News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Beam set to blaze a trail

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Christian Davis
Beam Global Spirits & Wine is aiming to become a top-three global spirits and super-premium wine company, which will mean growth rates of 20% over the next 10 years.

Speculation that Fortune could be subject of break up bid

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Ron Emler
The trend for international companies to focus on single sectors is focusing attention on the American conglomerate Fortune Brands. Following its participation in the takeover and break-up of Allied Domecq with Pernod Ricard last year, analysts are suggesting it could suffer the same fate.

Bordeaux gets its own vin de pays- de L'Atlantique

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Dawn Cran
Vins de Pays wines will be allowed in Bordeaux for the first time, following the recent introduction of a new appellation for the departments of Dordogne, Gironde, Charente, Charente Maritime and the north of the Lot-et-Garonne.

New Age Discrimination Act: most important employment legislation

Published: 23 July, 2008

In potentially the greatest single change in employment law for a decade, controversial new legislation came into force last Sunday (1 October) prohibiting discrimination against employees and job applicants on the grounds of their age.

Uvine into administration; MD declared bankrupt

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Stuart Peskett
Uvine, the wine exchange company that acts as an intermediary for the buying and selling of wine, went into administration on Tuesday - with its MD, Christopher Burr MW, declared bankrupt.

IMW to auction 400 top wines at Christie's

Published: 23 July, 2008

Nearly 400 of the world's most expensive wines are being donated by members of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) for two auctions.

Life's a beach for relaunched Barramundi

Published: 23 July, 2008

Barramundi, the Australian winery owned by Evans & Tate, has been relaunched with totally new packaging and a refreshed' range of varietals.

William Grant & Sons takes full control of First Drinks Brands

Published: 23 July, 2008

Bacardi Martini Ltd has sold its 50% share in distribution company First Drinks Brands to independent distiller William Grant & Sons.

Diageo rapped by advert watchdog

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Stuart Peskett
Two alcopop manufacturers have been criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ruled that their respective ad campaigns appealed to under-18s.

Tagus Creek wins Poppy Appeal deal

Published: 23 July, 2008

Portuguese brand Tagus Creek is to bear The Royal British Legion's poppy logo until the end of 2007.

Profile on Paul Henry of the AWBC: 'Henry bosses the Aussies' - by Tony Keys

Published: 23 July, 2008

Young family, new job, rising star within his chosen field. All of these are applicable to Paul Henry, who took over the role of general manager market development at the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC) in April this year.

New on-trade ambassador for the wines of Chile

Published: 23 July, 2008

As part of a new drive to increase shelf space for Chilean wines in the UK on-trade, Wines of Chile sponsored a 2006 Travel Award for the Academy of Food and Wine Services.

News special: IWC's wine fault analysis

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Paul White - Anyone who has watched the wine closure debate closely over the past few years will have noticed the almost complete absence of objective statistics available to tell us how corks, synthetics and screwcaps actually behave in real-world conditions.

Arbutus steals the show... twice

Published: 23 July, 2008

Arbutus in Soho has been voted London's Best New Restaurant by two separate sources in quick succession.

Magners dumped by All Bar One

Published: 23 July, 2008

The 40-strong All Bar One chain, owned by Mitchell's and Butler, has announced that Magners has been dropped as its bottled cider brand from mid-September 2006 in favour of Aspall's bottled Draught Suffolk Cyder.

Four new openings for Peyton

Published: 23 July, 2008

Following on from the successful launch of the National Dining Rooms at The National Gallery in London earlier this year, Oliver Peyton has launched three more London ventures this September, with a further opening planned for October.

WSET supports Fifteen wine scholarship

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) contributed to the second year of Fifteen restaurant's wine scholarship by enabling Goliat Booysen, trainee winemaker at Cloof Wine Estate, to return to South Africa with an intermediate certificate.

Wine and art at Tate

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tate Entertaining and Matthew Jukes are joining forces for the second year running to provide an evening of wine, art and food at the Tate Modern on Thursday 5 October.

Pallini for everyone

Published: 23 July, 2008

Frankie's Italian Bar and Grill - the chain of restaurants from Marco Pierre White and Frankie Dettori - has started campaign to reward its customers by offering each diner a complimentary glass of Pallini Limoncello after their meal.

Wine for hospital

Published: 23 July, 2008

Berry Bros & Rudd has branched out into hospital care and introduced a fine wine list to sit alongside the sophisticated' food menus at King Edward VII's Hospital in London.