Guy Woodward: I'm not trying to do sommeliers out of a job, but...

Beauty and convenience trends ready to rock the boat in 2019

Healthy ageing and convenience are emerging opportunities for the drink sector next year, according to the Mintel Global food and drinks trends report 2019.

Gaucho is a casualty of shifting social mores, say analysts

Healthy eating trends could be contributing to the demise of the casual dining sector as we know it, new research has boldly stated, while calling on the alcohol sector to be a force for change.

A smarter way to sell

Jo Gilbert connects with the businesses aiming to bring the convenience, value and focus of online shopping to bricks-and-mortar stores

Malbec rising

Far from suffering from its mass appeal, Argentina’s flagship grape is heading for the next level. Andrew Catchpole reports

Fever-Tree puts the UK at the forefront of premium and healthy drinking trends

Fever-Tree continues to gain ground in the UK and the US as the trend for premiumisation and healthy long drinks continues worldwide.

Major sake festival pins down first date in London

The Joy of Sake, the world’s largest sake celebration outside Japan, has announced the date of its first-ever London date.

Independent survey: What's selling

In our latest poll, Harpers gave independent merchants a chance to identify those wines that always get consumers coming back for more. We looked at how these bottles stacked up

Low alcohol wine still losing out to mocktails and beer

We know that consumers are more health conscious than ever before, with sustainably sourced avocado on toast becoming the zeitgeist for a generation which is also increasingly moderating its alcohol consumption.

Bisol puts the spotlight on top tier Prosecco

Leading Italian producer Bisol has announced a portfolio overhaul to enforce its position as the “benchmark” for Prosecco Superiore di Valdobbiadene DOCG – one of the two main DOCGs for Prosecco.

Thinking outside the wine box on global shortages

Sourcing more cannily, focusing on quality and seeking out alternatives are just some of the outcomes that have resulted from increased supply and price pressures over the past few years. Re-evaluation was a key theme at the London Wine Fair Innovation Zone debate on May 22, as panellists discussed how best to meet changing consumer needs when global consumption patterns and global supply rarely see eye to eye.

Sherry taking the flor

A new approach is needed in the battle to revitalise sherry’s image, argues James Lawrence

Talking about the future: The Alexa effect

With intelligent personal assistants helping consumer engagement to become increasingly human and conversational, Jo Gilbert asks what’s in store for wines and spirits

Europe leads private label premiumisation

The quality of private label wines are on the up – and Europe is leading the pack.

UK restaurants feeling the heat

Wine is struggling for attention in a UK restaurant sector experiencing a “perfect storm” of adverse trading conditions, according to a new report.

Jerry Lockspeiser: What wine would you drink in an igloo?

During November and December last year, a skiing inspired pop-up appeared on London’s Southbank near the Festival Hall. Close to the skate boarders and overlooking the river Thames, Jimmy’s Lodge featured an outside bar and grill, inside restaurant and three heated Private Dining Igloos (or Snow Globes) for 6-10 people.

Pubs keep up with coffee shops as consumers vote for top out of home activity

New research suggests going to the pub is one of the top out of home activity for consumers, marking hope for the struggling sector as it adapts to new trends.

Pubs and bars lose 611,000 regulars in two years

While consumers seem to be increasingly willing to head out for coffee, new figures show the number of Brits who are trading pubs and bars for the sofa as their favour place to kick back with a glass of alcohol.