The week that was

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 02 February, 2018

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Top Stories: Conviviality started off the week with a bumper set of trading results.

Sales at the distribution giant surged yet again by 9.2% to £836.3m in the 26 weeks to October 29 2017 thanks in part to 1,408 new on trade accounts, including new long term contracts with Stonegate Pub Co, JD Wetherspoon and a 10-year wine supply deal with 339 Wadworth pubs.

We also reported from Hallgarten’s tasting where there was a “major push revisiting the classic French regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne”, plus the new listing of wines from Macedonia, and a whole range of new wines from Spain among a fresh line up.

Catch up with more from Richard Billett, managing director of MMD – the UK office of Louis Roederer – Enotria & Coe and more on the links below.

Movers and shaker: A number of key appointments happened across the wine and spirits world this week, ranging from Burgundy, where organic winemaker François Labet and Louis-Fabrice Latour became co-presidents of the BVIB, to Gemma Gowers who took on the role of as CFO and company secretary at Cult Wines, taking over from David Main.

Analysis and Insights: This week Anne Krebiehl MW looked at how New Zealand’s unsullied image and premium focus is widening its quality appeal.

And despite the premium gin and Japanese whisky assault, Tom Bruce-Gardyne found that single malt Scotch is riding high in a market driven by exploration.

People and Opinion: This week columnist Jerry Lockspeiser asked the question we’ve all been wondering: what wine would you drink in an igloo?

And super-somm and private members’ wine club buyer Ronan Sayburn MS talked shop with Andrew Catchpole

Printer friendly version