As 2023’s first new signatory to Harpers Sustainability Charter, Direct Wines’ head of sustainability Chris Millson talks Andrew Catchpole through the necessity of progress.
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The UK hospitality trade rode a wave of World Cup fever in November, when sales were above a still somewhat Covid-dampened environment at the end of 2021. However, with inflation biting hard and more disruption on the way over Christmas 2023, operators could be set for a challenging end-of-year run.
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In English, it’s just drizzle. In Spanish, it’s more graphic. The literal translation of ‘calabobos’ is something that soaks fools. Rather than a downpour – the sort of weather that sends you scurrying for a doorway – it’s the kind of rain you barely notice, the stuff that drenches your clothes, drip by drip by drip.
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After a challenging period that saw all other major wine events pushed back from early 2022, Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris has trumpeted a successful return to the fray.
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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.
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Sitting in reception at one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets waiting for the wine buyer to appear for our appointment, I flicked through my newspaper. When he arrived, I hurriedly stuffed the paper into my briefcase, but not before the buyer had caught sight of it. “Ah, you are one of those are you?” he said, having identified my copy of The Guardian.
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The WSTA summit highlighted how the potential for blockchain and other digital supply chain technologies are quickly taking off at pace for wine. But given its energy-guzzling reputation, is this solution sustainable? Jo Gilbert reports.
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Simon Huntington, former head of ecommerce at trade merchant and retailer Roberson Wine, looks at some of the difficulties faced by companies who have diversified into online retail and outlines how by trying to talk to everyone, they risk being heard by no one.
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A fresher, technology-driven approach to white wine in the Rhône is helping producers in both the north and south of the region to find an audience, as Simon Woods reports.
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The pandemic has been a catalyst for sales of English and Welsh wine at home and abroad, accelerating a sector that was already on its way to great things. How to keep up momentum is the question, writes Jo Gilbert.
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A recent survey commissioned by fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index suggests that the pandemic has led to a surge of interest in fine wine buying – either for immediate consumption or longer term investment.
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The Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) has unveiled a new project aimed at developing a new way to assess wine.
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Many decades ago, I studied economics at university. The difference between theory and practice bothered me. All too often the first didn’t seem to describe the latter, let alone explain it. The problem was usually people – they simply didn’t behave as the theory said they should.
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Clean and green but far from its markets, New Zealand is pushing for greater understanding around shipping-related emissions, as Andrew Catchpole reports.
The whole of the on-trade has been gravely impacted by the closures associated with Covid. However, the night-time economy, which looks set to fully reopen in July – two months after other indoor hospitality venues – continues to suffer the worst of the impact, with operators calling for more clarity on their future.
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The UK must adopt a regionally tailored recovery strategy if it is to recover fully from the impact of the global pandemic, which has exacerbated London-centric trends.
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The numbers are terrifying. With the imminent closure of 124 Debenhams stores and the loss of 12,000 jobs, the high street has arguably suffered its highest-profile casualty since Woolworths back in 2009. Stir in the 13,000 Arcadia employees who are likely to swell the unemployment statistics before long – and the probable disappearance of Sir Philip Green’s Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins brands – and we are contemplating a toxic brew.
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Panellists at the Wine and Spirits Trade Association Trust’s (WSTA) second summit session advocated for government support on traceable technology for the movement of goods – while dropping plans for costly and time consuming paper VI1 forms.
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The Freixenet Copestick team is raising money for The Drinks Trust through the month of May with an initiative called the FXC Drinks Dash.
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Discount multiple retailer Aldi has unveiled a free new online wine course aimed at helping consumers find their way around the wine aisle.
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