Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

CIVB launches Hot 50 Bordeaux 2020 promotion

Published: 29 January, 2020

Vins de Bordeaux has announced a new initiative to promote Bordeaux wines in the UK market.

Villa Maria hires Matt Deller

Published: 15 January, 2020

Leading Kiwi wine producer Villa Maria has picked Matt Deller MW as its new chief global sales and marketing officer.

Tim Atkin MW: Taking wine to the limit

Published: 10 January, 2020

The life jacket seemed like a good idea, given the size of the launch and the strength of the wind barreling down the jetty. Nervously, I climbed on board and prepared for the final leg of a journey that had started more than 1,000km away in Santiago with a flight to Puerto Montt. From there, I’d taken a ferry to the Isla Grande de Chiloé and driven to Quicavi on its eastern coast. Now it was time to visit the tiny island of Añihué, home to one of the most remote and unusual vineyards in the world.

Spotlight on 2020: Alex Hunt MW, Berkmann Wine Cellars

Published: 16 December, 2019

As we enter a new decade, Harpers look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australia

Published: 11 December, 2019

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Tim Atkin MW: Sherry deserves applause

Published: 01 November, 2019

TIM ATKIN MW

Alliance adds Manos Negras to portfolio

Published: 30 October, 2019

Importer Alliance Wine has won the exclusive UK agency rights for Argentina’s Manos Negras winery.

Liberty Wines to distribute Jancis Robinson glassware

Published: 28 October, 2019

Liberty Wines has won exclusive UK trade rights to distribute Jancis Robinson MW’s glassware range.

Aldi launches free online wine course

Published: 18 October, 2019

Discount multiple retailer Aldi has unveiled a free new online wine course aimed at helping consumers find their way around the wine aisle.

Bellavita London unveils expanded events roster

Published: 14 October, 2019

The annual Bellavita Expo London is set to return to Islington’s Business Design Centre next month with a wide range of masterclasses, tastings and discussion panels hosted by Bellavita’s wine academy, BeWine.

Tim Atkin MW: Beyond the cellar door

Published: 04 October, 2019

The pencil was as sharp as a tack. The tasting sheets were beautifully designed, with just the right amount of information: geeky, yet precise, containing useful details about vineyards and vinification techniques, but no vapid tasting notes. The water bottle was freshly cooled, the glasses polished and well chosen, the wines at exactly the right temperature. Every tasting should be like this, I found myself thinking, settling into a comfortable chair.

Santa Rita renews partnership with the IMW

Published: 18 September, 2019

Santa Rita Estates (SRE) has announced it will continue to form part of the Institute of Master of Wine’s (IMW) international supporter community for a further three years.

Amathus's inaugural tasting puts spotlight on ambitious plans to double its wine portfolio

Published: 13 September, 2019

Amathus Drinks held its first stand alone tasting of recent times this week to highlight what has been a major push into the wine category for the traditionally spirits-led company over the past few years.

Tim Atkin MW: Fanfare for a Chablis titan

Published: 10 September, 2019

TIM ATKIN MW: Wine critic, broadcaster, co-chair of the IWC

Campaign highlights the strengths of Soave

Published: 12 August, 2019

Soave is making a comeback thanks to a new Summer of Soave campaign.

Annual Gerard Basset travel scholarship launches

Published: 05 August, 2019

An annual travel bursary has been created in honour and memory of the late Gerard Basset OBE, MS, MW, MSc (OIV).

Tim Atkin MW: Canary in the global coalmine

Published: 05 August, 2019

“Phew. What A Scorcher!” I’m old enough to remember June 1976, when we had 15 consecutive days above 32°C. The Sun’s headline captured some of the excitement I felt as a teenager. In those days British summers were frequently cool, overcast affairs and all of a sudden Kent felt like the Costa Brava. What was scorching then seems almost temperate now. Last week Cambridge sweated through the second hottest day ever at 38.1°C, just behind Faversham’s UK record of 38.5°C in August 2003.

Moving tribute to Gerard Basset crowns IWC Awards gala

Published: 10 July, 2019

The great and the good of the wine trade were out in full force last night to celebrate what turned out to be a memorable and also poignant IWC awards evening – thanks largely to a message from the late, great Gerard Basset, who was filmed accepting his lifetime achievement award at the end of the last year.