Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Taste of southern France at Socca

Published: 11 February, 2022

Socca

A climate Rubicon

Published: 28 January, 2022

Late frost wreaked havoc in the Loire, the ‘Garden of France’, in 2021. Jo Gilbert looks at how the region is looking to mitigate growing climate issues while keeping up momentum for its plethora of popular styles.

Q&A: Vanessa Cherruau, Château De Plaisance

Published: 06 January, 2022

Vanessa Cherruau, co-owner and winemaker at Château De Plaisance, picked an interesting time to take over 22ha of vineyards in Anjou’s prestigious Rochefort-sur-Loire region – home to the only Premier and Grand Cru in the Loire – in 2019, just before the pandemic and with a baby on the way. She speaks to Jo Gilbert about past and future, sweet and dry, and why being biodynamic isn’t ‘crazy’ at all.

France and Chile main beneficiaries of Australia-China dispute

Published: 23 November, 2021

The ongoing dispute between Australia and its longstanding trade partner is creating unprecedented opportunities for competing nations to increase their market share, according to Rabobank’s Q4 Wine Quarterly report.

South of France to open new somm school

Published: 03 November, 2021

The Roussillon region is to host what is described as a “unique training centre” for sommeliers, planned to open in September 2022.

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.

Discovering the charms of Roussillon

Published: 06 October, 2021

As the home of France’s fortified sweet wines, with a dazzling array of soils and microclimates forming a vinous bridge between France and Spain, the Roussillon deserves to be recognised as a distinct region with its own unique identify. Jo Gilbert discovers a region ready to stand on its own two feet. In partnership with Wines of Roussillon.

France performs against the odds

Published: 30 September, 2021

France has emerged from the pandemic in rude health with the “staggering” performance of rosé and impressive bounce-back from Champagne only representing the tip of what this wine powerhouse has to offer, as Jo Gilbert reports.

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.

Enotria refreshes France ahead of tasting return

Published: 26 August, 2021

Enotria & Coe has taken on two new, yet very different, additions to its France portfolio.

Famille Helfrich tasting moves to London and Manchester

Published: 26 August, 2021

The Famille Helfrich portfolio tasting, which normally takes place in Birmingham, will this year move to Manchester and London in a bid to increase awareness in those areas.

Alliance hones in on France with three additions

Published: 02 August, 2021

Alliance Wine has become the sole UK agent for three French wineries, strengthening their offering from Burgundy, Provence and Madiran.

France's great digital shift

Published: 14 July, 2021

A new breed of French digital-solution companies is helping the country’s producers embrace online. Jo Gilbert reports

Armit adds Provence producer Domaine des Mapliers

Published: 25 May, 2021

Armit Wines has added Provence producer Domaine Mapliers to its rapidly expanding wine portfolio.

Ethical Bordeaux wine distributor sets sights on UK

Published: 24 March, 2021

An ethical Bordeaux wine distribution start-up has announced its ambition to launch in the UK.

Burgundy UK wine exports in double-digit growth

Published: 16 February, 2021

Exports of Burgundy wine to the UK rose 16.1% in volume in the first eleven months of the year compared to the same period last year, with value up 10%, according to the latest Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) data.

Long read: It’s time for a France re-think

Published: 04 February, 2021

Rowena Curlewis, CEO of drinks design specialist Denomination, tells us why she thinks French wine brands could afford to up the ‘badass’ design stakes when marketing overseas.

France and the US top Robert Parker’s inaugural Top 100 Wine Discoveries List

Published: 18 November, 2020

France and the US cap off a new list of wines from Robert Parker Wine Advocate, which aims to identify the next big icon wines and trends from around the globe.