News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Cono Sur hits the on-trade with Novum

Published: 23 July, 2008

Chilean winery Cono Sur has launched a new on-trade exclusive range in conjunction with Novum Wines, the wine company set up by former Oddbins buyer Steve Daniel.

Summit up

Published: 23 July, 2008

It has become a truism that the wine trade can't organise a knees-up in a winery.

Italian ex-cellar prices falling

Published: 23 July, 2008

As Italians begin muttering about abandoning the euro, news comes that the crisis in the wine sector is deepening. In May 2005, according to statistical researchers ISMEA, prices for wines at source fell 2.4%.

Hennessy goes to work

Published: 23 July, 2008

Hennessy Cognac is launching a series of workshops, or 'Friday Tonics', in key institutions around London in an effort to educate new consumers about Cognac.

Mumm launches Grand Cru

Published: 23 July, 2008

Champagne GH Mumm launched its long-awaited NV Grand Cru cuve onto the UK market at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's in London on 10 June.

New head for Castel UK

Published: 23 July, 2008

astel Frres has appointed Anne Burchett, the former UK head of Loire giant Vinival, to the new role of managing director for Castel UK.

German Wine Bible in English

Published: 23 July, 2008

Happily we have not had to wait as long for an English translation of the German Wine Bible' as John Wycliffe and his followers had to wait for an English version of the Gospel.

New Sangiovese clones

Published: 23 July, 2008

The newly unified Consorzio Chianti Classico released the results of its Project 2000 viticultural study last week and also launched its new logo and UK marketing campaign.

Fistonich honoured

Published: 23 July, 2008

George Fistonich, founder and managing director of New Zealand's Villa Maria Group, has received one of his country's highest honours by being made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

FWD conference call

Published: 23 July, 2008

Rogue traders are decimating the businesses of legitimate licensed wholesalers and cash and carries, according to the chairman of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD), Rodney Hunt.

Majestic posts 24% rise in profits

Published: 23 July, 2008

Wine-by-the-case specialist Majestic Wine has posted another year of record pre-tax profits - up 23.9% to 13.2 million.

Coyle quits Oddbins

Published: 23 July, 2008

Lynne Coyle, the last member of the pioneering team of buyers who between them made Oddbins the most exciting of the multiple specialists during the nineties, has quit the retailer.

PLB gets a Sicilian

Published: 23 July, 2008

Sicilian producer Firriato is to be reunited with Australian flying winemaker Kym Milne MW after PLB snapped up the agency from current UK importer - and Milne's former employer - Italvini (part of WaverleyTBS).

Still life

Published: 23 July, 2008

Anjou-Saumur extends from 60km west of Angers to 15km east of Saumur, from Durtal in the north to Thouars in the south. Touraine abuts Anjou-Saumur in the west and reaches Blois in the north-east, Saint-Aignan in the south-east. Together they include 39 appellations, ranging in degree of familiarity from Vouvray to Cour-Cheverny.

US direct shipping shake-out

Published: 23 July, 2008

In the wake of the US Supreme Court's decision on direct sales between wine producers and consumers (see Harpers, 20 May), the focus of activity has shifted to individual state legislatures.

WSET confirms move date

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) begins moving to its new home, the International Wine & Spirit Centre, on 10 June.

Geoffrey Roberts award helps Sri Lanka

Published: 23 July, 2008

The 2005 Geoffrey Roberts Award, an annual international travel bursary worth 3,000 (US$6,000) and named after the UK's New World wine pioneer, has been won by Mary Taylor of New Zealand.

Local Flavour

Published: 23 July, 2008

Sardinia's wine represents a growing industry. Its producers are an interesting mingle of small, traditional growers, cooperatives and medium to large private estates. They range from the 3.5ha, 3,000-bottle estate of Giovanni Battista Columbu's Malvasia di Bosa DOC near Nuoro (featured in the documentary film Mondovino) to Sella & Mosca's industrial 650ha, seven million-bottle production.

Lay & Wheeler sets up agency arm

Published: 23 July, 2008

Fine wine merchant Lay & Wheeler has moved its agency portfolio into a new company, Select Vineyards Agency Company.

From the heights of Mont Blanc to the depth of Inferno

Published: 23 July, 2008

Italy's smallest wine-producing region, Valle d'Aosta, an autonomous Alpine province where French-style architectural features predominate, is not only the site of Europe's highest vineyards, but also home to a broad spectrum of indigenous varieties that are usually blended to produce distinctive DOC cuves.