Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Portugal: Big moves

Published: 31 January, 2024

Portugal has moved from a niche proposition to a wine for everyday drinking as its diverse portfolio lines up with modern tastes, writes Jo Gilbert.

Hambledon announces new MD

Published: 24 January, 2024

Hambledon Vineyard has announced it has a new MD as it prepares to embark on a future under joint Symington Family Estates and Berry Bros. & Rudd ownership.

BBR achieves 11% sales growth in FY23 Results

Published: 13 December, 2023

Fine wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) has announced its financial results for the financial year ending 31 March 2023, reporting a sales growth of 11.1% on the previous year to £254.3m.

Hambledon takeover bid confirmed

Published: 08 November, 2023

The proposed acquisition of English sparkling wine brand Hambledon has been accepted by the company's shareholders, it was announced today (08/11/2023).

Graham’s release on-trade exclusive 3-litre bottle

Published: 16 October, 2023

Released exclusively for the on-trade, iconic port house Graham’s has embarked on its latest marketing push, to incentivise more consumers to drink fortified.

Symington Family Estates and Berry Bros. & Rudd launch Hambledon takeover bid

Published: 25 September, 2023

A newly incorporated entity owned directly by Berry Bros. & Rudd and Atlantis Win Holdings, a member of the Symington Group, has initiated a takeover bid for Hambledon Vineyard.

Symington predicts ‘high quality vintage’ in Douro

Published: 11 September, 2023

With the red grapes still coming in across various estates, leading producer Symington Family Estates is predicting one of the best Douro vintages in recent years.

Graham’s launches first NFT with 1970 and 2020 Vintage Port

Published: 24 July, 2023

Symington Family Estates famed port brand Graham's, is the latest wine business to join the NFT (non-fungible tokens) trend.

The Symington family and Anselmo Mendes begin Alvarinho venture

Published: 26 May, 2023

The Symington family estate is to produce a range of Alvarinho wines with winemaker Anselmo Mendes, following the company’s recent acquisition of Casa de Rodas.

The Symington family launch first-ever rosé wine

Published: 11 April, 2023

Premium port producers Symington Family Estates has expanded its Altano wine range to include its first-ever rosé wine.

Symington launch pushes Douro’s white potential

Published: 27 February, 2023

Symington Family Estates has launched a new Douro white, Pequeno Dilema 2020, as part of what the company describes as its “mission” to demonstrate that Port’s vineyards can also produce “outstanding white wines”.

2022 Douro harvest: “We faced some of the greatest challenges that our family has seen”

Published: 12 October, 2022

Following the theme in many European wine-growing regions this year, the 2022 Douro harvest has now been confirmed as the earliest ever recorded in the region.

Paul Symington Awarded a CMG in the Queen’s Honours List

Published: 06 June, 2022

Paul Symington has been awarded a CMG (Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List, published 2 June, for services to UK/Portugal relations and social, environmental sustainability in the Douro.

Symington taps into rebellious side for Port-inspired speakeasy

Published: 13 December, 2021

With the mantra of “not your grandfather’s port club”, Symington Family Estates has teamed up with Rebel Port Club to launch a speakeasy style pop-up experience in London aimed at initiating a new generation of port drinkers.

WSTA members call on Government to reconsider proposed duty hikes on Port and sherry

Published: 09 December, 2021

New Government legislation will mean an additional 13% price increase overnight added to every bottle of fortified wine entering the country come January of next year, according to Steve Moody, chairman of Fells, which counts the Ports of Symington Family Estates, Blandy’s Madeira and Barbadillo sherries in its portfolio.

Nowhere to hide

Published: 17 November, 2021

Wine and spirits are, at their heart, agricultural products, albeit given the somewhat magical twist of fermentation or distillation. Which means that any adverse affect from climate change can and will filter through to the final product, literally under the consumer’s nose, rather than just remaining a more peripheral concern in the wider world. Producers of wine especially are increasingly aware of what was described as an “existential threat” to their livelihoods, as outlined at a recent International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) seminar in London.

Symington Family Estates launches new ‘School of Port’ series

Published: 21 October, 2021

Symington Family Estates has launched a new video course ‘School of Port’, an online video course about port and the Douro.

Seaside pop-ups for Cockburn’s Port

Published: 23 August, 2021

Cockburn’s Port is hoping to encourage more “unexpected ways” of drinking Port with two seaside-themed pop-up bars this summer, one in Brighton and one in Falmouth.

Symington announces 2019 quinta vintage Ports

Published: 14 April, 2021

Symington Family Estates has announced that it has bottled six quinta vintage Ports from 2019, of which two will be released en primeur – Quinta do Vesúvio and Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira.

Symington partners with Michelin-starred chef to launch pop-up

Published: 30 July, 2020

Symington Family Estates has collaborated with Michelin-starred chef Pedro Lemos to launch pop-up restaurant Casa dos Ecos at the Port producer’s Quinta do Bomfim estate.