Analysis & Insights - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Facing up to climate change

Published: 02 August, 2018

The Climate Change Leadership Porto Summit gave compelling reasons for the drinks trade to take a lead on tackling global warming, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Some of the most enjoyable games of the football World Cup so far have been match-ups featuring lesser-known nations – countries that you know play good football but are not up there with the likes of Brazil, Spain and Germany in the pantheon of soccer greatness.

Malbec rising

Published: 31 July, 2018

Far from suffering from its mass appeal, Argentina’s flagship grape is heading for the next level. Andrew Catchpole reports

Cottoning on to Cava

Published: 30 July, 2018

For Cava connoisseurs, Prosecco and Champagne can’t compete when it comes to quality and value for money. Jo Gilbert looks at how businesses are converting

Computer vision: an eye on the future

Published: 26 July, 2018

Computer vision has been used for years for facial recognition software and this this type of technology will become instrumental in decoding drinking trends, says Jo Gilbert.

Vodka: return of the king

Published: 23 July, 2018

Vodka may have been eclipsed in recent years by the gin boom. But Britain’s bartenders are rediscovering its charms.

Mousiness: What's the deal?

Published: 23 July, 2018

Mousiness is on the rise, and there’s confusion over the problem.

Taking ownership of the wine in the bottle

Published: 18 July, 2018

Own-label is on the rise, adding the lion’s share of value growth to the wine category in the UK. Jo Gilbert reports

Independent survey: What's selling

Published: 18 July, 2018

In our latest poll, Harpers gave independent merchants a chance to identify those wines that always get consumers coming back for more. We looked at how these bottles stacked up

Back to nature

Published: 16 July, 2018

Alison Jane Reid asks if wine is the next culinary frontier to undergo a squeaky green, clean, organic and biodynamic makeover

Mind the gap

Published: 12 July, 2018

Lisa Riley examines the issue of equal pay in the wine trade and finds shining examples of how not to discriminate

End of the casual dining bubble?

Published: 04 July, 2018

Jo Gilbert explores the biggest challenges to the high street as we know it

Greek whites having their time to shine

Published: 29 June, 2018

Malagousia, Vidiano, Kidonitsa, Savatiano and Moscofilero may yet be unfamiliar names to some, but arguably they represent the emerging chorus of indigenous Greek white wines ready to take centre stage with Assyrtiko.

The urbane spread of urban wineries

Published: 26 June, 2018

London’s growing number of urban wineries is cleverly capitalising on the hyper-local trend by bringing winemaking and wine tourism to consumers’ doorsteps.

Italian innovation

Published: 25 June, 2018

Harpers approached leading producers and consorzios to discover where investment is taking place and what new varieties, styles and initiatives are being driven forward

Harpers Industry Briefing: The Future of the Agency Model

Published: 21 June, 2018

Harpers editor Andrew Catchpole gathered a cross-trade panel at the London Wine Fair to examine the evolving role of the agent in a fast-changing world, sparking a lively debate among those present. This event took in the implications for all those in the supply chain, asking what added service and value both producers and accounts now expect from agents, along with the issues, challenges and opportunities presented by a highly competitive marketplace. Here are some of the key points from the session

Drink in the pink

Published: 20 June, 2018

As the trend for pink spirits continues, Nigel Huddleston takes a look at the plethora of products flooding the market

Premium territory

Published: 14 June, 2018

Wine is helping to drive a modest return to growth in global alcohol consumption, according to new data from IWSR, which identified an uplift in total global alcohol sales of 3.5 million 9-litre cases in 2017 over 2016 levels.

The green view

Published: 12 June, 2018

Lisa Riley looks at why businesses will garner more clout with consumers if they step up their sustainability credentials

Thinking outside the wine box on global shortages

Published: 08 June, 2018

Sourcing more cannily, focusing on quality and seeking out alternatives are just some of the outcomes that have resulted from increased supply and price pressures over the past few years. Re-evaluation was a key theme at the London Wine Fair Innovation Zone debate on May 22, as panellists discussed how best to meet changing consumer needs when global consumption patterns and global supply rarely see eye to eye.