London distillery Sipsmith launches Sipping Vodka

Traditional London distillery Sipsmith has launched Sipping Vodka, made from English wheat.

Australian wine legend, Doug Lehmann, dies a year after his father Peter

Doug Lehmann, one of the charismatic figures in the Australian wine trade, has died over the weekend aged 62.

British Airways pilot and flight attendant wife team to open Salut Wines in Manchester

A British Airways pilot and his first class flight attendant wife hope their new wine merchants, Salut Wine, which opens in Manchester in August,  will help keep their feet firmly on the floor with what they claim will have the largest Enomatic machine installation in the city. 

Ben Smith, CYT UK, World Cup Memories: Gazza, Nessun Dorma and The Cure

Things are hotting up down in Brazil as the World Cup is now well in to its knock-out phase. As the tensions mount over the next fortnight, Harpers will be turning to key people in the trade to look back and pick out their favourite World Cup memories.

Major global speakers lined up for Wine Vision 2014

An international line up of major global wine players is being built up for the second Wine Vision event, being run in association with Harpers, in London between November 17 and 19.

IWC 2014 sake finalists to appear at specialist London tasting

The UK drinks trade will get the chance to taste potentially award winning and champion sakes from the 2014 International Wine Challenge at a special tasting to be held at the Embassy of Japan on July 17. 

Copestick Murray strengthens overall team as Rachel Archer moves to Off Piste Wines

Copestick Murray has announced a number of staff changes that sees it strengthen its national accounts, sales and marketing teams, but at the same time it has lost I Heart brand manager, Rachel Archer, who is taking up a new role at Off Piste Wines.

UK wine buyers more cautious to try new ideas than in Europe says Origin's Bernard Fontannaz

It is easier to convince retail buyers in Europe to take on new wine ideas and designs than it is in the UK, according to Bernard Fontannaz, founder of Origin Wines.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have done a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Alain Ducasse sommelier wins first Wines of Portugal Wine Quest competition

Dorian Guillon, assistant head sommelier at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, has won the inaugural Wines of Portugal Wine Quest 2014 competition set up to help spread the word about Portuguese wine amongst UK's leading sommeliers.

Keep those dreams alive with Harpers World Cup Memories

England may be out of the World Cup but there is still plenty to enjoy from the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Here we start a new series of World Cup Memories where we ask people across the trade to share their best memories from World Cups down the line. If you would like to take part then simply email richard.siddle@wrbm.com with your answers to the questions below.

Glenfiddich rolls out £2m global ad campaign to push its family roots

Glenfiddich is to spend £2 million on a new global advertising campaign focused on celebrating and promoting its 126 years of family-owned independence.

Share your views on London Wine Fair 2014 with us

London Wine Fair's return to Kensington Olympia got an overwhelming thumbs up from the wine trade, with visitor numbers up 11% on last year, but we're looking for the lowdown.

New £4m Cotswolds distillery prepares to kick off whiskey production

Fine wine investors looking to pawn collections, says high end dealer

A high end London pawnbroker says wealthy clients are increasingly looking to pawn their fine wine collections to access cash, and that for him, fine wine is the top-performing luxury asset.

Valentino Monticello, sommelier and acclaimed artist, has died

Provence's Ventoux is 'about more than entry-level co-op table wines', says winemaker

Provence's Ventoux region has more to offer than entry-level co-operative grown table wines, and quality rivals its Côtes du Rhône neighbours, claims a winemaker from the region.

Chilean winemakers see overall production down 15-20%

Chilean winemakers are suffering losses of up to 15% on their red wine volumes caused by vine damage, coming after frost decimated white grapes by up to 55%. Mario Pablo Silva, managing director of Chile's Casa Silva winery, said the frost had two different impacts - decimating white grapes and damaging vines in longer term leading to lower volumes of red grapes. 

Penfolds to push back Bin, Icon and Luxury wines to one combined release in October

BrewDog opens Florence bar

Scotland's most infamous brewers' BrewDog are set to open their latest craft beer bar - this time in Florence - later this month.