Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Headline Heroes: Champagne’s sustainability revolution

Published: 13 November, 2024

Maison Perrier-Jouët is among key Champagne houses committed to introducing practices that will help meet climate objectives. James Lawrence reports.

Vineyards become the fastest growing crop in England

Published: 11 October, 2023

Wine grapes are the fastest-growing edible agricultural crop sector for human consumption in England, it has been confirmed, with recent statistics from Defra putting the growth of vineyard hectarage in pole position.

The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation appoints new programme manager

Published: 10 May, 2023

The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF), a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring soil health in the world’s vineyards, has appointed Becky Sykes as its first programme manager.

Argento’s biodiversity index paves the way for an organic future

Published: 16 March, 2023

Major Argentinian winemaker Bodega Argento is sharing the results of a compelling biodiversity study which aims to put flora, fauna and vine management in harmonious step, as it works to convert its entire estate to certified organic status.

New limits on Etna to control invasive investment

Published: 02 December, 2022

New moves to limit Etna DOC (PDO) wine production volumes have been designed to maintain and control average grape prices, as a way of preserving the Sicilian mountain’s wine economy, its environment and viticultural heritage, the Etna DOC wine board has said.

Headline Heroes: Languedoc’s commitment to organic wine

Published: 01 December, 2022

As thousands of winegrowers in the Languedoc convert to organic farming, James Lawrence looks to Millésime Bio, the event at the centre of the movement.

Casa Real: Thirty years of excellence

Published: 10 October, 2022

Casa Real is a fitting poster child for the agrarian revolution sweeping across Chile today. The nation’s winegrowers, passionate and highly driven, continue to refine their knowledge of local soils, matching the vine variety to the place. “Casa Real represents an apex of terroir expression in the Maipo Valley. Since the wine’s inception in the 1980s, our journey has been a legacy of understanding the environment,” says Santa Rita winemaker Sebastián Labbé. “We are custodians of the soil – nothing less.”

Pernod Ricard’s ‘Responsib'All Day’ returns for tenth addition

Published: 22 June, 2022

Pernod Ricard has partnered with local communities in London and Scotland for the tenth edition of its Responsib’All Day – an initiative set up with the aim of helping to protect and restore biodiversity around the UK.

Ruinart dedicates historic vineyard to biodiversity project

Published: 07 April, 2021

LVMH brand Champagne Ruinart is furthering its commitment to nurturing biodiversity in the Champagne region by switching over its 40ha historic Taissy vineyard to a biodiversity pilot project in tandem with Reforest’Action.

Ethical winemaking in South America: A new world

Published: 01 April, 2021

James Lawrence looks at the South American wineries championing biodiversity and giving back to the vineyards.

Catalonia's Raimat to open as nature reserve

Published: 23 November, 2020

Spain’s Raimat winery is to take its commitment to sustainable winemaking one step further by transforming its estate into a nature reserve.

Friday Read: Monoculture wars – the vineyards killing ecosystems

Published: 30 October, 2020

In Napa, John Williams, winemaker and the owner of Frogs Leap, is a winemaker in the minority. Around 6-7% of his land is devoted to crops other than vines. It’s a move that makes him stick out like a sore thumb surrounded by Rutherford’s rolling valleys where there’s barely a fruit tree in sight. In a region where a single hectare costs on average $1m, why devote a single plot to anything else?