A restructure could be on the cards for the English and Welsh spirits sector, as pressure from an impending recession begins to squeeze brands at either end of the price spectrum. Jo Gilbert reports
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The current health crisis will hit the maturing gin market hard at time when competition is at its peak with buyers rationalising ranges and it may be only the very strongest that will survive, says Jo Gilbert.
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With little to celebrate, it’s unlikely consumers will be reaching for the Champagne any time soon, but the category has weathered storms before, says Chris Losh.
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Andrew Catchpole reports on the inaugural California Export conference, which drew together a host of wine experts from around the world to explore the opportunities for the Golden State.
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The annual Bourgogne Week in London, running from 7-16 January, will see producers and negociants emphasising the value of Régionale AOC wines off the back of the generally acclaimed and big volume 2018 vintage.
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Christmas is no longer a single trading period, but a series of escalating moments brimming with opportunities to upsell and drive profit. Jo Gilbert looks at where spirits slide into the mix.
It’s been on the cards for some time. Back in 2014, there were rumblings that gin was poised to overtake vodka as the UK’s spirit of choice in time for the new decade.
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Ines Salpico reports on a strategic rethink as sales of Italy’s favourite white experiences a dramatic fall.
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Young drinkers have shunned Sherry for years, writes Andrew Catchpole. But premium styles are winning them over.
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Grape spirits really don’t get a fair deal in UK bars, where even Cognac and Armagnac rarely receive the shelf space or cocktail list presence their global reputations deserve. Grapes are grown and distilled in dozens of other places around the world, but those brandies are largely overlooked as well.
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Harpers and California Wine Institute hosted an insightful and far-reaching seminar at London’s Design Museum, delivering the core message that the wine world is well-placed to better engage consumers in supporting the true costs of advancing sustainability. Andrew Catchpole reports
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Gin is at a crossroads and needs to tread carefully to retain its authentic credentials. Andrew Catchpole listens in on the debate at Harpers Think Gin event.
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The premium mixers category is becoming a crowded market, but is there just too much going on in the way of flavour, asks Kate Hawkings.
UK drinks have undergone a bona fide revolution in the past 10 years. It’s no coincidence that, since 2007, UK food and drink exports have increased by nearly two-thirds, with exports now worth £22.5 billion (Defra).
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A decade ago, González Byass UK managed to shake up a moribund sherry category with Tio Pepe En Rama. Jo Gilbert dissects its success
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Rioja’s new single-vineyard classification signals the region’s desire to go after greater premium market share. The big question is, will it succeed?
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Harpers partnered with Wines Direct to bring you this original survey, comparing UK consumer attitudes and purchasing habits with regard to French wines between 2014 and 2019.
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An old timbered barn in the heart of the rustic, misty Bas Armagnac region is perhaps the last place you’d expect to find a pop-up cocktail bar, let alone one that could pass muster in the hipper quarters of New York or London. But shakers are shaking, drinks being dispensed, with the artfully tattooed bar guru Luis Inchaurraga of Madrid Mixology mixing up a host of fabulous Armagnac-based drinks.
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As the halo effect from health and sustainability grows, pulling in everyone from full-time vegans to flexitarians, consumers are increasingly looking for the “V” symbol on wines. Jo Gilbert asks, can the wine trade afford not to be vegan?
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Thanks to its renewed reputation as a drink to be taken seriously, Lisa Riley looks at tequila’s potential in the UK as an upmarket and fashionable spirit.
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