Italy - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Future-proofing Prosecco

Published: 31 May, 2023

Prosecco continues to build momentum in the UK and power onwards on a global scale. Lucy Shaw looks at the trends that continue to revitalise this seemingly invincible category.

Italy bounces back

Published: 30 May, 2023

Despite another challenging year across the trade, the appetite for Italian wine is as strong as ever in the UK, James Bayley reports.

Domenico Clerico Tasting: 'Our wines are like Ferraris'

Published: 12 May, 2023

Like all great Italian institutions, Domenico Clerico’s small estate is a product of passion, producing wines with great personalities.

New generation takes the helm at Cantina Kurtatsch

Published: 02 May, 2023

The torch is being passed to the next generation at Italian cooperative Cantina Kurtatsch in the mountains of Alto Adige.

Isole e Olena showcases new Chardonnay as Italian whites come to the fore

Published: 28 April, 2023

Yesterday (27 April), Paolo De Marchi of the Isole e Olena estate in Tuscany was in London to present a vertical tasting, albeit with a slightly unfamiliar lineup.

Prosecco DOC announces record shipments to UK

Published: 20 March, 2023

The Prosecco DOC Consortium announced record shipments to the UK in 2022, importing 130 million bottles, a 3.5% increase on 2021 volumes.

Jascots adds Sartarelli to portfolio

Published: 17 March, 2023

Jascots Wine Merchants has added producer Sartarelli to its 750-strong portfolio, strengthening its Italian reach with this Marche-based estate.

Daou brothers turn attention to Tuscany

Published: 17 March, 2023

Daou Family Estates has expanded its reach with the purchase of an as yet unnamed property in Tuscany.

Chiaretto eyes Provence's crown

Published: 24 February, 2023

Chiaretto for Christmas? Sadly, despite more and more people drinking pink all year round, Italy’s bestselling Rosado Chiaretto di Bardolino didn’t grace many British dinner tables last December and won’t at Easter. A quick Google suggests some retailers stock it – Fortnums has two – but most main supermarkets and even The Wine Society draw a blank, suggesting the limited inroads it has made here. Which is frankly rather surprising, given the history of this wine, and the increasing popularity of the rather similar Provence rosé.

Cantina Toblino joins the Bancroft Portfolio

Published: 17 February, 2023

Bancroft Wines, the Uk-based importer and distributor, has added Cantina Toblino of Northern Italy to its portfolio.

Friday read: Paolo De Marchi leaves 'happy ghosts' at Isole e Olena

Published: 27 January, 2023

Justin Keay reports on a recent visit to Paolo De Marchi of Isole e Olena winery towards the end of 2022, in what turned out to be an elegiac trip. In 2022, De Marchi completed his last vintage after almost 50 years.

Maisons Marques et Domaines adds Tenuta Luce to UK portfolio

Published: 25 January, 2023

Tenuta Luce has announced that it will be commercially represented by Maisons Marques et Domaines in the UK market.

Chianti Classico: A landscape of change

Published: 23 January, 2023

Chianti Classico is ramping up focus on its diversity as its new UGA Gran Selezione wines reach the market. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Chianti Classico: Respect for tradition, terroir and the planet

Published: 23 December, 2022

James Lawrence looks at how Chianti Classico has evolved to build sustainable winemaking practices and rigorous tasting processes into its traditions to premiumise its wines.

Prosecco DOCG launches Green Academy and Wine Tourism lab

Published: 19 December, 2022

To mark its 60th anniversary, the Consorzio of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG has announced the launch of two new initiatives. The first is a research facility called, The Green Academy, which will enable producers to work more efficiently for the benefit of the region environmentally.

Friday read: The revival of Bardolino’s crus

Published: 09 December, 2022

Few Italian wine regions have had as much of a roller coaster ride as Bardolino, nestled up against the beautiful eastern shores of Lake Garda, where wine has been made since Roman times.

New limits on Etna to control invasive investment

Published: 02 December, 2022

New moves to limit Etna DOC (PDO) wine production volumes have been designed to maintain and control average grape prices, as a way of preserving the Sicilian mountain’s wine economy, its environment and viticultural heritage, the Etna DOC wine board has said.

Hundred-day Sicily harvest promises “excellent vintage”

Published: 04 November, 2022

Sicily’s hundred-day harvest concluded at the end of October on Mount Etna following months of “favourable” weather contributing to healthy grapes and ultimately an “excellent vintage”.

The rise and rise of Franciacorta

Published: 28 October, 2022

The sparkling wine industry has arrived at a crucial moment. As markets have expanded and consumer attitudes evolved beyond the ‘just for celebrations’ paradigm, brands can expect to achieve growth that would have been impossible in the 20th century. As the hottest consumer wine topic in the UK, the scope to encourage further premiumisation across different sparkling categories is unprecedented.

Italy's northeast: A cool and crisp offer for the UK

Published: 13 October, 2022

Industrious, dynamic and diverse, northeast Italy is one of the nation’s viticultural powerhouses. Yet the region has arguably become a victim of its own success: exports to the UK are largely dominated by Prosecco and other internationally renowned styles, such as Amarone and Pinot Grigio. A great deal of excellent wine, very much on-trend in terms of moderate alcohol, has been sidelined. However, with consumers starting to grasp the profusion of what northeast Italy can offer, key stakeholders have a renewed focus on bringing esoteric styles to our indie merchants and restaurants in 2022.