Wine and spirits companies urged to tweet out their support for a Drop in Duty

Today Harpers is repeating its call to all wine and spirits producers around the globe that are frustrated by the high alcohol duty levels in the UK to put their name and voice behind the industry's Drop the Duty campaign and raise the issue with the Chancellor, George Osborne.

Rhone wine brand Les Dauphins expands to US

Rhône wine brand Les Dauphins will launch in over 40 US states this spring, marking the opening of its 25^th export market.

Australian Vintage pulls back from bulk to focus on branded wine in UK

Australian Vintage is pulling back from bulk wine sales in the UK to focus on its core branded range as prices sink.

Chile's Cono Sur extends Tour de France partnership

Concha y Toro's Cono Sur brand has signed up as official wine of the cycling race the Tour de France for the next three years.

March for Independents: new online and EU labelling regulations for merchants

There is a whole raft of legislation that retailers need to be on top to make sure they are on top what are termed as "distance sales", wine lawyer Andrew Park advises.   

Pernod Ricard shakes up Havana Club rum's look and recipe

March for Independents: keep on top of waste packaging and avoid big fines

Today as part of the March for the Independents campaign we turn the spotlight on waste packaging. Not the most glamorous of topics but if you are an independent wine merchant, importing or distributing wine then you need to make sure you are compliant with your recycling oblilgations or risk potentially crippling fines.

Yealands relaunches Hawke's Bay Crossroads with Enotria

Yealands Wine Group is moving is its Hawke's Bay Crossroads wines to Enotria from Mentzendorff to streamline UK distribution.

Bibendum sets aggressive integration target, but postpones move

Bibendum PLB has been working towards an aggressive six month integration target, but has decided to postpone plans to move to a new London location at least for the short term.

Armit Wines boosts Tuscan portfolio with Fattoria Le Pupille

Armit Wines, UK distributor for a host of Italy's icon wines, has added southern Tuscany's Fattoria Le Pupille to its portfolio.

Calling on wine and spirits producers around the world to back Drop the Duty campaign

Today Harpers is calling on wine and spirits producers around the world concerned about the high alcohol duty levels in the UK to get involved in the Drop the Duty campaign and have their voice heard by the Chancellor, George Osborne.

London's premium on-trade wine market growing 18% per year

The market for top wines is growing at a rate of 18.4% by value in London restaurants, against a backdrop of declining wine sales in the on-trade overall, down 9.3% by value for the year to July 2014.

Flint Wines takes on Tim Mondavi's Napa estate Continuum

Flint Wines has expanded its US wine selection by becoming the exclusive UK agent for Tim Mondavi's Napa estate, Continuum.

Bibendum PLB says data insights vital to trading with multiples

Bibendum PLB says its "bird's eye view' of the UK market marks it out as a unique player in offering consumer behaviour data to customers in this increasingly tough multiple retailer environment.

MPs back Drop the Duty campaign by taking trade's duty call to the Chancellor

MPs across the country are starting to respond to independent wine merchants and members of the wider wine and spirits industry who have contacted them through the Drop the Duty campaign calling on them to lobby the Chancellor for a 2% duty cut in the March Budget.

Stevens Garnier rebrands to Sogrape and ups on-trade focus

Wine supplier Stevens Garnier is ditching its old name in favour of Sogrape, that of its Portuguese parent company, and has vowed to hone in on the UK's on-trade in 2015.

Cambridge Wine's Hal Wilson urges independents to lobby their MP for duty cut

Following yesterday's call by Harpers to independent wine merchants to play their part in the industry wide campaign to convince the Chancellor to issue a duty cut on wine and spirits in his March Budget, leading independent Hal Wilson of Cambridge Wine Merchants today explains why he has personally lobbied his local MP, the Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert, and urges other merchants to do the same.

US 'most attractive' market for premium wine producers, says Rabobank

The United States is the "most attractive major market" for producers targeting premium wine sales, says the latest report from Rabobank.

Action Week 2: Call to indies to lobby local MP and media for a Drop in Duty

Harpers is today calling on independent wine merchants across the UK to lobby both their MP and local media to back the Drop the Duty campaign and help raise the profile of their business on this key business issue.

Supermarkets special report: Why less is more

As the UK's major multiples look to pare back their wine and spirit ranges in order to boost performance and compete with discounters, Gemma McKenna asks what this new direction will mean for the rest of the trade