Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Nick Gillett: How independent brands can influence customer behaviour

Published: 17 July, 2023

Influencing consumers is something that all spirits brands try to do but it’s harder than you think.

Sustainability clinic to offer free advice for drink-focused SMEs

Published: 14 April, 2023

Harpers has teamed up with sustainability consultant Jeremy Rockett of Rockett Science to run a free online SME Sustainability Clinic on Tuesday 18 April, to offer practical advice and workable tips on this pressing topic.

Jerry Lockspeiser: We need to talk about sustainable wines

Published: 27 September, 2022

I hesitate to reproduce what follows for fear of dishing an event that I love, but it is such a superb example of terrible communication that I can’t resist. This is not from the world of wine, but I have had equally awful comms from wineries in non-English speaking countries.

Friday read: Pancho Campo on the wine world and climate change

Published: 06 May, 2022

Ahead of the virtual Green Wine Future 2022 conference this May, Andrew Catchpole invited organiser Pancho Campo to explain how he became a driving force for climate action and why the globe’s environmental problems are also very much those of the wine trade.

Climate change a ‘strong threat’ for six out of 10 wineries

Published: 23 February, 2022

Sustainability is to form a “real pillar” of this year’s ProWein, with the challenge of matching economic sustainability with environmental goals acknowledged as a key issue for producers and trade alike.

Harpers Sustainability Charter gathers momentum

Published: 10 February, 2022

In the short week since its launch, Harpers Sustainability Charter has attracted several high-profile companies as founding signatories, along with further interest from many quarters of the trade.

Prosecco Consortium ramps up sustainable initiatives

Published: 07 February, 2022

The Prosecco DOC Consortium has announced a series of ongoing and new projects to address key sustainability issues, in addition to a renewed focus on terroir zoning and encouraging biodiversity.

Sign up to our new campaign

Published: 04 February, 2022

Welcome to the unveiling of our Sustainability Charter, which forms the central pillar of an exciting new Harpers campaign. With sustainability rising back to the top of the world’s collective agenda, this initiative is designed to further galvanise the drinks trade and assist it in moving towards ever more pressing sustainable goals.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Seeing the big picture is more essential than ever

Published: 22 July, 2021

Many decades ago, I studied economics at university. The difference between theory and practice bothered me. All too often the first didn’t seem to describe the latter, let alone explain it. The problem was usually people – they simply didn’t behave as the theory said they should.

Five minutes with Mickaël Alborghetti

Published: 04 May, 2021

The co-founder of ethical Bordeaux wine distributor Ethic Drinks, grandson of a Burgundian winegrower and son of an environmental activist, tells Lisa Riley the story of the start-up

Ethical Bordeaux wine distributor sets sights on UK

Published: 24 March, 2021

An ethical Bordeaux wine distribution start-up has announced its ambition to launch in the UK.

UK glass manufacturer creates 'world’s most sustainable glass bottle'

Published: 09 February, 2021

Glass container manufacturer Encirc has create what it claims to be the world’s most sustainable glass bottle.

Sustainability: Join the Myths Around Food Miles debate

Published: 21 January, 2021

In just under a fortnight, Harpers and New Zealand Winegrowers is bringing together an international panel of leading trade voices for our Challenging the Myths Around Food Miles webinar.

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

Published: 02 December, 2020

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.

Spain: Leading the eco charge

Published: 30 November, 2020

Spain deserves better recognition as a leader in organic and sustainable viticulture and its time may well have come, writes Andrew Catchpole.

Tapping into organic growth

Published: 01 October, 2020

Organic can be a powerful cue for consumers, but only if the right buyers are targeted in the right way.

GB sustainability initiative given the “green” light

Published: 10 July, 2020

The environmental sustainability scheme for the UK wine industry is now underway, around a year after plans were first announced in order to put GB winemaking on a par with green rivals in New Zealand and Champagne.

Frugal Bottle shaves ‘up to 84%’ off carbon footprint

Published: 29 June, 2020

With the UK importing more than 1.6 billion heavy glass bottles of wine a year (WRAP figures), eco-packaging company Frugalpac has launched a lightweight ‘bottle’ that aims to significantly redress some of the trade’s carbon footprint.

New Zealand Winegrowers commits to cutting carbon

Published: 22 April, 2020

New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) has committed to the goal of the New Zealand wine industry being net carbon-zero before 2050.

Game-changing scale up for flat bottle packaging from Accolade-Garçon partnership

Published: 08 April, 2020

Accolade Wines has collaborated with Garçon Wines, inventor of the 750ml flattened wine bottle, to introduce the environmentally friendly bottles across several of its brands, also investing in a new bottling line as part of the partnership.