News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

The new wave

Published: 23 July, 2008

The EU continues to loom large over the wine industries across central and eastern Europe, or new Europe' as most producers would prefer the region to be called.

The UK and Ireland continue to buck the trend in Western Europe as, in spite of relatively high alcohol prices and taxation in comparison with most of Europe, they consume alcohol with increasing relish.

Time and Tide

Published: 23 July, 2008

As a stunt it backfired horribly. Sitting on the beach one depressing day in the early eleventh century, King Cnut was attempting to show that man couldn't turn back the tide, whereas history unkindly remembers him as having tried to do precisely the opposite.

Re-brand Australia

Published: 23 July, 2008

It's late April in Adelaide, the sun is beating down on the Australian Wine Centre with an intensity almost unheard of in what should be an autumnal month, and, inside his air-conditioned office, Jonathan Scott, general manager of the Australian Wine Export Council (AWEC), is looking genuinely excited.

Malt whisky kills' cancer

Published: 23 July, 2008

A new report released in Glasgow at the EuroMedLab 2005 Focus on the Patient' Conference, claims that whisky prevents cancer.

Possible new solution to TCA-infected corks

Published: 23 July, 2008

Portugal's cork research institute (CTCOR) is claiming it has developed a possible solution to the TCA cork-taint problem.

French distillation backed by EU

Published: 23 July, 2008

The EU has made the long-awaited decision to allow European producers - most notably in France and Spain - to undertake a crisis distillation' of millions of hectolitres (hl) of table wine.

Liberty for Berkmann's Bewes

Published: 23 July, 2008

Leading UK agency house Liberty Wines has appointed two high-profile members of the wine trade to its team - Andrew Bewes and Gary Wyatt.

Graham's launches ageless The Tawny'

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Symington Family Port Group is looking to shake-up the Aged Tawny Port market with the release of its latest wine - Graham's The Tawny.

Myliko SA joint venture

Published: 23 July, 2008

Myliko Wines has entered into a joint venture with South African producer Tinus Broodryk.

United they stand

Published: 23 July, 2008

Robin Fedden, travelling in Syria and Lebanon at the end of the Second World War, offers this advice to thirsty travellers in his travel book Syria and Lebanon: Quite good wine is made in certain parts of the Lebanon, particularly in the Bk'aa [sic] Valley, in the neighbourhood of Chtaura. It is relatively cheap. On the other hand, most of the wine in the out-of-the-way villages is hardly recognisable as such, and is best avoided.'

The Interview - Simon Berry, Chairman, Berry Bros & Rudd, London

Published: 23 July, 2008

How old is Berry Bros & Rudd?
It was founded 307 years ago on the current site on St James's Street. The problem with being this old is that people think we are dinosaurs and assume that the company has never changed. But in fact the only reason any long-established company manages to survive is that it never stops changing. Change is something that family businesses actually do very well, although they are not very conscious of it. As new generations come into the business they tend to rebel, but because they have grown up with the culture of the company they also have a natural understanding of what makes it special. But you need a balance between family and non-family management, who will counteract the family tendency to say, 'We are going to do it like this because we have done it this way for 150 years.'

From Mentzendorff to Manchester

Published: 23 July, 2008

Vicky Steel has joined the Co-op's BWS team as category marketing manager.

Debate speakers

Published: 23 July, 2008

A host of special guests are to speak at this year's Harpers LIWSF debate.

Sir Cliff Richard returns to Harpers stand at LIWSF

Published: 23 July, 2008

Pop legend Sir Cliff Richard will be making an appearance on the Harpers stand (K10) at this year's LIWSF to launch the new vintages of his Vida Nova Wine from Portugal.

Dunn Connects

Published: 23 July, 2008

Paul Dunn, former commercial director at International Wine
Services and general manager for Miranda Wines in the UK and Europe, is setting up a new business venture, offering a bespoke service to wineries in the UK and Europe' named Connect Wine.

2005 vintage in Oz a record tonnage

Published: 23 July, 2008

Early estimates for the 2005 Australian vintage point to a record tonnage of 1.97 million tonnes, adding further to supply pressures, including whites for the first time.

Veneto wine fraud leads to address

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Pinot-Grigio-that-isn't saga continues. Italy's most popular and most fiddled white wine is once again at the centre of a scandal - as is presumably inevitable where demand for a product so far outstrips supply.

Cockburn's declares

Published: 23 July, 2008

Cockburn Smithes has announced that it will be declaring both Cockburn's 2003 Vintage and Cockburn's Quinta dos Canais 2003 Single Quinta Vintage - meaning that all the major Port houses have now declared.