Tim Atkin MW: China’s risky moves

“Don’t trust them,” says Leon Panetta, a rueful former US defense secretary interviewed in BBC documentary China: A New World Order, “that’s the bottom line.” It’s advice the Australian wine industry and now, apparently, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), would have done well to heed.

Jerry Lockspeiser: The wine and book markets are eerily similar

What can wine learn from other sectors of the economy? How do they add value to their products, communicate with consumers, achieve profitability?

Five minutes with Matthew Jukes

When wine critic Matthew Jukes turned to producing non-alcoholic alternatives to pair with Michelin-level food, his Cordialities hit a chord. By Andrew Catchpole

Q&A: Karim Johnny Saadé, Bargylus and Château Marsyas

Soapbox: Talking of funny foreigners

Have you ever used the ‘F word’ during a meeting with your biggest client? I have. Several times and, to make it worse, several times during the same meeting. The client was Jon Woodriffe, now of Origin Wines, but then Sainsbury’s buyer for French wines.

Guy Woodward: Reasons to be cheerful(ish)

Four things I’m excited about in 2021…

Five minutes with Owen Morgan, Bar 44

Bar 44 Group’s co-owner and self-confessed sherry nut Owen Morgan talks Andrew Catchpole through launching Manzanilla 44 with Bodegas Barón and generally advancing the cause.

Lockdown heroes: Top Cuvée

Top Cuvée’s story is like many others in 2020. A restaurant forced to close, hard decisions to be made, while leaning into other parts of the business in order to bump through furlough and intermittent lockdowns. However, like so many, there’s another story beneath. For Top Cuvée, 2020 has been an exercise in pure agility, with its co-founders having to pedal – quite literally, in some instances – from one new venture to the next in a bid to keep the lights on.

Q&A: Professor Gordy Pleyers, Université Catholique de Louvain

Taking drinks design into the realm of neuro-marketing and science, Professor Gordy Pleyers of Mind Insights at Université Catholique de Louvain introduces Andrew Catchpole to the non-conscious cues at play in our taste for wines and spirits

Jerry Lockspeiser: Britain 2021 – Fear or opportunity?

As we come to the end of this extraordinary year and look towards the future, are we filled with feelings of fear or opportunity, or a strange mix of both?

Soapbox: Bottling it

Glass sealing translates as glass ceiling for James Scott of C&C’s Proof Insights team, who argues that the 75cl bottle is killing the wine category.

Michael Saunders’ 2020 vision

Michael Saunders takes a deep dive into the challenges facing the trade as Andrew Catchpole catches up with Bibendum’s CEO and chair of the WSTA

Tim Atkin MW: Adapting to survive

The numbers are terrifying. With the imminent closure of 124 Debenhams stores and the loss of 12,000 jobs, the high street has arguably suffered its highest-profile casualty since Woolworths back in 2009. Stir in the 13,000 Arcadia employees who are likely to swell the unemployment statistics before long – and the probable disappearance of Sir Philip Green’s Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins brands – and we are contemplating a toxic brew.

Q&A: Rosana Lisa, Ramón Bilbao

As part of our Spanish Headline Hero series this month, Harpers caught up with Rosana Lisa, director of innovation, Ramón Bilbao

Q&A: Santiago Navarro, CEO and co-founder, Garçon Wines

Harpers has something of a packaging focus in this month’s issue, due to be published this Friday 4 December. As a preview, we caught up with Santiago Navarro, the creative force behind flat bottle innovator, Garçon Wines. Made from 100% recycled plastic, this innovative new format scored a major partnership with Accolades Wines this year, which will see a number of the company’s brands launch with the flat bottle format. Starting with the installation of a ‘flat’ bottling line at the company’s Bristol manufacturing base – the first of its kind in the UK – the company is now looking ahead to its imminent UK supermarket debut with the re-launch of Accolade’s eco brand, Banrock Station, in the Co-op. We spoke to Navarro about his ambition to re-shape the wine aisle.

Q&A Javier R de Galarreta, ARAEX Grands Spanish Fine Wines

Javier R de Galarreta, founder and CEO of ARAEX Grands Spanish Fine Wines, explains why Rioja remains the headline hero with the backdrop of Araex’s growing portfolio of estates straddling Spain’s premium winemaking regions

Q&A: Elena M Oyagüe, Cuatro Rayas

Winemaker Elena M Oyagüe of Cuatro Rayas explains what makes Rueda Verdejo unique, including the region’s very special old vines, and how on the food-pairing front the wines’ flexibility is akin to the little black dress and fashion

Jerry Lockspeiser: Can we plan for the unknown?

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” Charles Bukowski

5 minutes with Jane MacQuitty MBE

The Times wine critic Jane MacQuitty talks to Andrew Catchpole about her new MBE for services to wine journalism

Soapbox: Southern bias leaves a bitter taste

After enduring three months of local restrictions with little help, Sara Saunby, owner of Manchester hybrid Salut, says Whitehall’s belated decision to help the North is too little, too late