Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Shaking it up with disruptive branding

Published: 30 June, 2023

Rowena Curlewis, head of design agency Denomination, extols the virtues of disruptive branding in a crowded wine and spirits world.

Headline Hero: Labels for change and Most Wanted Wines

Published: 25 February, 2022

Design linking the liquid in the bottle to a worthy cause has reached a new level, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Laithwaites launches new Sicilian label packaged in 'wild' glass

Published: 25 January, 2022

Online retailer Laithwaites has enhanced its sustainability credentials with the release of W/O (standing for 'without') Frappato 2020, an organic Sicilian red housed in ‘wild’ glass – claiming a UK first for wine.

SPAR launches new range of vegan wines

Published: 07 January, 2022

SPAR has become the first UK grocer to market a range of private label vegan wines, including a vegan Prosecco and SPAR Vine & Bloom rosé.

Harpers Design Awards 2021 – The Winners

Published: 13 December, 2021

People buy with their eyes and clever design can also deliver strong cues as to what will be in the bottle, conveying clear messages that help bridge the gap between consumer and producer, as Andrew Catchpole reports from this year’s Harpers Design Awards.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Do you mind being lied to?

Published: 30 September, 2021

I have never been to The Sportsman pub in Seasalter near Whitstable on the Kent coast. The loss is all mine. Described as “a grotty rundown pub by the sea” it has held a Michelin star since 2008 thanks to the efforts of chef-patron Stephen Harris. I haven’t met Stephen either, but like others who have eaten at Noble Rot’s restaurant in London’s Bloomsbury, I have benefited from his skills in the kitchen. He became executive chef of NR at the outset, overseeing menus that have satisfied customers since day one.

IWC announces 2021 winners

Published: 17 May, 2021

The International Wine Challenge (IWC) has announced the winners of its 2021 competition, with a haul of 6,800 medals being claimed across over 40 countries.

Trade squeezed over calories

Published: 24 September, 2020

A new consultation into mandatory calorie labelling on alcohol products is adding fuel to already fiery conversations around health, wellness and indulgence, finds Jo Gilbert.

Co-op unveils wines for Christmas

Published: 08 October, 2019

Co-op has added 25 new wines to its range in the run-up to Christmas.

The rise of ultra-prestige Champagne

Published: 05 August, 2019

Champagne houses are separating out prestige cuvées from the struggling lower end. James Lawrence reports

LWF: Private label wine grows market share to 40%

Published: 23 May, 2019

Private label wine continues to encroach on the market share of branded wine, it has been revealed - while private label for the entire grocery sector has already eclipsed branded FMCG products.

Hardys launches on-trade foodies wine range

Published: 17 April, 2019

Hardys, the wine brand from Accolade Wines, is targeting food matching with its new on-trade exclusive ‘Foodies Range’.

Harpers Design Awards 2018: The winners

Published: 10 December, 2018

Good design may only sell the one, first bottle if the liquid inside is discovered to be below par. But present the most sublime booze in a mediocre or off-putting package and the painstaking craft of the distiller or winemaker is likely to be left collecting dust.

Bruce Jack UK launch

Published: 22 November, 2018

Prominent South African winemaker Bruce Jack officially launched his new eponymous wine range yesterday at High Timber restaurant in London.

Co-op's major own label conversion boosts UK Fairtrade wine volumes by 20%

Published: 07 May, 2018

The Co-op’s new conversion of its major own-label range will boost the UK’s Fairtrade wine volumes by 20%.

Power to the Punter

Published: 02 May, 2018

Technology is fast empowering the consumer when it comes to engagement, purchasing decisions, driving innovation and shaping the market, with accessible gadgets, widgets, apps and other advances changing the way wine is shipped, sold, delivered and even drunk.