Chinese investor Peter Kwok buys seventh Bordeaux vineyard

Chinese investor Peter Kwok has acquired his seventh vineyard in Bordeaux with the purchase of Château Bellefont-Belcier - a Grand Cru Classé estate in Saint-Emilion.

Pubs to open until 1am to celebrate Royal Wedding

Pubs and licensed premises in England and Wales could be allowed to stay open until 1am to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Nick Hyde takes over as WSET chairman

Nick Hyde has taken over from James Simpson MW as chairman of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Board of Trustees.

Producers tap non-alcoholic drinks trend

Two new product ranges have been launched to appeal to the growing trend for adult non-alcoholic drinks.

Average on-trade red bottle price rises £8 in a year thanks to premium upswing

Wine prices have seen significant upward movement in the on-trade, new research suggests, with red in particular receiving a generous boost from a rise in premium listings.

Regionalised price increases set to squeeze Europe’s big three thanks to woeful harvest

Europe ran the full gamut of extreme weather conditions last year - everything from frost to fires and heatwaves.

Strong showing for Oz at Harpers Wine Stars Awards as classics lead way

The UKs biggest wine category is popular for a reason and that reason remains rooted in the flavour-laden bang for your buck that Shiraz and Chardonnay can deliver, albeit in a more modern framework than of old.

Boutique boost for Hayward Bros New World portfolio

London-based importer Hayward Bros is capitalising on a trend for artisanal New World wines with the addition to its portfolio of several smaller scale wineries this January.

The week that was

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.

Aldi reports bumper Christmas boosted by booze

Aldi has reported record sales over the Christmas period pushing its annual UK sales to break the £10bn barrier for the first time.

Gin sales boom with 45% growth at Christmas

Gin was the runaway success of the last minute Christmas booze run, with shoppers buying a huge 45% more in the week before the big day than 2016.

Old Forester gets heritage inspired makeover

Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands (BBFB) has given its Old Forester 86 proof expression a heritage inspired revamp.

Liberty Wines bolsters NZ with Marlborough addition

Liberty Wines is bolstering its already strong New Zealand collection in order to keep in step with the continued popularity of Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

Durham Distillery confirms whisky production to start this year

Craft distillery Durham has confirmed it is to start whisky production this year.

H2Vin enters strategic partnership with Bruno Murciano

Wine wholesaler and importer H2Vin has entered into a strategic partnership with Spanish wine specialist and de Vinos owner Bruno Murciano.

London's first bulk wine show opens for business

London’s first bulk wine show is now open for registration, offering buyers, brokers, retailers and producers the chance to find out more about this booming section of the UK wine industry.

Accolade appoints David White UK head of marketing

Accolade Wines has appointed David White to the role of UK marketing director, with effect from January 4th 2018.

WSTA predicts rum sales to have smashed £1bn barrier

UK rum sales are predicted to have broken the £1bn barrier at the end of last year for the first time.

Catering exec and wine enthusiast dies in tragic plane crash

The foodservice industry is mourning the loss of one of its giants this morning, as the world media reports the tragic loss of Richard Cousins, CEO of catering company Compass Group.

Oz government opens Wine Export Grants applications