Chateau Ksara upgrades sustainability initiatives to tackle “extreme” climate pressure

Chateau Ksara, a leading Lebanese wine producer and one of the country’s oldest companies, has announced it is pushing forward with a roster of new climate action initiatives to tackle “extreme pressure” on natural resources.

Ukrainian wines seek independents

Against many odds, a first shipment of 8,232 bottles has left Ukraine as part of a new initiative by Propeller designed to support its producers by bringing its wines to the UK.

Ukrainian vodka supports fundraising for British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal

Emporia, a spirits importer, is teaming up with several bars across the UK to serve cocktails with the Ukrainian Vodka ‘Staritsky Levitsky, Private Cellar’. 

National Wine Agency of Georgia announces expanded campaign for the UK

Following another year of strong export growth in the UK, the National Wine Agency of Georgia has confirmed an expanded promotional campaign for Britain.

Expanded indie-focused campaign follows rise in Georgia imports

Georgia’s national promotional body has teased a number of new initiatives in the UK market after 2020 showed a marked increase in the number of importers, wholesalers and retailers working with Georgian wines.

Long Read: Orange wine leads the pack at the newly organic Cramele Recas

Cramele Recas, Romania’s largest winery, has reached a major landmark in its march towards organic winemaking, with its first certificated organic wines now reaching the UK.

Q&A: Karim Johnny Saadé, Bargylus and Château Marsyas

Flint Wines makes Greek debut

Santorini-based Vassaltis Vineyards will be joining the ranks at Flint Wines, marking the first time the distributor has listed wines from the country.

IXSIR powers through Lebanon challenges to declare healthy vintage

Leading Lebanese winery IXSIR is reporting a “healthy” 2020 vintage, despite the harvest beginning within days of the deadly explosion that rocked Beirut and increasing Covid-19 restrictions.

Cramele Recaș announces €7m investment as it achieves organic status

Cramele Recaș, Romania’s largest winery, has earmarked an investment of over €7m in 2021 as it declares 2020 a “premium” vintage and achieves organic certification for two of its three wineries.

Long Read: Moonshine and fruit wine – a postcard from post-Covid Latvia

Pernod Ricard, Mentzendorff and Lucky Saint alum Hugh Jones upped sticks recently and headed to Baltic capital Riga where he found an emerging drinks industry with parallels to the UK's own. 

Special IXSIR and Enotria tasting organises relief for Lebanon

Etienne Debbané, president and co-founder of IXSIR will be hosting a special tasting on Enotria’s Instagram page tomorrow (Thursday), with 50% of the proceeds going to relief efforts for Lebanon.

Cramele Recas secures Waitrose listing

Cramele Recas has secured its first listing with Waitrose.

Georgian UK wine exports continue to surge

Georgian wine exports to the UK surged, albeit from a small platform, in the first quarter of this year boosted by a quartet of new importers. 

Cramele Recas donates further trio of ventilators and medical equipment

Cramele Recas has donated a further three ventilators and medical equipment to hospitals in Timisoara, Romania, to help frontline healthcare workers deliver the best care in the fight against coronavirus (Covid-19).

Georgian wines up 60% in UK

The National Wine Agency of Georgia has announced a big push on its country’s wines for 2020 after exports rocketed 60% last year.

Furmint February puts climate change in the crosshairs as only three out of ten vintages are good enough for Aszú

The extent to which climate change is impacting the production of styles of Furmint was highlighted at recent Wine of Hungary masterclass, where participants were told that making sweet wines will be the “challenge” for Tokaj over the next decade or even century. 

Spotlight on 2020: Zsuzsa Toronyi, Wines of Hungary UK

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Q&A: Philip Cox, founder, Cramele Recas

An innovative Romanian winery has put the country on the vinous map. Andrew Catchpole talks to the iconoclast at the helm

Q&A: Hemant Kotecha, founder/managing director, Myliko Wines

Widely credited as establishing Hungarian wine in the UK, Myliko Wines’ founder and managing director Hemant Kotecha caught up with Jo Gilbert to explain how importing ski jackets from Romania evolved into a pioneering wine business