Harpers Wine & Spirit Digital Edition

Q&A: Paul Jenkins and Guillem Kerambrun

Harpers met Caprice Holdings & The Birley Group's purchasing director and its head sommelier/group wine buyer at Annabel's to discuss buying across such a diverse portfolio

Through the telescope: A look at future tech likely to affect the wine trade

When Uber recently announced it was looking into the possibility of making daily air travel as cheap as a normal taxi fare, the world - and especially the media - gasped with anticipation.

The battle for the retail shelves

The latest Nielsen retail reports make for interesting reading. Supermarket own-brand wines showed growth of 12.6% in the 12 weeks leading up to January 28, 2017, an escalation from 5.5% year-on-year growth, while brands lost 3% share.

Brand Ambassadors: Spreading the gospel

Glenfiddich's UK brand ambassador, Mark Thomson, is introducing the brand's new IPA beer-infused expression at a trade event in central London. "When I tell people I'm a brand ambassador they usually say: 'Yes, but what's your real job?'"

Blurring lines between on-trade beer, wine and spirits

Matthew Clark's new Emporium tasting concept delivered on its promise of providing a circus-themed extravaganza at London's Tobacco Dock on Tuesday. 

Wine labels of the future

Wine labels of the future will increasingly have a link to a website or QR bar code which could be scanned with phones to reveal the ingredients, calories and nutritional value of wine, but far less likely is any further legal obligation to fully disclose ingredients.

The drinks world takes action over alcohol misuse

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) announced this week it is calling for entries for this year's Scotch Whisky Action Fund - an initiative set up in 2013 to help tackle alcohol misuse by offering grants for related projects across Scotland. 

ProWein Calling: A preview

ProWein has grown into the must-attend premier wine and spirits business show in Europe. The 2017 event, in Düsseldorf, is being launched with the slogan To Another Great Year and boasts more exhibitors than ever.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Marketing - saint or devil?

Two packets of Paracetamol, both 500mg and 16 in a box, with the same usage instructions. Both Boots brands. The pills in the red and white box are in tablet form. It costs 25p. The pills in the classier blue and white box are caplets - tablets in capsule shape with a groove in the middle. It costs 49p.

The political threat to our wine life

"Stick to wine, Tim - you're wasting time." If you spend as many hours as I do on social media channels, you get used to - and even rather enjoy - the odd spat, but this was different.

Lidl reports rapid growth for wine category

With a global turnover of over £70billion, and trading operations in 28 countries, the Lidl empire is continuing to grow in the UK, with 35 new stores opening in 2016, and a further 50 planned for this year.

Why increasing duty is counterproductive to raising a new generation of educated drinkers

There seems to be little expectation in the trade that duty rises on wines and spirits will be frozen in this coming Budget, let alone cut by the 2% that the Scotch Whisky Association and WSTA have been calling for (on spirits, and wines and spirits, respectively). 

Think Gin 2017: Mapping out gin's future

When something gets too big or grows too fast, it's only a matter of time before the wolves gather, waiting for it to fall - or trying to knock it - off its pedestal. This is true of gin, where the spirit's unprecedented rise has made it a target for gleeful mutterings that it's finally past its peak.  

WSET debate: Education and Training

On the eve of the Wine & Sprit Education Trust's (WSET) graduation ceremony in London's Guildhall in January (see over), Harpers brought together a cross trade group of those involved in education, training and recruitment to debate the needs of the modern trade.

Jumping Juniper

Yes, I published a book about gin last year (I promise that's it for the shameless promotion), but I have no reservations about confessing that I didn't see this current trend for gin lasting so long. Whether it was an over-saturation of the market, familiarity-bred

The changing face of Portugal

Portugal is on the crest of a wave. Heard that before? Sceptics will find succour in recent statistics pointing to a downturn in UK exports.

Taking Chile's Temperature

"Chile needs to simplify the message, but our diversity makes it difficult - Argentina has Malbec, meat and Mendoza to talk about, and that's it." 

By design: A message in a bottle

Start with a quote, is often the advice given when preparing for a presentation or seminar, and when it comes to design, there are lots to choose from. For example, Joe Sparano, graphic designer for American company Oxide Design Co, said: "Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent."

Q&A: Steven Spurrier, wine expert and ex-merchant

Six years into his collaboration with Furleigh Estate in Dorset, the veteran wine expert and Judgment of Paris author caught up with Harpers about whether now is really English wine's time to shine.