Country Reports - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Argentina report: The many faces of Malbec

Published: 24 March, 2020

A growing appreciation for Argentina’s GI system is helping Malbec slide towards the premium end of lists here in the UK. Chris Wilson asks where to next?

Argentina report: Country on the rise

Published: 18 March, 2020

In the first of our series on Argentina, James Lawrence reports (pre-coronavirus) on how the 2016 election has helped introduce the country to a new era of wine exports and global trade.

Central Otago: Pinot spotlight

Published: 06 March, 2020

Central Otago is reaching a new maturity, as Andrew Catchpole discovers at its annual Pinot Noir Celebration.

Portugal: step into a world of difference

Published: 05 March, 2020

An ever-closer relationship between the UK and Portugal is having a positive knock-on effect on sales of this European underdog. Charles Metcalfe asks if Brexit will put a stop to progress?

Austria: The view beyond Grüner growth

Published: 02 March, 2020

Austrian producers are looking to reds and rare varieties to emulate the ‘golden period’ built on the success of its flagship grape, as Lisa Riley discovers.

Australia: Reinvention in the New World

Published: 10 February, 2020

Australian winemakers are forging a new identity with a holistic approach to production that’s more in keeping with modern consumer tastes than the country’s original offerings, as Chris Losh reports.

Greece is the word

Published: 11 December, 2019

From Santorini to Naoussa and Nemea, and the thriving shop window that is Athens’ bar scene, Greece’s standout regions are ripe for exploration. Norman Miller delves deep into this fast-rising country of interest

Selling Italy in the off-trade

Published: 09 December, 2019

Justin Keay digs deep into Italy in the off-trade, taking his microscope to the supermarkets’ Italian ranges and discovering what indie customers are demanding from their local merchants.

Washington closes in on six new AVAs as wineries pass 1,000 mark

Published: 19 November, 2019

Washington State has edged closer to its aim of adding six new AVAs to its current roster of 14 as this Pacific North West producer continues on its fast growth trajectory.

Friday read: Latitude, altitude and attitude – the quest for balance and personality in Argentina

Published: 15 November, 2019

Bodega Norton and Viñalba have both played key roles in Argentina’s vinous revolution, helping to establish the country as a beacon of quality and price on the world stage. Through the lens of these two Mendonza wineries in both Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, Jo Gilbert charts how the country got to where it is today, and how a new wave of winemakers are heading outwards to explore Argentina’s terroir.

Beyond the Tejo

Published: 16 October, 2019

Jo Gilbert digs deep into the vinous roots of southern Portugal to discover how three decades of investment continues to unearth indigenous gems.

Australia’s search for ‘future icons’

Published: 18 September, 2019

Australia’s new generation of icon wines will reflect a growing confidence in listening to the Aussie palate, drawing on tradition to inform the avant-garde.

Australia: Dishing the dirt

Published: 07 August, 2019

Despite declining overall UK market share, Australia’s renewed dynamism is making headway in premium channels. James Lawrence reports

An eye on Ireland

Published: 26 July, 2019

Looking on from the UK, James Lawrence reports on the sobering effects of alcohol legislation reform on the Emerald Isle

Spain's brave new world

Published: 23 July, 2019

The sense of discovery offered by Spain still has some way to run, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

That Spain has been on a roll over the past decade in terms of generating excitement is inarguable. Reworked, emerging and new regions have been pumping out the vinous equivalent of fireworks, delighting and engaging both critics and trade.

The romantics holding on to German Riesling

Published: 19 July, 2019

Seeing as the trade refuses to give up on Riesling, Jo Gilbert caught up with the true believers who are putting the grape front and centre – and are picking up disciples in the process

The new Argentine wine map

Published: 15 July, 2019

Sommelier and wine writer Alejandro Iglesias traces the efforts of winemakers working within the country’s rigid GI system to highlight Argentina’s unique terroirs.

Austral Patagonia: the march to the world's most southerly winery

Published: 08 July, 2019

Argentina used to have the most southern vineyards in the world until Central Otago surpassed them. However today, the cultivation of vine at latitude 45 in Chubut province adds to the Argentina’s viticultural map, representing a new challenge for winemakers working in the mountainous regions and also in the Patagonian plains. Here, Alejandro Iglesias breaks down the new southernmost border of Argentine wine.

Lebanon: Return to roots

Published: 13 June, 2019

Perched on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, yet with vineyards at altitudes of 1,000m and above, Lebanon offers a promising mix of conditions for the production of great wines. Of course, the first wave of Lebanese wines to make their mark internationally were largely blends based on Bordeaux varieties, with some notable successes, gaining a niche but loyal following. However, in tune with the country’s location and viticultural history, a second wave of indigenous and Mediterranean varieties are now emerging as winemakers realise the potential for varieties that carry more of an indigenous signature.