Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

The New Zealand Cellar crowdfunds to raise money for first shop

Published: 07 April, 2015

Online retailer The New Zealand Cellars has launched a crowdfunding project to raise funds to open its first retail shop.

Q&A: Mission Estate's Giles James on toppling Cloudy Bay and looking beyond Sauvignon Blanc

Published: 31 March, 2015

Mission Estate, New Zealand's oldest winery, may not yet be the most familiar of brand names in the UK wine world, but it has just managed to topple Cloudy Bay from its position as best selling New Zealand wine in the on trade. Helen Arnold caught up with UK business development manager Giles James to discover how it was achieved.

New Zealand Winegrowers to host global events for Sauvignon Blanc Day

Published: 30 March, 2015

New Zealand Winegrowers Association is hosting a series of events to celebrate the sixth annual Sauvignon Blanc Day, which is set to be held on Frday 24 April.

Invivo half way to NZ$2m crowdfunding target after only one day of trading

Published: 20 March, 2015

New Zealand winery, Invivo Wines, raised over half its NZ$2 million target in a matter of hours after its crowdfunding campaign was opened for business yesterday.

New Zealand wine exports up, as premium grows in the UK

Published: 10 March, 2015

New Zealand's wine industry has seen exports grow 8.2% in the last year, hitting a record NZ$1.37 billion.

Invivo looks to raise close to £1m in first New Zealand wine crowdfunding venture

Published: 10 March, 2015

Invivo claims it will be the first New Zealand winery to launch an equity crowdfunding offer as it hopes to raise a maximum $2million NZD (just under £1 million) with the help of shareholders, including UK chat show host, Graham Norton, to spearhead its future growth.

Villa Maria launches lighter alcohol wine range

Published: 10 March, 2015

New Zealand winery Villa Maria is set to launch a lower abv wine range into the UK off-trade.

New Zealand wineries award first scholarship to UK MW student

Published: 24 February, 2015

A group of artisan wine producers in New Zealand have awarded their first MW scholarship to a UK-based wine writer.

England and New Zealand sparkling wines go head to head in a "Battle of the Bubbles"

Published: 23 February, 2015

Competition between English and New Zealand sparkling wine came to a head last week as the two countries tied in a blind-tasting organised to coincide with the Cricket World Cup.

New Zealand's Ara Wines moves to Bibendum PLB

Published: 18 February, 2015

Bibendum PLB has signed a deal as the exclusive UK distributor of Marlborough's Ara Wines - formerly supplied via Negociants UK.

'Painful moment' for Argentina's wine exporters, says Rabobank

Published: 17 February, 2015

Argentina's wine exporters are having a "painful moment" as fast-rising inflation rates make it unprofitable to ship goods, says Rabobank.

Yealands relaunches Hawke's Bay Crossroads with Enotria

Published: 16 February, 2015

Yealands Wine Group is moving is its Hawke's Bay Crossroads wines to Enotria from Mentzendorff to streamline UK distribution.

England and New Zealand's sparkling wines clash ahead of Cricket World Cup

Published: 11 February, 2015

The doyens of the English and New Zealand sparkling wine industry are ratcheting up the competition ahead of the Cricket World Cup with a blind taste off.

Tim Heath, senior winemaker of Cloudy Bay, talks about the challenges of making an iconic Sauvignon Blanc

Published: 06 February, 2015

Tim Heath, Cloudy Bay's straight-talking 38-year-old Aussie winemaker, talks about the challenges of producing one of the world's most iconic Sauvignons, his winemaking ethos - and his loathing of accountants.

Newly formed New Zealand Craft Beer Collective comes to the UK

Published: 05 February, 2015

The New Zealand Craft Beer Collective, a group of craft brewers that formed in mid-2014, will soon be imported and distributed in the UK.

Accolade sees its Mud House New Zealand wine brand go from 10K cases to 250k in a year

Published: 28 January, 2015

Mud House, the New Zealand wine brand, grew sales 2,500% in the last 12 months from 10,000 9 litre cases to a quarter of a million cases, according to figures released by brand owner Accolade Wines.

Justin Knock MW predicts trusted wine brands will make a comeback in 2015

Published: 23 January, 2015

Justin Knock MW, one of the partners behind the recent acquisition of wine merchant Philglas & Swiggot, and a consulting winemaker for Encirc Wines, sees wine brands making a comeback with consumers, Italy facing potential supply problems and questions whether New Zealand can keep its momentum going as hot topics to watch in 2015.

Justin Keay finds much to discover at London's annual New Zealand tasting

Published: 23 January, 2015

First impressions count for much and so it was this week at the 2015 Annual Wines of New Zealand Trade Tasting. The unremarkable, ever so slightly claustrophobic Lindley Hall - which seems to host almost all generic tastings these days - was absolutely packed; within seconds of grabbing my glass I found myself firmly wedged into a crowd that reminded me of my student days of catching public transport in India.

New Zealand to hold first international conference celebrating Sauvignon Blanc in 2016

Published: 22 January, 2015

New Zealand is launching an international conference celebrating its flagship grape variety - Sauvignon Blanc - which will take place in Marlborough in February 2016.

New Zealand wine producers 'excited' about 'rebalanced' UK market

Published: 20 January, 2015

Sauvignon Blanc continues to be the most popular variety in the UK and no other region is more synonymous with the aromatic grape variety than New Zealand, which continues to make inroads in the UK market.