By Barnaby Eales - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

 WSTA and CEEV call for regulatory alignment post-Brexit

Published: 27 March, 2020

Wine trade bodies, the WSTA and CEEV have jointly urged the British government to maintain regulatory alignment on wine post-Brexit.

WSTA in pan UK-EU talks to ensure GIs protected post Brexit

Published: 13 March, 2020

By January 2021, when Brexit comes into force, WSTA, the UK’s drinks lobby group, will no longer be a member of the pan-European wine trade body, CEEV. But ahead of further UK-EU trade talks, the two bodies are uniting once more to lobby for the continued smooth trade of wine across the English Channel.

Emporda obtains White Carignan recognition

Published: 04 March, 2020

Spain has authorised DO (PDO) status for the White Carignan grape variety in the Empordà appellation of Catalonia.

AB InBev acquires Argentinian vineyard

Published: 18 February, 2020

Global beer giant AB InBev has acquired the Dante Robino vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina, according to numerous news reports in Argentina.

Friday Read: Why we shouldn’t be grubbing up bush vines

Published: 07 February, 2020

“Don’t grub up bush vines!” was the resounding advice from Pedro Ballesteros MW at the new Barcelona Wine Week this week, where he cited Catalan Garnatxa producers as examples to follow in the need for a new approach in viticulture to tackle climate change.

Portugal boosted by recovery of volumes

Published: 11 December, 2019

Several Portuguese wine regions have recovered volumes this year, bringing the country in line with its five year average, but in the new ‘abnormal’ of climate change, things aren’t quite adding up.

Amathus unveils new Portuguese portfolio

Published: 03 December, 2019

Amathus Drinks has added more than 30 wines from 11 Portuguese producers.

Double-digit UK growth for Rías Baixas Albariño

Published: 12 November, 2019

Britain's thirst for Albariño wines from Galicia, in Spain, continues to grow with Rías Baixas DO wine exports to the UK jumping by 21% in volume and 23.5% in value in the last year.

Organic rise lifts Spain's export potential

Published: 14 October, 2019

The number of organic wine producers in Spain jumped by 10% in 2018 to 1,033 up from 939 in 2017, new government figures show.

Ribera whites herald new era

Published: 08 October, 2019

Spain’s Ribera del Duero wine board has authorised DO (Denominación de Origen) status for white wines.

InVivo wine shores-up Armit with £4m investment

Published: 04 October, 2019

France’s InVivo Wine has pumped £4m into Armit Wines to shore-up the London wine merchant’s finances.

Friday read: Maxime's push to simplify German wine classification

Published: 20 September, 2019

In anticipation of the biggest reforms to German wine law in almost 50 years, Rheinhessen vintners are calling for a simpler approach to Germany’s baffling wine classification systems.

Organic sparkling wine DO move sparks new Cava rift

Published: 17 September, 2019

Corpinnat and Classic Penedès producers in Catalonia have joined forces in a bid to create the world’s first certified organic sparkling wine Denominación de Origen (DO-PDO).

Marques de Riscal ponders breakaway Rioja Reserva move with XR launch

Published: 12 September, 2019

Marques de Riscal has released its XR Rioja Reserva 2015, a wine which the Spanish producer said heralded its push for a new category of Reserva wines.

Anjou investors chase drier styles as sweet sales dwindle

Published: 16 July, 2019

The renaissance of dry Chenin wines, together with dwindling sales of sweet wines, have driven investors in Quarts-de–Chaumes – the Loire’s only Grand Cru appellation – to switch production from sweet to dry wines.

Exton Park unveils expansion plans

Published: 18 June, 2019

Exton Park has unveiled ambitious expansion plans including the construction of a 'temple of wine’, Harpers has learned.

Rioja rule rewrite aims at greater traceability and transparency

Published: 12 June, 2019

Rioja’s wine board has adopted a sea of far-reaching measures including rules on new legally binding bottle label references aimed at providing greater transparency and guarantees for consumers over wine production.

Bordeaux producers acquitted over fungicides case

Published: 01 May, 2019

A French court has acquitted two Bordeaux wine producers in a highly sensitive case over the spraying of chemicals, which allegedly provoked sickness in a teacher and dozens of schoolchildren.

‘Exceptional’ vintage prompts UK distributors to turn to Muscadet

Published: 12 March, 2019

An ‘exceptional’ 2018 vintage coupled with a consistent rise of quality of wine production from a new generation of vintners in the Pays Nantais has prompted UK distributors to turn to Muscadet.

Quinta da Aveleda turns to rosé in £6 million Algarve investment

Published: 01 March, 2019

Portuguese wine producer Quinta da Aveleda has announced a £6 million investment in the Algarve, which is expected to primarily focus on the production of rosé wines.