Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Retail industry boosted by strong spring and Easter sales

Published: 24 April, 2014

Overall retail sales continue to grow strongly and will pick up further in May, according to the CBI's latest monthly Distributive Trades Survey.

Kingsland Wine & Spirits ditches Legacy name

Published: 24 April, 2014

Manchester-based Kingsland Wine & Spirits and Legacy Wines will now be known as Kingsland after stakeholders called for the name to be simplified.

Enotria recruits Troy Christensen as chief executive as Alison Levett leaves

Published: 24 April, 2014

Ex-Accolade Wines boss Troy Christensen is taking up the role of chief executive at Enotria, following Alison Levett's departure.

Broadland Wineries opens flexible bottling line

Published: 22 April, 2014

Broadland Wineries has opened a new bottling line in a bid to offer customers greater flexibility with smaller orders, bottle sizes and formats.

CyT's Trivento grows by 200% in off-trade

Published: 17 April, 2014

Concha y Toro's Argentinian brand Trivento has grown by more than 200% in value in the past year, moving into the top five Argentinian wine brands in the UK.

International Brands in £750k marketing push

Published: 16 April, 2014

International Brands is investing £750,000 into marketing in 2014, with a push on South African wine Makulu and its Broadleaf range.

Félix Solís plans for "sizeable" UK growth

Published: 15 April, 2014

Félix Solís has "ambitious growth plans" for the UK and will focus on its northern Spanish appellation wines, international varieties and core brands to deliver it.

'No compelling reason to buy' Bordeaux 2013, say merchants

Published: 10 April, 2014

Merchants have so far sold very little, if any, Bordeaux 2013 wines, as collectors lack any compelling reason to buy.

Online debate: how different channels are changing the digital landscape of wine online

Published: 10 April, 2014

We all know the importance of communicating and retailing online, but how effective is it? Harpers hosted an "Online Debate" featuring retailers and online specialists at PLB's independent merchants' roadshow in Manchester last month and found supermarkets, independents and even drink apps are changing the digital landscape of wine online.

Liberty Wines recruits commercial director

Published: 08 April, 2014

Liberty Wines has recruited Jon Worsley as commercial director to boost the company's premium position.

UK trade still finds Bordeaux 2013 wines to buy

Published: 07 April, 2014

After much criticism ahead of the 2013 en primeur tastings, it seems that many UK merchants have been undeterred by negative press and plan to buy and sell this year's wines.

?Growth of private label wines overtakes brands in multiples

Published: 04 April, 2014

Growth of private label wines is outpacing branded wines, and now accounts for over one-third of wines on offer across the major retailers.

Interview: John Osborne's sets out his vision for PLB

Published: 04 April, 2014

It may only have been three months since John Osborne became PLB's managing director, but it's a role he has been working towards his entire career. He talks about the challenges and opportunities facing him, PLB and the industry.

Senior wine critics call for en primeur "sham" to be overhauled

Published: 04 April, 2014

Two of wine's most-respected wine critics have called for urgent reform of Bordeaux's en primeur system, describing it, in turn, as a "con" a "sham" and a system that the trade and investors have "lost faith in".

Morgenrot launches bee-saving wine at M&B

Published: 03 April, 2014

Manchester-based importer Morgenrot has teamed up with Mitchells & Butlers to launch Planetbee, a South African Chenin Blanc, which is donating money from each sale to safeguard the bee population.

Viñalba launches Malbec and Cabernet blend

Published: 03 April, 2014

Argentinian wine brand Viñalba has launched Reservado Fifty 50, a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Quintessential acquires First Ireland cream liqueurs firm

Published: 03 April, 2014

Quintessential Brands has acquired First Ireland Spirits Company, Ireland's largest independent producer of Irish cream liqueurs, in a multi-million euro deal.