People & Opinion - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Profile: Octavian

Published: 14 March, 2024

Andew Catchpole heads underground to meet Octavian’s Vincent O’Brien in this extraordinary West Country storage facility.

Guy Woodward: The stories and glories of wines

Published: 12 March, 2024

In 1980, Neil and Lorraine Ashmead were looking to move back to their native Australia after several years spent working in Saudi Arabia. Keen for a rural enclave to raise their two sons, they found a homestead in the Barossa Valley, surrounded by a derelict vineyard of old Shiraz and Cabernet vines.

Five minutes with Thibault Lavergne, Wine Story

Published: 05 March, 2024

Andrew Catchpole caught up with Thibault Lavergne of Wine Story at Vin, London’s leading French tasting, to find out what makes this specialist importer tick

Producer Q&A: Michael d’Souza, John Distilleries

Published: 27 February, 2024

With India now slaking over half the globe’s thirst for whisky, Andrew Catchpole asks winemaker-turned-leading distiller Michael d’Souza for the inside track.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Should business get involved in politics? Like it or not, we already are

Published: 22 February, 2024

Back in the good old days when my life involved selling millions of bottles of Hungarian wine to the UK’s major retailers, I made an appointment with the buyer at Sainsbury’s. They bought from one of our competitors and were proving a hard nut for me to crack. Buyers often kept suppliers waiting beyond the appointed time, so I settled down with my copy of The Guardian in anticipation.

Soapbox: Importer labelling by stealth

Published: 20 February, 2024

Miles Corish MW, MD of Milestone Wines, takes issue with ‘a classic case of smoke and mirrors’.

Buyer’s Spotlight with Jason Millar: Burgundy 2022

Published: 15 February, 2024

Dipping into the Burgundy tasting season, Jason Millar says there is value to be found.

Profile: Hallgarten's new future with Coterie Holdings

Published: 13 February, 2024

From five years of “looking into the abyss”, Hallgarten’s future has been assured by a serious, if somewhat mysterious, new player in the form of Coterie Holdings. Jo Gilbert caught up with Andrew Bewes, MD of the former, and Michael Saunders, CEO of the latter, to peer beneath the surface of this major new deal.

Tim Atkin MW: The problem with misplaced reverence and hallowed wines

Published: 09 February, 2024

It was a scary moment, at least in wine terms. There I was in the cellar at Domaine Leroy in Vosne-Romanée, tasting some of the most expensive reds on the planet. Meetings with Madame Bize are never relaxing. She combines hauteur with the ability to freeze a glass of Pinot Noir at 10 paces. People who have earned her displeasure are never granted access to her presence again.

Five minutes with Stef Holt, Mangrove Global

Published: 06 February, 2024

Jo Gilbert catches up with Stef Holt on her new role as the first curator of world whisky for Mangrove Global.

Producer Q&A: Noelia Orts, Emiliana, Chile

Published: 30 January, 2024

Emiliana, the world’s largest organic winery, has sustainability woven into its soul, with wines to match the winemaker’s passion. Andrew Catchpole dropped by.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Are we forgetting what customers care about most?

Published: 25 January, 2024

Izzy is a twenty-year-old student at York University. Many decades ago I was one there too. In my time students received grants for living costs and tuition fees were paid by the Government. Today those are dealt with by repayable loans. But the loans may not be enough to allow access to all. Like Izzy, for example.

Buyer’s Spotlight with Jason Millar: Campania

Published: 23 January, 2024

Jason Millar makes the case for an under-represented Italian region, the wines of which he says rival those of Sicily.

Profile: Jascots’ and Bolney’s symbiotic advantages

Published: 18 January, 2024

Under new leadership Jascots Wine Merchants marches on, strengthening its on-trade reach while making inroads with indies, as Andrew Catchpole discovers.

Guy Woodward: The perils of eco-friendly embellishment

Published: 16 January, 2024

I spent Christmas in South Carolina, to where my wife’s parents have just moved after three decades in Colorado. What with the new home and the festive season, there was much to celebrate. All of which, naturally, called for a special bottle.

Five minutes with Guillermo Calderón, Casas del Bosque

Published: 09 January, 2024

Andrew Catchpole catches up with Guillermo Calderón, Casas del Bosque’s sales director and a Casablanca Sauvignon and Pinot specialist, to discuss the trends shaping Chile.

Pushing Britain’s prestige fizz potential

Published: 05 January, 2024

The launch of a smartly-packaged £395 English sparkling wine may show quite some chutzpah, but as James Lawrence reports, it’s not alone in helping nudge the category into triple figure pricing.

Producer Q&A: Jonny Croft, Small Batch Spirits

Published: 02 January, 2024

With a great story behind it, Cargo Cult Spiced Rum looks set to raise the premium for the category. Andrew Catchpole meets the man behind the mission.