Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Five minutes with Matt Hodgson, Grape Britannia

Published: 06 December, 2021

Matt Hodgson, founder of English wine specialist Grape Britannia, says the time has arrived to look beyond fizz to the UK’s homegrown still gems.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Is it time to kill wine’s sacred cows?

Published: 01 December, 2021

It really is hard to know what to believe these days. The digital world enables instant sharing of information across the globe, which seems good and democratic. Just about anyone can participate. But with it comes lower reliability and veracity of what is being communicated, making it easier to seed fake gospels claiming that two plus two equals five, or seven, or even nine. Perhaps what really matters is the extent to which people make decisions and take actions as a result.

Loire vintage 2021: 'Hard year, but versatile and beautiful wines'

Published: 17 November, 2021

Winegrowers in the Loire Valley region grappled with a difficult and challenging season, but were rewarded with a good crop of fresh and aromatic wines, according to a new harvest report from InterLoire.

Supercharging Verdejo

Published: 04 November, 2021

Spain’s leading white region has its eyes firmly set on the top table, with a new quality tier underpinning its ambition, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Liberty report: Reversal of off/on-trade trends buffers hospitality recovery

Published: 03 November, 2021

Liberty Wines’ latest report has noted the positive effect of the reversal of the trends from the on to the off-trade over the course of the pandemic, with the growth in popularity of independent wine retailers during lockdown and an overall move towards experimentation feeding back into the on-trade and helping to boost sales.

Ribera del Duero Top 100 Tasting to be hosted by Tim Atkin MW

Published: 25 October, 2021

Tim Atkin MW and Harpers columnist is to host his annual Ribera del Duero Top 100 Tasting, which will showcase the best wines from the region in 2021.

Kingsland Drinks signs new partnership with The Iconic Estate

Published: 05 October, 2021

Kingsland Drinks has agreed a new partnership with Romanian wine producer – The Iconic Estate – in a move to further broaden its offering.

Long read: Raising a glass to Australian wines

Published: 30 September, 2021

The UK’s love for Australian wines shows no signs of abating. With good availability, competitive pricing, and good transport and distribution networks, supply from Australia is still extremely attractive for UK buyers and wine drinkers. Here, Paul Braydon, buying controller for Kingsland Drinks, delves into the wine trends emerging from Australia, shares insights on the category post-FTA (Free Trade Agreement), and what the UK drinks sector can expect to see next.

Dine-in occasions bounce back with a vengeance

Published: 29 September, 2021

Dine-in occasions are on the rise as consumers return in-person to restaurants – a shift in consumption patterns which has resulted in greater buy-in for drinks.

Alto Adige producing Cabernet Sauvignon to “rival Bordeaux”

Published: 16 September, 2021

Rising temperatures are encouraging winegrowers in Italy’s Alto Adige region to plant more Bordeaux varieties that had previously struggled to ripen, according to a leading producer.

Masi wraps organic range in sustainable style

Published: 09 September, 2021

Italian wine producer Masi Estates has launched a new range of organic wines in 100% sustainable packaging to meet growing consumer concern over sustainability.

Bancroft takes on distribution of Juliet Victor Tokaj

Published: 09 September, 2021

Bancroft Wines has teamed up with Tokaj producer Juliet Victor for the UK distribution of its single vineyard Furmints and sweet wines.

Five minutes with Adolfo Hurtado, Mont Gras

Published: 07 September, 2021

The charismatic winemaker at Chile’s Mont Gras talks to Lisa Riley about how growing up around vineyards influenced his three new wine ranges – Day One, Organic, and Devine Reserva – distributed by North South Wines.

Majestic launches new subscription club

Published: 01 September, 2021

Majestic has revealed details of its new subscription model — Wine Club’ by Majestic.

New Zealand vintage 'exceptional' but down 19%

Published: 14 June, 2021

The quality of the 2021 vintage has been described as "exceptional" throughout New Zealand’s wine regions, although the harvest was smaller than hoped for, according to New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW).

2020 Bordeaux ‘highest scoring vintage ever’ at top end

Published: 10 June, 2021

Based on a basket of 115 top wines, the 2020 Bordeaux vintage has been awarded the highest scores ever by Wine Lister’s partner critics.

Harpers Wine Stars Awards 2021: Italy

Published: 10 June, 2021

Highlighting the people and places wowing the judges in the Harpers Wine Stars Awards.

James Davis MW joins Henkell Freixenet

Published: 18 May, 2021

James Davis MW will be joining the Henkell Freixenet team in a newly created role from the first week of July.

Hawke's Bay hails trio of 'outstanding' vintages

Published: 26 April, 2021

Premium New Zealand wine region Hawke’s Bay has reported a third high quality vintage in a row, following “near perfect growing condition”.

Frost signals “significantly smaller” vintage for New Zealand harvest

Published: 20 April, 2021

Cooler spring weather and late frosts have led to a “significantly smaller vintage” for 2021, New Zealand Winegrowers has said, applying pressure at a time when the industry is facing increased production costs.