Connected packaging revs up

At any one time, there are an average of seven trillion pieces of packaging in the world. The opportunities offered by technology to engage with consumers via the bottle are only just getting started, says Jo Gilbert.

Fine wine market hits new highs

The global secondary fine wine market has hit new heights in 2021, surpassing previous records and growing in variety. Andrew Catchpole dips in.

Online uplift to grow

Ecommerce is to remain a key driver of value growth in global alcoholic drinks markets, with wine to the fore. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Yuletide cheer

With supply and delivery issues forcing indies to be nimble and imaginative for the Christmas rush, Andrew Catchpole asked a trio of merchants how they prepared for the festive sales spike in such an unpredictable year.

A year in review: The 2021 challenge

James Lawrence picks out the highs and lows of another history-making year.

Wine vision

James Lawrence reports on the main findings from the ninth annual Sopexa Wine Trade Monitor survey.

30 Under 30: The drinks trade’s future leaders

Harpers is launching 30 Under 30, a brand new list highlighting the top young talent blazing a trail in wines and spirits. Self-nominate or nominate a colleague now to be in the running and to help us celebrate the rising stars working in our trade.

Indies: Sustainable steps

With sustainability roaring back to the top of the agenda, Harpers surveyed the indie sector to discover what demonstrable initiatives, innovations and actions leading merchants have implemented on their green journey.

Port’s new groove

An explosion of on-trend Port products with instant drinkability is providing a fillip to a previously flatlining category, finds Jo Gilbert. 

How can scotch thrive post-pandemic?

Douglas Blyde looks at some of the more innovative strides made by Scotch producers over the course of the pandemic in order to remain resilient in the fallout from Brexit, lockdowns and the USA’s draconian import taxes.

Chile's old vine renaissance

Shifting sales

With ‘shop local’ boosting convenience stores and premium on the rise, Angela Mount rounds up the changes wrought on and by the multiple retail sector.

Retail's great reboot: The future to 2030 and beyond

Euromonitor’s Commerce 2040: The Future of the Store in a Digital World report envisions a seamlessly blended on and offline shopping experience, with major inventory shifts making way for value added experiences in store that keep consumers coming back for more. Jo Gilbert reports

Premium wine sales on the rise

Michelle Perrett dives into Liberty Wines’ latest on-trade focused report, rounding up the top takeaways. 

Embracing change: What the experts think

The recent Bellavita London event hosted a panel – Sustainability in Wine, From Vineyard to Table – chaired by wine consultant Angela Mount, against the backdrop of COP26. The discussion was wide-ranging, featuring leader in sustainability in wine Muriel Chatel, MD of Borough Wines, plus key distributors including Kim Wilson, MD of North South Wines; Beverly Tabbron MW, head of training and education at Hallgarten & Novum Wines; Jon Carson, MD at C&C Wines; and Judith Candy, business development manager at Garçon wines. The debate covered many areas, with speakers asked to summarise their key message to the audience. From shedding a “silo mentality” to the need for a focus on the younger generation – “the future of wine” – by way of a strong call to action for the trade as a whole, these were their takeaway messages.

Climate change and wine: An incurable situation?

There is no vaccine for the climate crisis, the OIV said last week as it put “extremely low” global production estimates for 2021 squarely at the door of climate change, as Jo Gilbert reports.

Nowhere to hide

Wine and spirits are, at their heart, agricultural products, albeit given the somewhat magical twist of fermentation or distillation. Which means that any adverse affect from climate change can and will filter through to the final product, literally under the consumer’s nose, rather than just remaining a more peripheral concern in the wider world. Producers of wine especially are increasingly aware of what was described as an “existential threat” to their livelihoods, as outlined at a recent International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) seminar in London.

Unpicking the duty system

Now the dust has settled and the Chancellor has published proposals to change the UK alcohol taxation system, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, picks apart the pros and cons of the suggested model.

Esoteric but firmly grounded

How new wave Spain is building a repertoire of modern, terroir-driven classics. By Ines Salpico.

Sustaining Spain

As world leaders in sustainable and organic practices, Spanish winemakers are also discovering the benefits in the bottle, as Andrew Catchpole reports.