Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Pernod Ricard to digitise Malibutique experience

Published: 29 July, 2013

Pernod Ricard UK is introducing digital smartphone-enhanced technology to its Malibutique concept this summer.

Tesco exclusive for Jamie Oliver wine range

Published: 29 July, 2013

Tesco has teamed up with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to be the exclusive retailer for three wines from the Jamie's Italian restaurant group.

Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl take market share from Big Four

Published: 28 July, 2013

The Big Four supermarkets are under increasing pressure from both the hard discounters, Aldi and Lidl, and from mainstream rival Waitrose.

Wolf Blass signs up England and Aussie cricket stars

Published: 28 July, 2013

Leading Australian wine brand, Wolf Blass, helped bring together some of cricket's Ashes heroes of yesteryear at a special...

Dorchester hosts Louis X111 Cognac experience

Published: 27 July, 2013

Cognac lovers and aficionados should head to the Bar at the Dorchester hotel in London this week to see the Louis...

Cru Bourgeois 2011 wines to be revealed at London tasting

Published: 27 July, 2013

Wines selected from the 2011 vintage for Cru Bourgeois Médoc status will be shown for the first time to the trade at a special tasting in London on September 19.

Symington named Douro Personality of the Year

Published: 26 July, 2013

The Portuguese Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, presented Paul Symington the Douro Personality of the Year award at a ceremony earlier this week.

Croft Pink creates cocktail range to help promote new website

Published: 26 July, 2013

Croft Pink has launched a new website, croftpink.com, to try and further show consumers how Port can be drunk on different occasions and how well Croft Pink is suitable for cocktails.

Industry welcomes lower underage drinking figures

Published: 26 July, 2013

The drinks industry has largely welcomed the latest round of official figures that show a continued downward trend in the numbers of young people drinking in the UK.

Ceviche to open pop-up restaurant at Heathrow

Published: 26 July, 2013

Martin Morales of Peruvian restaurant Ceviche and Virgin Atlantic are joining forces to open the airline's first ever...

Bobby Chinn to bring Vietnamese cuisine to Soho

Published: 26 July, 2013

Bobby Chinn will bring his acclaimed Vietnamese cuisine to London's Soho this autumn as he opens House of...

Hayward Brothers and WWA to offer wider range

Published: 25 July, 2013

Hayward Brothers hopes its recent acquisition of fellow independent merchant distributor World Wine Agencies will help widen its collective reach among independent retailers and provide them with a greater selection of wines.

Cliff Roberson to open London's first urban winery

Published: 25 July, 2013

London Cru, set to be the first urban boutique winery in London, is busy preparing for harvest and getting ready to open its cellar doors to the public this November in central London.

Drinks writers run Ardbeg Half Marathon in memory of Alan Lodge

Published: 25 July, 2013

A team of over 20 drinks writers and representatives of Scottish whiksy distillery, Ardbeg, are to take part in the annual Islay Half Marathon on August 3 to help raise money for the National Brain Appeal in memory of Alan Lodge of The Spirits Business who died from a brain haemorrhage aged just 29 last year.

Syrian winery defies war to supply wine to European restaurants

Published: 24 July, 2013

Syrian winery, Domaine Bargylus, continues to go to extraordinary lengths to get its wines from a war zone to the elite wine lists of Europe.

Glenn Caton to quit Laithwaite's to join Cadbury's owner Mondel?z

Published: 24 July, 2013

Glenn Caton is to leave his postion as managing director of Laithwaite's Wine to join Mondel?z, owner of confectionery giant Cadbury's.

Bargain Booze's parent company to go public

Published: 24 July, 2013

Conviviality Retail, owner of Bargain Booze, is looking to raise between £60 million to £65 million in an initial public offering on July 31, 2013, on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Merchant Taste: Le Vignoble, Plymouth

Published: 19 July, 2013

Last year Frenchman Yannick Loué set up boutique wine lounge and merchants Le Vignoble in the historic Royal William Yard in Plymouth. Here's how it's all going.

Retailers enjoy sales boost as summer finally arrives

Published: 19 July, 2013

As the country basks in what has been a fortnight of hot weather, supermarkets and wine merchants have been reaping the rewards, with increased sales across the beers, wines and spirits category.

Raymond Blanc blown away by English wines

Published: 19 July, 2013

Michelin-starred French chef, Raymond Blanc, writes exclusively in this week's Harpers and harpers.co.uk about his love for English wine and how, at their best, they are now matching wine from his home country.