Analysis & Insights - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Time of change for Rioja

Published: 04 November, 2021

Ambitious producers are relying on forgotten grape varieties and modern techniques to add new dimensions to Spain’s best-known wine region, as Justin Keay reports.

Headline hero: Exploring Navarra

Published: 03 November, 2021

In assocation with Wines of Navarra

This proud region is also one of the most innovative in Spain, taking native and international varieties in its winemaking stride. Andrew Catchpole offers a taster of its highlights.

Spain inches up

Published: 02 November, 2021

Spanish wines appear to be holding ground against the broader UK wine market, with signs of uplift at the mid-to-high end. Andrew Catchpole sizes up the stats.

Spain's driving forces

Published: 01 November, 2021

Spain’s leading brands are showing that ‘big’ can be an innovative force for moving the category forward. Jo Gilbert catches up with the country’s top names.

Redefining Malbec

Published: 28 October, 2021

Argentina’s flagship grape continues to evolve, with renewed emphasis on vineyard sites and terroir. Amanda Barnes, author of The South America Wine Guide, reports.

Christmas 2021: An optimistic appraisal

Published: 27 October, 2021

The British tabloids have spoken: Christmas 2021 is unlikely to yield much festive cheer. Unfortunately, this isn’t simply press hyperbole – the UK’s food industry is under enormous pressure, while retail supply chains continue to be stymied by a lack of HGV drivers.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released a set of data in September which confirmed that the on-trade staffing crisis has not abated. “Sourcing staff has been one of our biggest challenges since we reopened,” says Avinash Shashidhara, head chef at Pali Hill restaurant in London.

The fast supper: The new pace of casual dining

Published: 26 October, 2021

Jo Gilbert reports from last month’s Casual Dining Show, where the FutureFoodservice report, The Rebuilding of Hospitality, predicted the shift of the sector towards faster, ‘social re-fuelling’ occasions

Building a wine subscription model

Published: 25 October, 2021

The traditional wine club has gone online and re-emerged as a strong subscription proposition for businesses of all shapes and sizes, as Jo Gilbert reports from Harpers’ SITT panel discussion.

The post-pandemic somm

Published: 21 October, 2021

Staff shortages and supply problems are only some of the challenges sommeliers are facing today, as Jacopo Mazzeo reports.

What is the cost of blockchain?

Published: 21 October, 2021

The WSTA summit highlighted how the potential for blockchain and other digital supply chain technologies are quickly taking off at pace for wine. But given its energy-guzzling reputation, is this solution sustainable? Jo Gilbert reports.

Diverse paths

Published: 19 October, 2021

Jo Gilbert caught up with the first two winners of the Gérard Basset Foundation’s diversity scholarships to talk wine, representation and onward journeys.

SITT: The Future of the On-Trade

Published: 19 October, 2021

Harpers’ Shaping the Future of the On-Trade debate at SITT London brought together leading operators to discuss the changing face of business in a post-pandemic world.

The big freeze

Published: 18 October, 2021

The tailbacks at Felixstowe are the latest plot-twist in the ongoing Covid and Brexit supply saga which is causing disruption for operators. Jo Gilbert looks at the impact on bulk shipments.

Rebranding the Languedoc

Published: 14 October, 2021

Premium wines emerging from the Languedoc are shifting perceptions on a global scale, as James Lawrence reports.

France Report: The Rhône’s great whites

Published: 11 October, 2021

A fresher, technology-driven approach to white wine in the Rhône is helping producers in both the north and south of the region to find an audience, as Simon Woods reports.

Discovering the charms of Roussillon

Published: 06 October, 2021

As the home of France’s fortified sweet wines, with a dazzling array of soils and microclimates forming a vinous bridge between France and Spain, the Roussillon deserves to be recognised as a distinct region with its own unique identify. Jo Gilbert discovers a region ready to stand on its own two feet. In partnership with Wines of Roussillon.

Prestige fizz holds its own

Published: 04 October, 2021

Covid may have zapped the fizz out of celebratory occasions, but top Champagne sales are bouncing back. David Kermode reports

France performs against the odds

Published: 30 September, 2021

France has emerged from the pandemic in rude health with the “staggering” performance of rosé and impressive bounce-back from Champagne only representing the tip of what this wine powerhouse has to offer, as Jo Gilbert reports.

Reasons to pick Riesling

Published: 29 September, 2021

Harpers partnered with Wines of Germany for its Big G closing debate, which mulled over the topic ‘A wine for all reasons: why German wine is the smart choice’. These extended highlights give a flavour of that far-reaching discussion and what indie retailers and restaurateurs alike can do to boost their German category sales. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Amazon locks in new approach for wine and spirits

Published: 27 September, 2021

Gated alcohol aisles in Amazon’s growing ‘just walk out’ bricks-and-mortar stores have introduced barriers for wine and spirits sales. Jo Gilbert reports