Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL) – the trade body representing the region’s AOP and IGP wines – recently relaunched the Viti-Incendie programme which aims to help the region’s producers tackle the risk of smoke taint due to wildfires.
Read more...
Since Laurent-Perrier pioneered the modern zero dosage style of champagne with the launch of its Ultra Brut in 1981, the practice has been adopted by many Champagne houses, thanks in no small part to the effects of climate change. As there is no addition of sugar in the creation of non-dosage, winemakers must rely on greater ripening of the grapes to achieve balance and the correct acidity, and progressively warmer growing seasons mean producers are now achieving phenolic ripeness and higher natural sugar levels at harvest, as sommelier and wine consultant Jonathan Kleeman explains.
Read more...
Champagne Drappier has reported the earliest-ever harvest in its over-200-year-old history, after growing conditions it described as “remarkably warm and dry”.
Read more...
The EU first recognised Ireland as a winemaking country in the year 2000, but the industry is still very much in its early stages. Harpers speaks to David Dennison (pictured), founder of Viking Irish Drinks, who – hoping to nurture the budding industry – is working on setting up an Irish wine association.
Read more...
Nyetimber is expecting 2026 to be another vintage year – following 2025 – suggesting that its grapes will be of ‘distinctive quality’ despite some challanges along the way.
Read more...
As harvest approaches, Rathfinny Wine Estate has reported encouraging signs of quality in its vineyards, with yields expected to be 30% higher than last year, and the fruit showing ‘exceptional promise’.
Read more...
Rowan Hooper’s new book, Togetherness, is a fascinating study of symbiosis, what he calls a “neglected silo” of scientific research. The subject might sound a bit geeky and pointy headed, but it’s central to the way that nature works.
Read more...
Wine GB has said that it is “optimistic” about the size and quality of the UK harvest, in response to speculation about this year’s crop.
Read more...
Rooted as it is in a long history of tradition, governed by strict production rules and regarded as a timeless symbol of wealth and luxury, Champagne’s relationship to innovation is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when the corks are popping. But the reality is that the region has been a pioneering force over the centuries in both the vineyards and the wineries, and probably never more so than now as it battles its worst enemy since phylloxera – climate change.
Read more...
There is an assumption embedded deep within the wine trade, self-evident to many, that Europe teaches and everyone else learns. In the 20th century, techniques, philosophies, and, of course, grape varieties, radiated outward from Europe's historic heartlands to newer wine-producing regions seeking legitimacy and guidance. The New World innovated, certainly, but Europe remained the reference point. It was a largely one-way flow of knowledge. And the hierarchy was seldom questioned.
Read more...
Romania’s largest wine exporter Cramele Recas is aiming to have 85% of its global sales in ultra-lightweight bottles by the end of 2026 – up from 5% in 2025.
Read more...
At Shoreditch’s buzzy Legado, Olga Verde (pictured), technical director of La Rioja Alta-owned Rías Baixas estate Lagar de Fornelos, guided Harpers through the winery’s latest vintages. This included the second vintage of the super-premium Lindeiros wine, which highlighted the ageability of these whites from this region.
Read more...
It would be very sad if, at the end of these days, the focus was on politics and not climate change.” So said Michelle Bouffard, founder of Tasting Climate Change, which took place in a crisp and wintery Montreal earlier this year, where a strong Canadian and US contingency was joined by many international visitors. Spread over three days, one of the key takeaways from the many experts speaking was that climate change and its associated environmental impact is the story that trumps all. Yet there is still a sense that we as an industry are sleepwalking into what could be a radically altered near future.
Read more...
The way that wine is made is transforming. Climate change is sweeping away old agricultural rhythms and patterns and replacing them with something new. In many places, it may sweep them away entirely.
Read more...
Young, a positive disruptor and armed with an education that took in pure mathematics and Japanese language at university, Arsen Khachaturyants is perhaps not your average winemaker in terms of background. Born in Spain, of Armenian parents, he is the producer behind the Arsenio label in Tuscany. Here, in this historical winemaking landscape, he stands out for his insistence on and practice of ‘precision viticulture’, melding traditional winemaking techniques with a data-driven mindset, preferring hard factual analysis to what he has described as “an industry often stuck in emotional decision-making”. And speaking with him offers a refreshing insight into a rather different approach to the ‘science-meets-art’ mindset that often defines many a winemaking philosophy.
Read more...
Rather like climate change and sustainability themselves, the recent fifth edition of Tasting Climate Change in Montreal was complex, dense with information, covering so much ground, from so many angles, that it was difficult to summarise into one simple thread. One prominent panellist – a journalist – even quipped “I’m having a heart attack just thinking about how I write all of this up”, given the viticultural, winemaking, packaging, distribution, retailing and post-consumption issues that were explored. Harpers will be covering some of those topics in this spring’s Sustainability Report, but as a taster (and mindful of that comment), one important aspect that was raised was that of consumer communication, from both trade and press.
Read more...
For this month’s Sustainability Report, Harpers decided to ask the signatories of our Harpers Sustainability Charter about their progress in one of the key areas of sustainability – reducing carbon dioxide emissions. While only one pillar of a charter that encompasses incredibly important sustainability issues such as waste management, ecological care, diversity, public health and many others, carbon emissions stand out due to the outsized role they play in warming the planet.
Read more...
At Lucky Cat restaurant at 22 Bishopsgate, Perrier-Jouët chef de cave, Séverine Frerson (pictured), guided Harpers through a tasting which demonstrated how Champagne viticulture could adapt to our ever-changing climate.
Read more...
As winemakers shift to heritage varieties to tackle the challenges of a changing climate, what does this mean for P&L? asks Jason Millar.
Read more...
The latest harvest report from Santorini’s Domain Sigalas details another very tough year on the Greek island. The 2025 take represents the third consecutive year of reduced production with only 450 tonnes produced – the lowest ever yield. The past decade’s average stood at between 2,500 and 3,000 tonnes per year.
Read more...
