News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

CATCHING THE DRIFT

Published: 23 July, 2008

Is new product development the way forward for standard blended Scotch, or should the category be looking for clues in its most successful market - Spain? David Williams reports

Eric Appleby of Alcohol Concern believes that the British should cut their alcohol consumption by 50%. The WSA's Quentin Rappoport is adamant that sensible drinkers are being stigmatised and that alcohol can be life-enhancing. Here, they go head-to-head on alcohol misuse in the UK and the trade's responsibilities.

A MISSPENT YOUTH?

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Holy Grail for wine producers is to convince the elusive generations X and Y to cast aside their PPSs and PPLs and pick up a bottle of wine. But new research suggests that the majority of this age group feel they will be drinking more wine in the future anyway. So are wine marketeers wasting their time? Jack Hibberd investigates

TAKING FLIGHT

Published: 23 July, 2008

The standard of airline wines has improved dramatically since the Seventies, when Hock and Claret topped the in-flight menus. But how are today's airline wines selected and packaged, and what do carriers and suppliers predict for an immediate future overshadowed by war and economic uncertainty? Jack Hibberd takes to the skies

NICHE WORK

Published: 23 July, 2008

Set against a backdrop of socio-economic problems - urban drift, antiquated production values - and the controversial application for EU admission, Cyprus' wine industry is battling gamely to convert its export profile from bulk to alternative wines. Joanne Simon reports on the positive mood at the island's four big producers

GLUT IS GOOD

Published: 23 July, 2008

It has been a tough year for America, and with the news that grape prices in California have slumped along with demand, it isn't getting any easier. Yet the mainstream UK wine drinker is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the US. Brand California is on a roll, as Christian Davis reports

OUT ON A LIMB

Published: 23 July, 2008

Uruguay is the forgotten "other" of South America, languishing behind the sheer bulk potential of Argentina and the frisky success of Chile. But as Jim Budd reports, Uruguay's best hopes for a breakthrough lie in a role model far from the Andes

WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS

Published: 23 July, 2008

Far from being geared merely towards the large-scale production of mediocre wines, Joanne Simon discovers that two Italian co-operatives are driving quality production in two very diverse regions, Trentino and the Marches

Seminar Video: Fact or Fiction: The Young Adult Market

Published: 23 July, 2008

On 2 July, the IWSC turned its attention to the future of the industry in a seminar called Reaching the Young Adult Market'. Watch video of the speakers here.

BIODYNAMO

Published: 23 July, 2008

Michel Chapoutier talks to Neil Beckett about AOC, Hermitage, biodynamics, terroir and quantum physics, while tricking him into eating huge quantities of pig fat

ON A ROLL

Published: 23 July, 2008

Cigars, it seems, never go out of style. But like any consumer item, they are vulnerable to trends, peaks and sales troughs. Joanne Simon speaks to the UK's premium cigar purveyors to find out what's currently setting the stogy market alight

MORE GLOSS, MORE DROSS

Published: 23 July, 2008

Harpers' letters bag has been bulging with responses to Andrew Jefford's recent survey on Britain's wine PR and press. Key signals from his initial findings and the backlash make scary reading for British wine writers, but there's more good news for brands. Here, Andrew presents an update

Coming up ross

Published: 23 July, 2008

Provence may be best known in wine terms for ros, but not everyone in the ancient Var dpartement is keen on building a profile around the infamous pink stuff. Joanne Simon reports on a growing split among local producers

MOVE OVER NOUVEAU

Published: 23 July, 2008

The race for Beaujolais Nouveau may be over, but more serious wines have joined the fight for market share. James Aufenast reportsThe race for Beaujolais Nouveau may be over, but more serious wines have joined the fight for market share. James Aufenast reportsThe race for Beaujolais Nouveau may be over, but more serious wines have joined the fight for market share. James Aufenast reports

TOP TABLE

Published: 23 July, 2008

Renowned for its Port, the Douro Valley has been slow to make the grade as far as table wines are concerned. But, as Jamie Goode reports, a new generation of like-minded winemakers is helping to establish it as Portugal's most dynamic wine region

THE STATE OF THE FOURTH ESTATE

Published: 23 July, 2008

Wine writers spend much of the time lobbing verbal hand grenades and garlands from the safety of their PCs. Are they making and breaking the reputations of wines, or is their scribbling merely a self-indulgent irrelevance? Andrew Jefford invites the opinions of key trade figures and journalists

SUNSHINE AND SHOWERS

Published: 23 July, 2008

Europeans often fall into the trap of thinking that Southern Hemisphere summers are as consistent as ours are fickle. But the 2002 vintage confounded that notion, with Australia experiencing its coldest-ever summer in some areas, and the south of Chile one of its wettest. Harpers reviews the mixed harvest in key New World countries

THE CHANGING FACE OF WINE - PART 2

Published: 23 July, 2008

This week, Harpers concludes its review of The Fifth International Symposium of the Institute of Masters of Wine, held in Vienna between 11-13 July. In sessions and workshops, key speakers debated a range of thorny issues, from GM to RO, brands to corks, and custom-made wines to the spirit of AOC. Neil Beckett and Tim Atkin MW report

THE CHANGING FACE OF WINE

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Fifth International Symposium of the Institute of Masters of Wine was held in Vienna between 11-13 July. Neil Beckett presents the first in a two-part report on an event which saw prominent critics and producers debate the nature and desirability of changes sweeping through the world of wine

On the move

Published: 23 July, 2008

In 2000, the big news for Argentina in the UK was the establishment of a new generic office. A year on, market share has not increased greatly and the country remains in the shadow of its neighbour over the Andes. Charlotte Hey asks the trade what Argentina should do now