Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

EU awards Willamette Valley Wines PGI status

Published: 19 July, 2021

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA) has been awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status and protection by the European Union (EU).

California: Challenging French supremacy

Published: 15 April, 2021

The smartly boxed and sleekly designed sample bottles distributed ahead of the recent California Wine Institute’s Essential California at Home series of tastings were eye-catching in other ways too.

Long Read: English Pinot Noir comes of age

Published: 18 February, 2021

Pinot Noir has long had a place in UK winemaking, as part of the classic Champagne varieties and, to a lesser extent, still variants often from select vineyards or small parcels. Now, with an increasingly changing climate helping to ripen and tease out those darker fruits, it could be poised to strike out on its own, as Jacopo Mazzeo surmises.

Roberson adds Cali wines to London Cru

Published: 29 October, 2020

Roberson Wine has expanded its own London Cru brand with two Californian producers, marking the first wines from the wine country to join the portfolio.

Lyme Bay unveils Pinot Noir with 14.7% abv potential

Published: 20 October, 2020

Lyme Bay Winery (LBW) has reported a batch of Pinot Noir with potential alcohol levels of 14.7% - a record for the UK it claimed.

SA’s DGB acquires Fryer's Cove

Published: 12 October, 2020

South African wine and spirits company DGB has purchased Fryer's Cove for an undisclosed sum.

North South to raise wildfire funds

Published: 05 October, 2020

North South Wines is to launch a new wine in the UK from Monterey-based Scheid Family Wines as part of a drive to raise crisis funds for businesses and communities devastated by the recent wildfires in California.

Lyme Bay sets sights on becoming major UK red wine producer

Published: 30 September, 2020

Lyme Bay Winery (LBW) is gearing up to re-enter the UK red wine market with the aim of becoming one of the largest producers in the country.

Te Pā gains first major UK listing

Published: 13 August, 2020

Māori-run family estate te Pā has won its first major multiple listing with its Pā Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, which are bound for Tesco.

Bollinger adds first cuvée in over a decade with Bollinger PN

Published: 06 July, 2020

Champagne Bollinger has added its first permanent cuvée in 12 years with the launch of Bollinger PN, the first of an intended series focusing on the house’s flagship grape.

Affordable tiers of English still wines ‘crucial’, says Oz Clarke

Published: 29 June, 2020

Affordable tiers of still whites and red blends will be essential in supporting the rise of English sparkling wines both at home and on export markets.

Louis Latour continues quest for affordable sites outside of Burgundy

Published: 21 May, 2020

Maison Louis Latour has been ramping up its search for the best slopes for its hero Pinot Noir grape outside of Burgundy as a way of offering customers “stable” wine prices.

Cono Sur rolls out organic range

Published: 20 May, 2020

Chilean producer Concha y Toro has launched a new organic range under its Cono Sur label.

Jackson Estate says 2020 Marlborough vintage potential to be ‘the best ever’

Published: 14 April, 2020

Jackson Estate has said that from a viticulture perspective, the 2020 vintage in Marlborough has the potential to be "one of the best ever”.

Gusbourne expands still wine offer

Published: 30 March, 2020

Kent-based sparkling-wine producer Gusbourne is to make available a number of limited-release still wines this year.

Central Otago: Pinot spotlight

Published: 06 March, 2020

Central Otago is reaching a new maturity, as Andrew Catchpole discovers at its annual Pinot Noir Celebration.

Hattingley Valley releases first still wines

Published: 05 March, 2020

Hattingley Valley is officially broadening its stable of wines beyond sparkling with two new still wines soon to be released as part of a stand-alone range.

NZ targets indie retailers with Pinot promotion

Published: 02 March, 2020

New Zealand Winegrowers is to run a promotion for the UK and Ireland’s independent retailers offering three winners the chance to win a trip to Pinot Noir 2021.

NZ tasting: alternative styles playing expanding role in export growth

Published: 16 January, 2020

Rosé, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are among a slew of ‘alternative’ varieties and styles notching up a greater share of New Zealand’s collective wine exports, as “international appetite grows to expand the range”.

Tim Atkin MW: Taking wine to the limit

Published: 10 January, 2020

The life jacket seemed like a good idea, given the size of the launch and the strength of the wind barreling down the jetty. Nervously, I climbed on board and prepared for the final leg of a journey that had started more than 1,000km away in Santiago with a flight to Puerto Montt. From there, I’d taken a ferry to the Isla Grande de Chiloé and driven to Quicavi on its eastern coast. Now it was time to visit the tiny island of Añihué, home to one of the most remote and unusual vineyards in the world.