Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

The unusual suspects

Published: 19 August, 2022

In line with a growing taste for more off-piste wines, Andrew Catchpole invited notable champions and producers of emerging regions and wines to explain their appeal.

Profile: Following on from FMV

Published: 19 July, 2022

Two years on from the dismemberment of FMV, Bancroft Wines is focusing on initiating its new producers into the ‘family’ in a post-Covid world. Jo Gilbert reports.

Friday read: The future looks bright for ambitious Garda DOC

Published: 24 June, 2022

With prices rising for wines from top Italian DOCs and other producers – thanks to high demand and prices coupled with the collapse in sterling – these are tough times for the UK wine trade, with the pressure on margins tougher than ever.

Liberty celebrates 25 years with greatest hits tasting

Published: 21 June, 2022

Liberty Wines celebrated its 25th anniversary yesterday at its usual spot at the Oval Cricket Ground, where the event took a greatest hits approach to celebrate a quarter of a century in business.

Arribaes: The New frontier of Iberian fine wines

Published: 08 April, 2022

It is known as Arribes del Duero in Spanish, and Arribas Do Douro in Portuguese, but now Iberian producers in this cross-frontier wine region have joined forces to create Arribaes, a new brand of low-intervention fine wines.

Climate change a ‘strong threat’ for six out of 10 wineries

Published: 23 February, 2022

Sustainability is to form a “real pillar” of this year’s ProWein, with the challenge of matching economic sustainability with environmental goals acknowledged as a key issue for producers and trade alike.

Soapbox: Why sustainability makes perfect business sense

Published: 10 February, 2022

Mariella Menato, strategy director at drinks design specialist Denomination, talks about the rise of sustainability as a key consumer requirement, and why today, more than ever, it is vital for business success, as well as safeguarding our planet.

Occitanie Tasting returns to London after three year hiatus

Published: 04 February, 2022

The 10th edition of the Occitanie Annual Trade Tasting will showcase a diverse range of wines from the South of France, featuring over 300 labels produced in the largest wine region in the world.

Landmark Portuguese wine festival 'FESTA' to take place in June

Published: 13 January, 2022

London’s Tobacco Dock will host an inaugural consumer-led festival in June, dedicated to Portugal’s wine, gastronomy, music and arts. The event is set to coincide with the Festa de São João, a famous event within Porto’s calendar where thousands travel to the city and surrounding neighbourhoods to celebrate Porto's patron saint, John the Baptist.

Jerry Lockspeiser: On Jeremy Clarkson, margins and the ‘middleman’ dog whistle

Published: 22 December, 2021

In case anyone missed it, Jeremy Clarkson has recently launched his own beer brand, Hawkstone. The lager is made with barley grown on his Cotswolds farm. Exposed to the workings of the supply chain, Clarkson was reportedly aghast at the difference between the £205 per tonne he received for his barley and the £580 paid by the brewers to the middleman.

Friday read: Prosecco DOC Rosé's future prospects

Published: 26 November, 2021

After years of intense lobbying by producers, the Prosecco Consortium finally allowed blended sparkling wine styles to be bottled under the 'Prosecco DOC Rosé' designation in 2020. Exports began in November last year, although there have been reports of a Pinot Noir shortage in 2021. Nevertheless, the category has got off to a flying start, with buoyant sales and an enthusiastic consumer reception. But how sustainable is this growth, and will it affect sales of 'ordinary' Prosecco?

Nowhere to hide

Published: 17 November, 2021

Wine and spirits are, at their heart, agricultural products, albeit given the somewhat magical twist of fermentation or distillation. Which means that any adverse affect from climate change can and will filter through to the final product, literally under the consumer’s nose, rather than just remaining a more peripheral concern in the wider world. Producers of wine especially are increasingly aware of what was described as an “existential threat” to their livelihoods, as outlined at a recent International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) seminar in London.

ProWein goes full steam ahead for 2022

Published: 09 November, 2021

ProWein, the world’s biggest wine show, is to be held as a physical event in March 2022.

WineGB announces new board directors

Published: 04 November, 2021

Wines of Great Britain (WineGB), the national association for the English and Welsh wine industry, has made new appointments to its board of directors.

Time of change for Rioja

Published: 04 November, 2021

Ambitious producers are relying on forgotten grape varieties and modern techniques to add new dimensions to Spain’s best-known wine region, as Justin Keay reports.

English and welsh producers celebrate end to sparkling ‘Super tax’

Published: 27 October, 2021

The news that the duty premium on sparkling wine being sold in the UK has been removed has been met with encouragement from the English and Welsh wine sector.

Over 100 vinous gems take centre stage at inaugural Sud De France tasting

Published: 26 October, 2021

Over 100 wines, including Armagnac, from the southern French Region of Occitanie, will be showcased at a wine tasting in London this month, focusing in the region's litte-known wines.