News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Cono Sur drops Western

Published: 23 July, 2008

Concha y Toro has taken back the sales and marketing of its Cono Sur brand after buying itself out of the distribution deal it had with Western Wines.

Ardbeg's latest special Committee bottling

Published: 23 July, 2008

Islay whisky producer Ardbeg has launched the latest in its series of special Committee bottlings. Young Uigeadail (Gallic for dark, mysterious place'), or Oogling', as it is also known, is a six-year-old whisky that is matured in Sherry butts.

Jefford and Atkin honoured

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tim Atkin MW and Andrew Jefford were both named as Wine Writer of the Year last week, with Atkin winning at the Glenfiddich Awards and Jefford at the Louis Roederer Awards.

EC wine review

Published: 23 July, 2008

The European Commission has announced that its long-awaited proposals for the reform of the European wine regime will be delivered on 21 June.

Turner leaves Tesco to open restaurant

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tesco buyer Sarah Turner and her husband, Gary, product development manager at Majestic Wine, are leaving the wine trade to set up a restaurant together.

Wine importers to deliver WSET courses to customers

Published: 23 July, 2008

Edinburgh-based distributor Wine Importers has been accredited by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust as a WSET Approved Programme Provider.

Taste-in launched

Published: 23 July, 2008

A new bespoke' wine tasting service utilising the services of Anthony Rose, Andrew Jefford, Oz Clarke, Robert Joseph, Steven Spurrier, Michael Broadbent and Charles Metcalfe has been launched by wine writer John Stimpfig and wine consultant Sophie Jump.

MW students' bursary

Published: 23 July, 2008

Second-year MW student Isabelle Legeron, a full-time wine educator from London, has been awarded the Association of Wine Educators (AWE) inaugural MW students' bursary. The bursary was made available to help self-funded MW students who are involved in wine education. Legeron plans on using the bursary to part-fund a trip to the wine regions of Australia.

Make Ramsay's a double Glenfiddich

Published: 23 July, 2008

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay proved that personality counts as he picked up two accolades at the recent Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards.

Cocktails in Clapham

Published: 23 July, 2008

Clapham's newest cocktail bar, restaurant and club has just been officially launched, with a 2.30am licence on Fridays and Saturdays.

New owner at Berkeley's, London

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Berkeley Square Restaurant and Bar has been purchased by the London & Henley Group.

Cocoa kiss from Hennessy

Published: 23 July, 2008

Hennessy Cognac has joined forces with The Vineyard at Stockcross, Berkshire and enlisted the help of head chef John Campbell and executive pastry chef Pierre Roelofs in launching a new on-trade training initiative aimed at exploiting the compatibility of chocolate and Cognac.

Peyton's regional cuisine

Published: 23 July, 2008

Oliver Peyton's latest London venture, The National Dining Rooms in The National Gallery, has introduced a County of the Month menu, designed to showcase the best of British food by region over the coming months.

Tracking the trends

Published: 23 July, 2008

Mayfair Connection announced the results of an independent study of the London restaurant trade conducted from January to April 2006 at the LIWSF.

A pound of beef and table for two

Published: 23 July, 2008

Dominic Ford, previously of Harvey Nichols, is setting up a new venture in Battersea, on the site of a former Caf Rouge.

Pubs and bars lose wine drinkers

Published: 23 July, 2008

Results from a recent on-trade survey conducted by research group Wine Intelligence, and presented at last week's London International Wine and Spirits Fair (LIWSF), have shown a decrease in the number of monthly wine consumers who drink in pubs and bars.

It's a WRAP

Published: 23 July, 2008

When it comes to recycling and waste minimalisation, the UK is the laggard of Europe', according to Andy Dawe, glass technology manager of the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Academy moves house

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Academy of Food and Wine Service moved into new and larger offices within the Hotel and Catering International Management Association's (HCIMA) building in Surrey earlier this month.

New owner for a Scottish treasure

Published: 23 July, 2008

Scottish restaurant The Peat Inn, famous for its extensive wine list, has been sold to Geoffrey Smeddle, currently head chef at Etain, Sir Terence Conran's fine dining restaurant in Glasgow.