Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

WineCap Q1 2024 Report: A summary

Published: 18 April, 2024

Wine investment firm WineCap has released its Q1 2024 Fine Wine Report offering a comprehensive market overview.

Cat Lomax joins Goedhuis Waddesdon

Published: 17 April, 2024

Goedhuis Waddesdon has announced the appointment of Cat Lomax as head of buying.

Long Read: Grand Cercle boss on the steps to save Bordeaux

Published: 15 April, 2024

The ‘future’ of Bordeaux was on show in London last week at the Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux, as the region continues to weather the storms of climate change and downward pricing pressures.

Wine Advocate appoints British editor-in-chief

Published: 08 April, 2024

Wine Advocate, the bimonthly wine publication founded by Robert Parker in 1978 has appointed a non-American editor-in-chief for the first time in its history.

WineCap cautiously optimistic for 2024

Published: 11 January, 2024

Following news that the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index ended 2023 down 14.1%, WineCap has outlined its expectations for the year ahead, amid a ‘correction phase’ which might present opportunities for investors.

Liv-ex 100 closes 2023 down 14.1%

Published: 09 January, 2024

After several years of enjoying relative immunity to the surrounding socioeconomic turmoil, the fine wine sector finally succumbed in 2023, suggesting investments are not as fail-safe as they once were.

Fine wine no longer ‘pillar of stability’ in tumultuous market

Published: 11 December, 2023

In 2022, fine wine established itself as a powerful alternative amidst times of economic turmoil, a pillar of stability in an otherwise volatile equities market.

Naked Wines press tasting: 'The next big thing is Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone'

Published: 15 September, 2023

From start-up to grown-up, Naked Wines’ press tasting in central London boasted a growing range of French classics to complement its portfolio of independent winemakers from across the world.

Independents: Cutting it fine

Published: 14 August, 2023

From ‘classics’ to new contenders, Chris Losh sizes the trends at the high end.

Cult Wines: Bordeaux takes a tumble with steepest fall in June

Published: 07 July, 2023

Cult Wines, which has its finger on the pulse of the fine wine market, reports a -0.83% decline in fine wine markets in June, marking the downturn of a broader market correction following an extended rally which ran from mid-2020 through to 2022.

France Report: Agile approach

Published: 26 June, 2023

Frozen out at the entry level by difficult harvests, and with increasingly eye-watering prices at the top, France is having to be nimble as a category – though its brand equity remains high, writes Jo Gilbert.

Food and wine the focus at Bibendum tasting

Published: 25 May, 2023

Yesterday (May 24), Bibendum welcomed the trade to its ‘A World of Fine Wine’ spring cellar-tasting featuring Old and New World regions with one notable exception – Bordeaux.

Bordeaux 2022: Some like it hot

Published: 10 May, 2023

Harpers’ man in Bordeaux, Gavin Quinney of Château Bauduc, weighs up the 2022 vintage – and finds it could be one of the greats, though uneven.

Fine wine remains relatively stable amidst economic uncertainty

Published: 14 April, 2023

In times of market turmoil, such as the 2008 financial crash, the coronavirus pandemic or the war in Ukraine, fine wine has proved itself to be an asset largely insensitive to macroeconomic uncertainty.

Bordeaux's evolution

Published: 28 November, 2022

There’s no denying that Bordeaux is a big beast when it comes to wine. Not only do its most famous names dominate the heady heights of investment portfolios, well-heeled cellars and critics’ scores, but it also produces some 25% of all French AOC wines. It’s the biggest appellation in France, with some 111,400ha under vine. And, to put that into perspective, the whole of Australia’s vineyard area tallies 146,244ha (2021 figures, CIVB and Wine Australia respectively). As such, it’s a powerhouse of vinous production.

CIVB: Talking Bordeaux

Published: 25 November, 2022

CIVB president Allan Sichel talks to Andrew Catchpole about the challenges and changes faced by this multi-faceted region.

Champagne trade share at all-time high according to Cult Wine Investment

Published: 16 November, 2022

Fine wine investment specialist Cult Wine has released its 2022 Champagne report and the investment potential “speaks for itself” according to the experts.

Tim Atkin MW: Singling out Rioja's merits

Published: 02 November, 2022

Modern and traditional are surprisingly slippery terms in Rioja and should be handled with caution. Techniques, ideas and debates that are considered contemporary turn out to have strong historical precedents. Reading Ludger Mees’ new book The History of Rioja Wine (Routledge), I was struck by how often the present echoes the past. As early as 1771 – long before Rioja became a famous wine region – people were grumbling about excessive yields and low prices, the very subjects that still exercise commentators, growers and producers today.

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.”