Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

?The Smith report: The rise of the Great British pound

Published: 07 February, 2014

Erin Smith assesses the currency map as the pound continues to gain ground

The French Revolution

Published: 07 February, 2014

Without ever having really gone away, French wine is making a huge comeback. Where did it all go right? Andrew Catchpole investigates

Portugal: searching for an identity

Published: 07 February, 2014

It might not be top of the charts when it comes to sales, but there are few wine countries with as much untapped potential as Portgual. Richard Woodard reports

Finding the best bank account for your business

Published: 30 January, 2014

Opening a business bank account should be quite easy. However, banks seem to deliberately muddy the waters so as to make choosing harder than it really should be.

?New Zealand: it's not all about Sauvignon Blanc

Published: 13 January, 2014

The UK remains central to New Zealand's wine-export strategy as it looks to widen its appeal across all channels of the market. Ahead of this month's generic UK tasting, Anne Krebiehl looks at its opportunities in 2014

Wine retailing: turning stores into entertainment destinations to compete with online

Published: 10 January, 2014

To stop losing sales to the internet, high-street outlets must become destinations, offering as much theatre as wine, reports Glynn Davis

Country report: re-inventing Australia

Published: 10 January, 2014

Despite a difficult few years, Australia's winegrowers have been finding more and more reasons to be cheerful - even before the Ashes.

It all comes down to brands

Published: 10 January, 2014

How major wine companies develop their brands is pivotal to the future of the industry, November's Wine Vision conference was told.

Discovering the wonders of Lebanon: Looking to the future

Published: 13 December, 2013

Wine critic Natasha Hughes assesses the merits of Lebanese wine and looks at the potential opportunities it has in the UK market

More independent wine merchants are diversifying into cafes and bars

Published: 12 December, 2013

More independent wine merchants are diversifying into cafes and bars as a way of both growing revenue and generating interest in their wines.

Indie Wine Crew: How to run wine stores more effectively

Published: 12 December, 2013

Members of Harpers' new Independent Wine Crew are willing to put their competitive instincts to one side to find ways in which they can work together, share experiences and offer advice on how to run wine stores more effectively.

Wine-trade leaders share vision of future

Published: 15 November, 2013

What do the world's wine leaders think of the industry's future? Gemma McKenna reports on an exclusive survey of the trade's senior figures ahead of next week's Wine Vision conference

Are we all talking a foreign language?

Published: 15 November, 2013

Effective communication is vital for an industry fighting for customers. But it means using a language consumers understand, heard October's DWCC conference in Rioja. Richard Siddle and Erin Smith report.

How exchange rates can predict the future of wine

Published: 15 November, 2013

Worldwide currency exchange rates continue to help shape the winners and losers in the global wine world and have played a key role in helping China become such a significant player.

How Treasury Wine Estates is turning heads with its premium Californian wines

Published: 18 October, 2013

If David Dearie's shock sacking as Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) chief executive last month was indeed connected to the $160m writedown the company's US division suffered earlier this year, its stable of Californian wineries continues to produce premium wine that keep turning heads.

WSTA Conference: The trade needs to stick together

Published: 11 October, 2013

Last month's WSTA conference demonstrated how powerful the drinks sector can be when it is united and the dangers when it is not, says Richard Siddle

Big, bold, but Beautiful?

Published: 11 October, 2013

The Beautiful South Tasting challenged the concept of generic wine tastings. Erin Smith analyses what worked and lessons for the future

Are you making the most of international trade shows?

Published: 11 October, 2013

Love them or loathe them, international wine trade fairs are an intrinsic part of a buyers' calendar. But what are the best ways of making the most of your time? For those seeking, for example, to gain a greater understanding of Spanish wines, the town of Ciudad Real is not an obvious first port of call. Being 200km north of Madrid, the town has no obvious links to the wine trade. No links, that is, apart from every two years hosting the Fenavin trade tasting.

Social media insights: how to make the best use of video

Published: 13 September, 2013

In the second of her specialist columns looking at how best to implement social media in to your business, Bernadette Costello offers her top tips on how to use video.