Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Campari to buy majority stake in Champagne Lallier

Published: 20 April, 2020

Campari Group has announced it is in talks with privately owned French company Sarl Ficoma to buy a majority stake in Champagne Lallier.

Freixenet unveils Italian still wine collection

Published: 05 April, 2020

Freixenet Copestick has launched its first range of still Italian wine in the UK to build on the success of the company’s Prosecco and sparkling Italian rosé.

Friday read: Teutonic sparkle

Published: 03 April, 2020

Despite a decline in German domestic consumption of its native bubbly sekt - per capita quaffing has dropped since 2010 from 3.9 to 3.3 litres - attention to quality, both individually and collectively, has never been greater.

Sparkling dominates online wine searches

Published: 30 March, 2020

Nearly half of all wine-related online searches in the UK are for sparkling wine, according to new research from Italian wine specialists Independent Wine.

Fox & Fox renews focus and steps up production

Published: 14 February, 2020

Fox & Fox has announced plans to double its capacity as part of a new strategy to focus expressly on "wine making and marketing".

Friday Read: Price and vintage in Champagne

Published: 31 January, 2020

To the untrained eye, little has changed in the world of Champagne marketing. The Grande Marques, endowed with lavish budgets, continue to position themselves at the most glamorous events. Vintages are declared and the well-oiled marketing machine continues to roll.

Nicolas Feuillatte pinpoints no/low as key rival for Champagne

Published: 27 January, 2020

Nicolas Feuillatte has pinpointed the burgeoning no/low category as a key rival for the Champagne market going forward.

Jerry Lockspeiser: The essential Christmas gift for every wine entrepreneur

Published: 20 December, 2019

About twenty years ago I tried to sell a sparkling wine from Italy that was almost unknown in the UK market. We were a significant supplier to the major retailers and worked closely with them on new product development ideas, from lesser known grape varieties, regions and countries, to new styles and packaging for better-known wines. My Italian sparkling wine was from a medium sized organic producer whose wines we had won listings for, but the buyers felt that it was not well known enough in our market and wouldn’t sell. It was, of course, Prosecco.

Aldi picks Lyme Bay for first own-brand English fizz

Published: 09 December, 2019

Aldi has chosen the Dorset-based Lyme Bay Winery to produce an English sparkling wine for its premium ‘Exquisite Collection’.

North South Wines partners with Vallformosa Cava

Published: 21 November, 2019

North South Wines has signed a distribution deal with Cava producer Vallformosa.

Rathfinny announces 19% increase in 2019 yield

Published: 05 November, 2019

Rathfinny Wine Estate has announced a 19% increase in 2019 yield compared to last year’s harvest.

Freixenet back on TV

Published: 29 October, 2019

Freixenet is on the campaign trail with its first TV campaign across prime-time TV in years.

Prosecco reports 2019 yields down but ‘exceptional quality’

Published: 29 October, 2019

Consorzio of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG has declared the 2019 harvest of “exceptional quality”, but said yields were down between 3% to 5%.

Harpers to host sparkling wine discussion at Bellavita

Published: 17 October, 2019

Harpers editor Andrew Catchpole will host a roundtable on sparkling wines at Mediterranean food and wine fair Bellavita next week.

Gran Juvé & Camps reborn as organic Cava

Published: 15 October, 2019

Juvé & Camps has expressed its commitment to sustainability with the launch of the first organic certified vintage of its flagship premium Cava.

Cava ramps up Christmas campaign

Published: 03 October, 2019

Cava is to target key markets UK and Belgium in the Christmas run up with a new initiative designed to raise awareness of its premium wines.

Chapel Down sees sales soar but profits hit by investment

Published: 01 October, 2019

Chapel Down, the English sparkling wine, spirit and beer producer has reported sales of 21% for the first half of the year alongside increased losses as it forges ahead with vineyard expansion and investment.