Category Reports - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Singling out malt

Published: 29 January, 2018

Despite the premium gin and Japanese whisky assault, single malt Scotch is riding high in a market driven by exploration. Tom Bruce-Gardyne reports

How low can you go?

Published: 22 January, 2018

Low- or no-alcohol products are no longer resigned to Dry January. Jo Gilbert reports on how waistband- and hangover-friendly alternatives are fast becoming one of 2018’s top trends

Rum revolution

Published: 11 December, 2017

With rum attracting younger consumers than other spirits, Nigel Huddleston considers its growing appeal

Extremadura Cava producers challenge Catalonia in fight for further planting rights

Published: 22 November, 2017

Cava producers in Extremadura, South West Spain, are fighting a move from the Spanish government to ban further plantings of Cava grapes until beyond 2020.

Cava de Paraje ambitions announced with lofty London launch

Published: 21 November, 2017

The apex of The City’s Gherkin building provided a suitably swish setting for the UK launch of the new Cava de Paraje Calificado on Monday, signalling the quality-focused ambition of Penedes leading sparkling winemakers.

Crémant upping the pressure

Published: 14 November, 2017

The love of sparkling has led to a spike in production in the Crémant de Bordeaux AOC and others around France. Jo Gilbert reports

Trade prepares for premium push on Christmas wines

Published: 30 October, 2017

For most in the drinks world Christmas trade – the eight weeks or so leading up to the nation’s fuzzy wake-up call on January 1 – is a crucial period in the annual sales calendar.

Whisky Galore

Published: 07 August, 2017

First the bad news – on March 8, Chancellor Philip Hammond hit UK spirits with a near 4% hike in duty pushing the tax on the average bottle of Scotch to an eye-watering 79%. Having scrapped the duty escalator in 2014, followed by a cut the year after and then a freeze, this unexpected blow from “Spreadsheet Phil” provoked fury among distillers. “It is staggering that the Prime Minister stood up in Scotland on Friday [March 3] and said that Scotch whisky is ‘a truly great Scottish and British industry’ … and just five days later the Chancellor hammers this industry at home,” thundered Charles Ireland, managing director of Diageo GB.

The cava conundrum

Published: 27 July, 2017

Spain’s famous fizz needs some imaginative thinking to return its sparkle, argues James Lawrence

Generation Sake

Published: 14 June, 2017

A wave of young brewers are shaking things up in sake, increasing its popularity with a new generation  in Japan and internationally.  Anna Greenhous reports

Solera supping

Published: 08 May, 2017

From oldster tipple to hipster hooch, sherry seems to have missed out on the mainstream, says Henry Jeffreys

Wine buying hits shoppers' sweet spots at the multiples

Published: 28 March, 2017

High levels of shopper-satisfaction and the willingness of consumers to linger in the wine aisle, are presenting opportunities to engage the customer and drive trade-up sales, a new supermarket study has suggested.

Industry bodies welcome the European Commission's 'nutritional labelling 'invite'

Published: 13 March, 2017

Industry bodies have welcomed the European Commission's invite to the alcohol industry to develop a self-regulatory nutritional labeling proposal.

Sales of bourbon predicted to explode in the UK over next five years

Published: 03 March, 2017

Sales of bourbon could rival those of Scotch in the UK over the next five to ten years new data has shown.

Shop Rioja

Published: 02 March, 2017

he month of October is quickly becoming synonymous with Shop Rioja - Wines from Rioja's month-long promotion which brings the full diversity and dynamism of Spain's foremost wine region to the UK's independent retailers.

Industry calls for beers, wines and spirits duty cuts - but who will get what?

Published: 07 February, 2017

Voices across the trade are speaking out this week against "crippling" levels of alcohol duty in the UK - where consumers pay a quarter of all EU spirits tax.

Resurrected Western Wines concept focuses on post-referendum opportunities for UK bottling

Published: 02 February, 2017

The family behind the now defunct Western Wines is re-launching part of its business model to export South African bulk to wine to the UK.

Craft challenge

Published: 11 January, 2017

Gone are the days when all the consumer had to choose between was a can on the supermarket shelf or cask ale from the pub. This has everything to do with the craft beer movement, which – fuelled by the flexibility and creativity afforded to small brewers, an explosion of flavours in hops from the New World and the proliferation of alternative formats – has taken not just the beer but the entire drinks industry by storm in recent years.