Harpers invited a panel of independent merchants and sommeliers to join Grant Burge chief winemaker Craig Stansborough to talk, taste and pair his Barossa styles with some demanding dishes. Andrew Catchpole was on hand to assess the feedback on these modern Australian wines and their place in the premium drinking repertoire.
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Three years on from Seedlip’s launch, moderation is on the up while the number of regular wine drinkers in the UK is going down. Low and no alcohol might be the category the wine trade didn’t want, but it’s here to stay, says Jo Gilbert
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As New Zealand struggles to establish regionality, Loire winemakers in the “home” of Sauvignon Blanc are re-carving their identity by putting their unique soils front and centre. Jo Gilbert reports
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As the WSET hits 50, Andrew Catchpole talks to chief executive Ian Harris MBE about driving forward a great British export
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Fun fact: the Oxford Word of the Year 2018 was “toxic”. Why toxic, you ask? Every year, the eminent Oxford University institution chooses a word or expression that is judged to “reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations of the passing year” and have “lasting potential as a term of cultural significance”.
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Rum’s challenges and opportunities are clearly visible in the on-trade, where it is widely championed by bartenders and misunderstood by consumers. Jo Gilbert sets out to explore the many ways thisclassic party drink is unlocking its full potential
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The number of leaders with confidence in the future of their own company within the eating and drinking-out market took a knock in the three months to November 2018, according to the latest CGA Business Confidence Survey.
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It’s well reported that Australian wine sales into mainland China have been booming, driven by a compelling mix of favourable trade deals, attractiveness of style to Chinese consumers and a firm commitment by the Australian industry to push into that market. Moreover, as with many other territories around the world, the US included, such buyers are prepared to pay a good price for the pleasure of listing the wines.
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Bibendum PLB is reasserting itself as a major premium player on the UK wine scene. Andrew Catchpole meets chief executive Michael Saunders to discover what’s in store
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As we eagerly await the Christmas trading results, Lisa Riley looks back at 2018 and the ups and downs across the drinks categories
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New Zealand’s wine scene has come a long way since its inception in the 1970s. Jamie Goode meets the personalities driving change in leading region Marlborough
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Alternative formats are sometimes looked down on by the wine elite, but the best packaging innovations don’t just stand out on shelf, they create entirely new ways of reaching and interacting with the consumer. Jo Gilbert investigates
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As automated technology gets more affordable and efficient, it will free up businesses to place people at the heart and soul of the drinks trade – if used correctly. Jo Gilbert reports
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A census in a rabbit warren, needle in a haystack – numerous similes come to mind when attempting to get to grips with 2019’s plethora of events. Concern over the looming prospect of Brexit hasn’t dampened the trade’s voracious appetite for putting on a grand show, and next year promises to be no exception.
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As the halo effect from health and sustainability grows, pulling in everyone from full-time vegans to flexitarians, consumers are increasingly looking for the “V” symbol on wines. Jo Gilbert asks, can the wine trade afford not to be vegan?
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There’s been no shortage of innovation in wines and spirits over the past year.
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Rioja’s Viñedos Singulares classification is a major step towards elevating the region’s status, writes Tim Atkin MW.
Rioja’s Consejo Regulador is the oldest in Spain, a body that owes its existence to a Royal Decree, no less, of October 22, 1926. From the start, the Consejo’s mandate included the right to take legal measures against “usurpers and counterfeiters of the Rioja brand”, as well as to issue production seals, demarcate the region and decide on its future direction.
Thanks to its renewed reputation as a drink to be taken seriously, Lisa Riley looks at tequila’s potential in the UK as an upmarket and fashionable spirit.
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Good design may only sell the one, first bottle if the liquid inside is discovered to be below par. But present the most sublime booze in a mediocre or off-putting package and the painstaking craft of the distiller or winemaker is likely to be left collecting dust.
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Linking up online and offline channels is now expected by not only consumers, but B2B clients too. Jo Gilbert looks at the companies bringing greater visibility to the supply chain while oiling the wheels of stock management and logistics
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