Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Producer Q&A: Talking flora and fauna

Published: 19 April, 2022

Quinta da Boeira’s Helena Teixeira talks to Barnaby Eales about microbiology, minimum intervention and shaking up Port classifications.

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.

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.

Brits hoover up Portuguese wine as loss of tourism shows the “Portuguese don’t drink Port”

Published: 29 September, 2021

As the biggest consumers of wine per capita globally, it might be expected that domestic sales of Portuguese wines would have fared well over the course of the pandemic, where drinkers globally were largely turned onto local vinous offerings.

Long Read: What to do about fortified wines' straitened market?

Published: 23 September, 2021

Jacopo Mazzeo looks at what regions such as the Douro and Jerez are doing to survive in a market increasingly hostile to fortified wines and explores whether these efforts are effective. Port, for instance, is heading in two diametrically opposed directions: simplification and (extra) premiumisation, with new categories that span from youth-friendly RTDs to Tawny 50yo and White 50yo. Sherry meanwhile, has just changed a number of its regulations and now embraces unfortified wine.

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.

Cockburn’s introduces ‘experimental’ Port trio

Published: 29 July, 2021

Cockburn’s has produced a trio of experimental ports under the name Tails of the Unexpected.

Long Read: Wave of Portonic RTDs to fortify Douro sales

Published: 06 May, 2021

The Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP) has given Port producers the green light for the commercialisation of Port & Tonic RTDs, dubbed as 'Portonic' by the trade.

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.

Sogevinus declares 2019 a vintage year

Published: 15 March, 2021

Sogevinus Fine Wines has declared the launch of two single Quinta vintages, Kopke Quinta de São Luiz 2019 and Burmester Quinta do Arnozelo 2019, as well as two classic vintages under the seal of Casas Cálem and Barros.

UK Port sales rising

Published: 11 February, 2021

Port sales to the UK increased by 11.4% in volume and 2.8% in value in 2020, according to the Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP).

Churchill’s launches digital first Port.Club for ‘Port curious’

Published: 07 December, 2020

Port lovers and the ‘Port curious’ are being targeted by Churchill’s Port in a new direct-to-consumer initiative, described as the first of its kind.

Port: Weathering the Covid storm

Published: 24 November, 2020

The UK remains at the forefront of the premium Port category, with sales of late-bottled vintage (LBV), quality white Port, aged tawnies, single vineyard and classic vintage ports, all remaining resilient through Covid. A nation of consumers stuck at home, looking to indulge, appears to have been largely positive for the quality end of UK Port sales. Built on a long-standing relationship with the UK, sales at Symington Family Estates are up 10% by value and 9% by volume compared with this time last year.

Symington family pays tribute to “dedicated” Port maker, James Symington

Published: 16 November, 2020

Leading Port maker James Symington has passed away, leaving behind many decades’ worth of dedication to his and his family’s craft.

Quinta de la Rosa latest to join Bibendum from FMV

Published: 03 September, 2020

Bibendum Wine has expanded its Douro menu with the addition of Quinta de la Rosa to its on-trade and Walker & Wodehouse portfolios.

Q&A: Luís Sottomayor, head of winemaking, Casa Ferreirinha and Sogrape Porto Wine

Published: 02 September, 2020

From Barca Velha to small-batch single varietal Douro wines by way of Clink cocktails, Luís Sottomayor gives Andrew Catchpole the lowdown on life at the helm

Bid for Beirut auction organises relief for Lebanon

Published: 24 August, 2020

A new auction to provide much-needed relief for Lebanon’s struggling wine sector has drawn support from the UK wine trade, after a massive explosion decimated the country’s main port on 4 August.

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.