France - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Liv-ex 2021 Bordeaux En Primeur survey results revealed

Published: 16 May, 2022

After a two-year pause of En Primeur tastings, the international trade returned to Bordeaux for the 2021 vintage.

2021 a challenging year for Bordeaux winegrowers

Published: 28 April, 2022

The 2021 vintage once again put Bordeaux winegrowers to the test. But their technical choices, changes in practice, improvements and perseverance were rewarded with beneficial late-season weather conditions.

Louis Latour Agencies expands portfolio with Provence

Published: 25 April, 2022

Louis Latour Agencies has announced a significant expansion to their portfolio in the shape of Provence wine producers, Château Sainte Roseline Cru Classé and Château des Demoiselles. The wineries will join the Louis Latour portfolio from May 2022.

Liv-ex predicts ‘off’ vintage for Bordeaux 2021

Published: 21 April, 2022

A wet and cool 2021 is likely to result in “heterogenous vintage” for Bordeaux, with large gaps in quality between appellations and estates predicted to result in significant numbers of “indifferent wines”.

Bordeaux Day returns to London and Manchester

Published: 13 April, 2022

Now in its second year, Bordeaux Day will be returning to Manchester and London this July for two days of tastings, meetings and conversations. The two events will provide a unique opportunity for the UK trade to meet producers and agents and to discover the quality, diversity and value that modern Bordeaux wines offer.

Age as a thing of beauty

Published: 11 April, 2022

The concept of old vines has been a marketing tool for decades. From California to France and Spain, ‘vieilles vignes’ and other – unregulated – designations are a generally agreed-upon method of sending a message to the consumer. The message is usually about quality and development – how smaller yields and nutrient-rich vines are likely to result in more concentrated, complex wines.

Full steam ahead for Harpers Loire Valley competition

Published: 04 April, 2022

Merchants across the UK continue to sign up to the Loire Valley Wines competition, organised in collaboration with Harpers and the region’s promotional body.

Depleted yields create ‘tension’ following a stellar year for Burgundy exports

Published: 28 March, 2022

Burgundy is struggling to keep up with rising demand, as a record revenue-producing year in 2021 now puts pressure on winemakers to make the most of depleted stocks.

Vins de Provence rosés: sales rise by 9% in 2021

Published: 28 March, 2022

After a 6% drop in 2020, winery sales bounced back by 9% last year, according to data released by the Provence Wine Council (CIVP). The recovery is mainly due to good export figures, fuelled by booming European markets, and increased sales in channels such as wine merchants and hospitality outlets.

Bordeaux and Rioja intertwined as ever at BEIWE event in Haro

Published: 25 March, 2022

The Barrio de la Estación International Wine Encounter (BEIWE) combined two great wine regions, Rioja and Bordeaux, as five hundred wine professionals visited the historic Haro Station District for a tasting to remember.

Indigo Wine explores the Alpine hills with new additions

Published: 08 March, 2022

Brixton-based distributors Indigo Wine has made some exciting discoveries in the Alpine hills.

Guy Woodward: The influence of ambience

Published: 08 March, 2022

Guy Woodward

C&C signs exclusive partnership with Moët Hennessy in Scotland

Published: 07 March, 2022

C&C Group has announced a new sales and distribution agreement with Moët Hennessy in Scotland, making them the primary distributor for the wine and spirits division of the LVMH group north of the border.

Beefed up buying power clinches Gérard Bertrand exclusivity at Bibendum

Published: 04 March, 2022

Bibendum Wines has won the exclusive rights to distribute the wines of Southern French pioneer Gérard Bertrand in the UK, Harpers can reveal.

D’Yquem puts the emphasis on young and old with new Lighthouse series

Published: 11 February, 2022

Chateau d’Yquem is encouraging consumers to try their sweet wines young as part of a global by-the-glass initiatives with key on-trade players, while also allowing more time for the wines to age at the winery before being bottled and released to market.

Bourgogne Wine Board announces landmark collaboration to achieve carbon neutral status

Published: 11 February, 2022

The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) has enlisted the help of Paris-based waste management firm Adelphe, working together to develop an overarching strategic vision to achieve carbon neutral status by 2050.

Burgundy 2020

Published: 11 February, 2022

Lay & Wheeler’s Burgundy expert and buyer Catherine Petrie MW gives Andrew Catchpole the inside track on the 2020s campaign.

Wines of Roussillon launches three-year promotional campaign

Published: 08 February, 2022

The Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Roussillon (CIVR) has unveiled a new three year generic campaign, designed to raise the profile of the region in the UK, supporting the commercial efforts of its wine producers and importers.

New date for Occitania trade fair while Vinexpo prepares to launch

Published: 08 February, 2022

The inaugural edition of a new regional wine fair in Montpellier, Dégustez en VO!, will take place on 2 and 3 May 2022.

Registrations open for Bordeaux Hot 50 Selection 2022

Published: 28 January, 2022

The CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council) has invited retailers, agents and producers to submit wines for the Bordeaux Hot 50 Selection competition, now in its third year.