Sizing up Spain

Despite the twin pressures of Covid and Brexit, Spain’s wines have managed to stay in relatively good shape thanks to an uplift in off-trade sales. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Entries now open for Harpers Design Awards 2021

Harpers is delighted to announce that our Design Awards 2021 is now open for entries from all areas of the drinks industry.

Harpers Wine Stars 2022 now open for entries

Harpers Wine Stars 2022 is welcoming entries for this year’s competition.

Long Read: A new script for wine writing

The Zoom option meant this year’s Symposium for Professional Wine Writers organised by Meadowood in Napa, California, attracted its largest number of attendees: 303. Typically about 24 have attended in person since the symposium launched in 2004.

First digital LWF "exceeds expectations" though numbers fall

Atkin awards first South American perfect score to wine from “best ever” Argentina vintage

Harpers columnist and UK wine writer Tim Atkin MW has given his seal of approval to the 2019 Argentinian vintage, which he says is “the best I’ve tasted” from the country.

LWF: Digital efficiencies helping with the big three – content flow, stock flow, cash flow

A mental shift around harnessing digital capabilities and automation this year has moved businesses towards stock management systems that free up time and capital to focus on sharing information and storytelling with customers.

Wine on the rise with younger consumers as on-trade returns

Younger consumers plan to spend more than before as they return to pubs and restaurants, and spend a larger slice of that money on wine.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Why claiming wine is good for health is bad for business

The wine trade can be a wonderful place to work. Yes, we have had our share of stresses and strains since Covid used its airmiles. True, people running wine businesses can spend more time with PnL spreadsheets and cashflow projections than they do with the latest vintage from Chateau Marvellous. But overall, the balance sheet for working with wine is very strong.

LWF: Time to bottle it on glass?

As carbon emissions and the broader topic of sustainability climb back up the agenda, one of the more forward-looking sessions at London Wine Fair (LWF) 2021 cut to the heart of the issue.

LWF: Wine yet to see accelerated demand for no/low

Wine has yet to see an accelerated demand for the no/low alcohol space unlike spirts and beer, which have both gathered pace in recent years.

James Davis MW joins Henkell Freixenet

James Davis MW will be joining the Henkell Freixenet team in a newly created role from the first week of July.

Last chance to enter Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship

UK-based Sommeliers have until 28 May to send in their application for the Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship – the annual travel bursary created in honour of the late Gerard Basset OBE, MS, MW, MSc (OIV). 

Wine Guild launches free hospitality courses

The Wine Guild Education (WGEd), the skills development arm of the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, has launched a new suite of free hospitality service training courses. 

LWF: 'Fear of getting it wrong' is holding industry back on diversity

Trepidation around tokenism and not taking the right tack on issues of diversity and inclusion is stopping greater strides being taken in workplaces, it was said at this morning’s London Wine Fair (LWF) session on equal opportunities in the wine trade.

LWF: Beale describes path forward post UK 2020 ‘trade nadir’

The UK market remains an “attractive and diverse market place, but it is a very different one to the market it was 12 months ago”, according to Miles Beale, CEO of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Brexit: Counting the cost

Far from fading away, the ‘B’ word still greatly troubles indie merchants, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Hallgarten adds eight French producers

Hallgarten & Novum Wines has expanded its French portfolio with 29 new wines from 12 producers – eight of which are new to Hallgarten – from across eight wine-producing regions. 

A third of licensed premises reopened in April

After only a third of licensed premises traded in GB's first phase of reopening, today (17 May) marks the opportunity for many more to finally reopen, with most of the two-thirds (67.1%) of operators that have not yet traded having the option to do so as the on-trade is allowed to reopen indoors.

The life aquatic for English wine