News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

The Drinks Trust gains Quintessential Brands as supporter

Published: 16 October, 2020

Quintessential Brands has signed up to support The Drinks Trust, marking the spirits company’s first official UK charity partner.

WSET announces initiative in support of Scottish hospitality

Published: 16 October, 2020

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has launched a joint initiative in partnership with The Mixing Glass to support Scottish hospitality workers during the current two-week lockdown.

UKH: ‘£40m Scottish pot not enough’

Published: 16 October, 2020

UK Hospitality (UKH) has warned that the £40m pot of financial support provided by the Scottish government is not enough to keep the hospitality industry alive.

End of EOHO and 10pm curfew cause sales set-back

Published: 16 October, 2020

On-trade group sales fell back significantly in September after August’s Eat Out To Help Out (EOHO) boost and the introduction of the 10pm curfew, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Tim Atkin MW on Chile: ‘Bonkers’ wines from exceptional climates

Published: 15 October, 2020

Tim Atkin MW’s latest presentation for Wines of Chile highlighted the exceptional dynamism and often ‘out there’ terroir of wines emerging from the world’s longest country.

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”.

Tier 2 restrictions for London on-trade, with North West facing Tier 3

Published: 15 October, 2020

In a further escalation of the rolling partial lockdowns across the UK, the government is introducing Tier 2 restrictions on Londoners from midnight tomorrow (Friday 16 October), Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, announced in the Commons today.

SA online retailer launches ‘one stop shop’ in UK

Published: 15 October, 2020

South African online wine retailer Port2Port is launching a marketplace allowing UK trade to sell Cape wines direct to consumer.

GBK follows Carluccio’s to Boparan following Covid squeeze

Published: 14 October, 2020

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), owner of Carluccio’s, has acquired burger brand Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), saving 35 trading sites national-wide.

Domino effect looms as NI declares health and hospitality crisis

Published: 14 October, 2020

Northern Ireland has announced a month-long circuit breaker lockdown, signalling fears that similar measures could be on the way for the rest of the UK.

Christmas to bring scant cheer for trade under tougher restrictions

Published: 14 October, 2020

The UK drinks trade will have little to toast this Christmas trading period if restrictions on socialising become more onerous, with a fall in off-trade sales compounded by a further dramatic down-turn in the on-trade.

Boisset rescues Moncigale

Published: 14 October, 2020

French leader Grands Vins JC Boisset has agreed to purchase rosé specialist Moncigale from current owners Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits, following a review into the company’s various business units.

New complaints panel chair joins The Portman Group

Published: 14 October, 2020

The Portman Group has revealed the new chair of its Independent Complaints Panel (ICP), continuing to set out a new era of leadership for the UK’s regulatory body.

Think Spirits panel identifies lasting change in new drinks landscape

Published: 14 October, 2020

The pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of the business of drinks, reshaping how trade and consumers interact and behave, while delivering deep economic uncertainty.

Jascots adds Stift Gottweig

Published: 13 October, 2020

Jascots Wine Merchants has announced the arrival of Stift Gottweig’s wines to its portfolio, one of Austria’s oldest wineries and described as "best exponents" of Grüner Veltliner.

Protection of origin for sweet wines from Lake Neusiedl

Published: 13 October, 2020

Austria's Ruster Ausbruch has been given legal protection of its origin [as Ruster Ausbruch DAC], creating the first Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) regulation exclusively for sweet wine.

Simpsons looks to launch “super-premium” English Chardonnay

Published: 13 October, 2020

Simpsons English Wine Estate is looking to raise the stakes for still English wines with a limited edition Chardonnay called Q Class.

The Drinks Trust launches End of Furlough Grant

Published: 13 October, 2020

The Drinks Trust has launched a grant to help those experiencing immediate financial hardship as a result of the end of the government’s furlough scheme, which winds up on 31 October.