Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Wine GB launches Sustainable Packaging Toolkit

Published: 02 June, 2025

Wine GB has launched a Sustainability Packaging Toolkit as part of World Environment Day on 5 June, to support sustainable action in vineyards and wineries.

Planning causing barriers to UK wine tourism, finds report

Published: 21 May, 2025

A report by planning and development consultancy Lichfields suggests that UK wine tourism’s potential is being held back by planning challenges.

Frost forecasting: tackling an age-old problem for vineyards

Published: 21 April, 2025

Spring is a joyous time of year but any vineyard operator will tell you it fills them with trepidation. Grape vines first exhibit bud burst at this time of year, a vital stage in the growth cycle. New shoots and green tips emerge on the vine, the very first signs of what will become a cluster of grapes. These nascent buds are also very vulnerable to frost damage, a particular concern in places such as the UK.

Vignerons urged to use Defra-backed tool tackling frost risk in UK vineyards

Published: 17 March, 2025

UK viticulturalists are being asked to sign up to and use a UK frost forecasting and management research tool which helps capture data from across the country by grape variety. The project is backed by Defra, WineGB and Plumtpon College.

Plumpton College announces National Competency Framework in boost for wine education

Published: 26 February, 2025

Plumpton College, home of the UK’s National Wine Training Programme, has announced the launch of the National Competency Framework (NCF). The new initiative is designed to define essential skills and competencies for employment across key sectors of the UK wine trade.

British wine producers celebrate ‘small but good quality crop’ after difficult vintage

Published: 19 December, 2024

Following a challenging growing season, beset with “recurrent rainfall and higher disease pressure”, UK wineries are nonetheless relatively optimistic that 2024 will deliver wines with “a high level of phenolic ripeness” – a concomitant of longer hang times due to the late harvest period.

Wiston Estate signs exclusive distribution agreement with Hallgarten

Published: 18 December, 2024

Sussex-based Wiston Estate has become the latest member of the Hallgarten family, joining a prestigious roll call of English wine producers including Coates & Seeley, Ridgeview and Simpsons Wine Estate.

WineGB urges government to remove ‘competitive disadvantage’ ahead of budget

Published: 17 October, 2024

With just two weeks remaining until the autumn Budget, WineGB has called on the UK government to prioritise the English and Welsh wine industry by reducing excise duty and offering targeted support to boost growth.

Vineyards become the fastest growing crop in England

Published: 11 October, 2023

Wine grapes are the fastest-growing edible agricultural crop sector for human consumption in England, it has been confirmed, with recent statistics from Defra putting the growth of vineyard hectarage in pole position.

Gusbourne sales up 25% in UK

Published: 28 September, 2023

Gusbourne, the premium English sparkling wine producer, has announced its unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June 2023, reflecting another solid performance for the company, and a boost for the English wine sector in general.

New look Wine GB leadership team looks to the future

Published: 05 September, 2023

Wine GB opened its annual tasting at Battersea Arts Centre this morning, with a briefing which sketched what the future might look like for the the UK’s homegrown wine industry.

Berkmann takes a deep dive into English wine

Published: 03 May, 2023

UK distributor Berkmann Wine Cellars has welcomed two new agencies into its expanding family of English wineries: Everflyht from Sussex and Hundred Hills from Oxfordshire.

Staffing the English vineyard boom

Published: 16 November, 2022

All too often in our industry lately, the word ‘staffing’ has been swiftly followed by ‘crisis’ – and for good reason. UK Hospitality estimates there are 170,000 unfilled jobs in hospitality (not including seasonal and casual workers) – a vacancy rate of 10%.

Football brings record English wine sales to Majestic

Published: 14 July, 2021

The last weekend of Euro 2020 saw record numbers of English wine bought at Majestic Wine, with the nation stocking up on homegrown bottles as the country geared up to the first major football final since 1966.

Along came Covid

Published: 30 June, 2021

Jo Gilbert examines whether the past year has helped or hindered the pre-Brexit narrative that leaving the EU would benefit sales of English and Welsh wine

Wine GB unveils 2021 award winners

Published: 24 June, 2021

Wine GB has unveiled the the winners of this year’s awards for which there was a record number of entries and first-time entrants from all over England and Wales.

English wines continue to go from strength to strength

Published: 21 June, 2021

Sales of English and Welsh wines increased by around 30% in 2020 over the previous year, according to the latest industry figures released by Wine GB.

Wine GB announces new chairman

Published: 01 June, 2021

Sam Linter, MD and head winemaker at Bolney Wine Estate, is to become Wine GB chairman replacing Simon Robinson.

Wine industry receives ‘positive support’ from Prentis

Published: 24 May, 2021

The English and Welsh wine industry gained "positive support" from the agriculture minister, Victoria Prentis, in a meeting between Wine GB and DEFRA officials, the industry’s body has said.