Producers - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

United Wine Growers launches first brand

Published: 07 December, 2020

United Wine Growers has taken the plunge with the launch of its first brand.

Joint Harpers-NZ webinar to examine myths and facts around sea-shipping emissions

Published: 07 December, 2020

With food miles increasingly under scrutiny, Harpers is partnering with New Zealand Winegrowers to host a webinar looking into misconceptions surrounding the sustainability or otherwise of transporting wines across the world’s oceans.

New Zealand wine exports reach NZ$2 billion

Published: 26 November, 2020

International demand for New Zealand wine has surged over the past decade, with total export value now reaching a record-breaking NZ$2 billion in 2020.

Beaujolais Nouveau producers ‘forced’ to make hand sanitiser

Published: 23 November, 2020

Producers of Beaujolais Nouveau have been left with no choice but to turn part of their crop into pure alcohol, it has been reported, after exports of wine from the region fell during the first nine months of the year.

Diageo launches ambitious ten-year sustainability plan

Published: 23 November, 2020

Global drinks giant Diageo has launched a new ten-year sustainability action plan featuring a range of goals involving environment issues, diversity and inclusion, and moderate drinking initiatives.

IXSIR powers through Lebanon challenges to declare healthy vintage

Published: 16 November, 2020

Leading Lebanese winery IXSIR is reporting a “healthy” 2020 vintage, despite the harvest beginning within days of the deadly explosion that rocked Beirut and increasing Covid-19 restrictions.

Calabria acquires three wine brands from Henkell Freixenet

Published: 12 November, 2020

Calabria Family Wines has acquired a trio of Australian wine brands – Deakin Estate, La La Land and Azahara, from Wingara Wine Group [part of Henkell Freixenet], for an undisclosed sum.

Villa Maria looks to sell surplus land as part of global growth ambitions

Published: 05 November, 2020

Leading New Zealand estate Villa Maria has announced it is aiming to sell 31 ha of surplus land surrounding its headquarters in Mangere, Auckland, and is exploring raising capital to accelerate growth plans worldwide.

CyT thrives in Q3 despite pandemic

Published: 02 November, 2020

Net profits at Chilean wine giant Viña Concha y Toro have risen 54% in the third quarter, the company has announced, with EBITDA growing 53%.

Friday Read: Monoculture wars – the vineyards killing ecosystems

Published: 30 October, 2020

In Napa, John Williams, winemaker and the owner of Frogs Leap, is a winemaker in the minority. Around 6-7% of his land is devoted to crops other than vines. It’s a move that makes him stick out like a sore thumb surrounded by Rutherford’s rolling valleys where there’s barely a fruit tree in sight. In a region where a single hectare costs on average $1m, why devote a single plot to anything else?

Bacardi debuts biodegradable bottle

Published: 21 October, 2020

Bacardi has unveiled plans to develop the “world’s most eco-friendly spirits bottle” which will biodegrade in 18 months.

Wine GB launches industry hallmark for classic method wines

Published: 15 October, 2020

Wine GB has announced its first ever collective campaign for producers in England and Wales, including a hallmark to help to differentiate English and Welsh PDO sparkling wines made using the “time and craft-intensive classic method”.

Low and no sales on the rise

Published: 07 September, 2020

Sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks are up 30% year-on-year in the off-trade, with consumer spend on alcohol-free spirits hitting £5.4m, according to data from Nielsen.

The Wine Society launches initiative to support ‘key’ growers

Published: 03 September, 2020

The Wine Society has launched a campaign to support some of its key growers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sales at Pernod Ricard slump post-Covid

Published: 02 September, 2020

Organic sales at Pernod Ricard fell 9.5% as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the company has reported, with revenues for the year to 30 June reaching €8.5bn.

Jolie-Pitts debut rosé Champagne

Published: 01 September, 2020

The march of celebrity backed wine brands into mainstream consciousness continues with the launch of Fleur de Miraval, a new collaboration with former Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and the Péters family in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Brewdog teases Bad Beer Vodka as brewer celebrates carbon negativity

Published: 24 August, 2020

Beer powerhouse Brewdog is continuing to pave the way for sustainable action as it teases the launch of a zero waste vodka made from brews which are not quite in spec or too old to sell.

California Wine country eludes Hennessy fire

Published: 20 August, 2020

California’s wine country has so far been spared the wrath of the latest wildfires, which broke out in the northern part of the state on Monday.

On ‘Clean’ wine – ambiguity among the vines

Published: 20 August, 2020

Wine is an odd consumable. It’s a drug, it isn’t legally required to list ingredients, and it’s often described with vague, ambiguous terms. In the wake of the natural wine movement and the age of ‘wellness’, it was just a matter of time until a brand tried to hoodwink us. Quickest to the mark were Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power with ‘clean wine’, Avaline.

Relief as gin spared from US tariff hikes, but battle for Scotch continues

Published: 13 August, 2020

The US has backed down on its threat to expand a 16-year old trade fight with the European Union to impose tariffs on gin – a move which would have been “hugely detrimental” for the British alcohol industry.