to expect from reds

Published: 06 January, 2017

The consensus is that 2015's red vintage will make an impression as Burgundy en premeur tastings prepare to get underway next week, with many wineries benefitting from picking early and mitigating the effects of a hot summer.

Champagne leaves Prosecco in the dust as the New Year wine of choice

Published: 05 January, 2017

The unfailing success of Prosecco encountered a roadblock on New Years Eve as UK consumers ditched Italian fizz in favour of Champagne.

English fizz beats Champagne to become official Boat Race partner

Published: 03 January, 2017

Leading English winery Chapel Down has become an official partner of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, replacing Champagne Bollinger.

Number of countries drinking English wine increased by a third in 2016

Published: 03 January, 2017

Sales of English Wine reached new heights in 2016, according to DEFRA.

Three new appellations awarded Côtes du Rhône Villages (with Geographical Names) status

Published: 19 December, 2016

France's second largest AOC winegrowing region has promoted three new villages within the appellation hierarchy.

Prosecco bursts Champagne's bubble with faster sales growth across Europe

Published: 14 December, 2016

Sales of Prosecco in the UK continue to rise faster than Champagne despite the Champagne sector's attempts to compete by dropping prices.

Jerry Lockspeiser: A great time to be in wine

Published: 14 December, 2016

I don't want to be a siren of gloom. After all Christmas is the time for good cheer. But we are racing towards the end of a year where disruptive global events - Brexit, Trump, Aleppo - have shaken our feelings of security.

Growers Champagne offering an alternative to Prosecco this Christmas, says Virgin Wines

Published: 13 December, 2016

Grower Champagnes having been sparking consumer interest at Virgin Wines, where wine buyers are expecting sales to flourish this Christmas.

Bolney Wine Estate on opening the door to 2017

Published: 13 December, 2016

When Bolney Wine Estate was started in 1972 by owners Janet and Rodney Pratt, it was one of only six commercial vineyards in the country.

Wine trends: Predictions 2017

Published: 13 December, 2016

White from red regions, Loire and premium US whites are going to be 2017's big winners, according to Bibendum.

Bancroft Wines grows Italian and Spanish range in the UK

Published: 08 December, 2016

Bancroft Wines has added two new producers to their portfolio, Cantina della Volta from Emilia Romagna and Es Fangar from Mallorca.

Gonzalez Byass UK expands range with new Basque addition

Published: 07 December, 2016

Gonzalez Byass UK (GBUK) is expanding its Spanish wine range in the UK with the addition of Txomin Etxaniz, a leading producer of DO Txakoli, to its portfolio.

Bourgogne Week comes to London

Published: 06 December, 2016

Christmas is still two-and-a-half weeks away but the organisers of the event which aims to "unlock the secrets" Burgundy are already preparing to showcase what the region can offer in 2017.

New sparkling brand offering "Prosecco" in a can prepares to launch in the UK

Published: 02 December, 2016

A new lifestyle-led sparkling wine brand is aiming to match the prospects in the female drinkers/millennials market with the Italian wine and the RTD categories in the hopes of cracking the UK market.

Devon winery continues to raise profile with Enotria&Coe partnership

Published: 01 December, 2016

Devon-based winery Lyme Bay has announced a new partnership with leading UK wine and spirits distributor, Enotria&Coe.

Usain Bolt becomes "CEO" of top Champagne house

Published: 29 November, 2016

Usain Bolt has swapped winning for wines in a new partnership with one of France's largest Champagne producers.

Vinisud goes annual

Published: 28 November, 2016

The trade tasting which puts wines of the Mediterranean in the spotlight has become annual fixture on the international's trade's calendar.

World's oldest Port house launches into second major high street retailer

Published: 25 November, 2016

Historic Port brand, Kopke, is currently launching its Reserve Tawny Port into Waitrose - the second time the brand has been listed in a major national retailer in the UK, following the launch of its 1996 Colheita (an aged Tawny Port made with grapes from a single vintage) in M&S in September.