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Building on bulk
With economic and environmental credentials to the fore, bulk wine is taking an increasingly premium turn, as Andrew Catchpole discovers at WBWE.
Read more...With economic and environmental credentials to the fore, bulk wine is taking an increasingly premium turn, as Andrew Catchpole discovers at WBWE.
Read more...Almost one year on from the launch of the Harpers Sustainability Charter, Jo Gilbert surveyed its signatories to find out how much progress has been made on lowering carbon footprints.
Read more...As the Harpers Sustainability Charter gathers momentum, James Lawrence looks at the progress made by just some of those involved.
Read more...Affordable and trendy, Italy’s famous sparkler has been in the fizz category’s driving seat for some time.
James Lawrence reports
Cava’s image has been bruised in recent years, not least by an exodus of nine influential producers in 2019 from the DO. Nonetheless, it remains a sparkling powerhouse, led by corporate giants Codorníu and Freixenet. The numbers speak for themselves: global exports rose by 16.45% in the first nine months of 2021, according to the Consejo Regulador. However, with stagnant growth in the UK, there are challenges ahead if the DO hopes to reconquer one of Europe’s most dynamic sparkling wine markets.
Read more...The launch of Gran Vino de Rueda is poised to raise the profile of Spain’s most prolific white DO, writes Andrew Catchpole.
Read more...With sales exceeding all expectations, the drink for good times is back on top form, finds James Bayley.
Read more...The blossoming of a British rum industry builds on the history of rum as a truly international spirit that increasingly finds its strength in both geographically blended and GI-protected areas of identification. Jo Gilbert reports.
A hard seltzer might sound like a hangover cure to us Brits, but their power in the low-calorie, low-abv proposition, is not to be sniffed at. Jo Gilbert reports.
Read more...Douglas Blyde looks at some of the more innovative strides made by Scotch producers over the course of the pandemic in order to remain resilient in the fallout from Brexit, lockdowns and the USA’s draconian import taxes.
Read more...Covid may have zapped the fizz out of celebratory occasions, but top Champagne sales are bouncing back. David Kermode reports
Read more...Is 2020 another top Bordeaux vintage and what are the chances of a strong en primeur campaign after the success of the 2019s? Gavin Quinney, our man in Bordeaux, reports
Read more...A roster of ‘gin’ liqueurs, low-quality variants and no and low copycats have drawn the ire of some this year with calls to better ring fence the category. Are these outliers artificially accelerating gin fatigue or is this all part of the category’s natural evolution? Jo Gilbert weighs in.
Definitive figures from Kantar show just how much shopping habits changed in 2020, with spirits overtaking wine in baskets for the first time and online reaching hitherto unmatched heights, as Jo Gilbert discovers.
Consumer demand for no and low alcohol products and ready-to-drink is on the rise both globally and in the UK. But how long will this growth continue? Jo Gilbert looks ahead.
Read more...David Kermode takes the measure of Champagne, which managed to add some sparkle to its sales in 2020 despite the loss of celebratory drinking occasions.
Harpers’ recent consumer tasting panel revealed a category that is yet to emerge from its mixology-focused reputation. But rapidly growing awareness and availability of quality liquid mean it could soon sit on a par with top-level Cognac and whisky. Jo Gilbert gets the 360° view.
Read more...The low and no category came into its own in 2020, but how can producers communicate
its true riches to consumers? Nigel Huddleston investigates.
The UK remains at the forefront of the premium Port category, with sales of late-bottled vintage (LBV), quality white Port, aged tawnies, single vineyard and classic vintage ports, all remaining resilient through Covid. A nation of consumers stuck at home, looking to indulge, appears to have been largely positive for the quality end of UK Port sales. Built on a long-standing relationship with the UK, sales at Symington Family Estates are up 10% by value and 9% by volume compared with this time last year.
Read more...The rise of hard seltzers in the US and, increasingly, the UK, is ushering in a new age of high functioning, health-focused drinks, which is comparable to the rise of vaping in the smoking sector. Hugh Jones weighs in.
Read more...