Power to the Punter

Technology is fast empowering the consumer when it comes to engagement, purchasing decisions, driving innovation and shaping the market, with accessible gadgets, widgets, apps and other advances changing the way wine is shipped, sold, delivered and even drunk. 

Talking about the future: The Alexa effect

With intelligent personal assistants helping consumer engagement to become increasingly human and conversational, Jo Gilbert asks what’s in store for wines and spirits

You can’t get the staff…

The shortage of good front-of-house staff is undermining a burgeoning industry. Andrew Catchpole considers what needs to be done

Cannabis: Bigger than craft

Experts are predicting that cannabis is going to be the next major challenge to wine and spirits, and is already appropriating the alcohol industry’s vernacular. Jo Gilbert reports

Washington post

If individuality, diversity and an artisanal approach are your thing, look no further than Washington’s medley of engaging wines, which today offer the modern list excitign points of difference. First, though, it's worth a glance at the winegrowing heritage in the state. 

From Beirut to the Bosphorus

Turkey and Lebanon are perfectly placed to meet the growing thirst for individually minded lists, as Justin Keay reports

Combinations target ‘promiscuous’ drinkers

The mixed drink is opening up all manner of avenues for producers and consumers alike, but how compatible are some of these hybrids? By Lisa Riley

Liberty Wines' premium on-trade report has its eye on the high ground

In an exclusive Harpers preview, Liberty Wines has shared its upcoming Premium On-trade Wine Report, identifying where growth opportunities still lie. Andrew Catchpole picks out the highlights

California's cool coastal calling

California’s Central Coast is a hotbed of innovative cult winemaking. Clinton Cawood visits the epicentre of the scene

Get to know vegan wines

Swept up in the whirlwind of healthier eating and drinking trends, Jo Gilbert finds vegan wines are broadening their mass-market appeal

Oregon: On pushing Pinot Noir

Oregon has become the Pinot Noir capital of the Pacific Northwest. Jo Gilbert traces its evolution to the modern winemakers now redefining the grape

Rising from the ashes

Opportunity and hard times lie ahead for the trade following Conviviality’s collapse and breakup of its empire. Lisa Riley assesses the impact on rival wholesalers

Looking ahead after Conviviality's fall

The pros and cons of the indie hybrid

As independent retailers adapt to survive in a competitive market, Lisa Riley asks the businesses flying the hybrid flag about the successes and challenges they have experienced along the way

Buying wine in the home of the future

Bacardi goes Back to the Bar

Last month, 5,500 Bacardi employees left their desks and headed to their local haunt for the inaugural Back to the Bar initiative. Jo Gilbert finds out more

Championing the all female winemaker list

International Women's Day 2018 this March was an important date for Caprice Holdings’ South Kensington stalwart Daphne’s, prefacing the official launch of the all-female section of its wine list, which is headlined by Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos of Château Margaux.

Portugal Uncovered

Following on from last month’s Simplesmente Vinho in Portugal, Sarah Ahmed takes a look at the producers really shaking things up for the country’s wine scene

Spain raises the stakes

Spain has long been known as the commercial hub of Europe’s classic winemaking regions – a category that has traditionally seen off-trade sales veer towards its £5-£10 “sweet spot” or lower, to the sub-£5, rather than its top tier of lauded pagos.

Riesling: gateway to Germany

Could Riesling be the answer to opening consumers' minds to lesser-known German Wines? Lisa Riley reports