Analysis & Insights - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Christmas 2023: Stay-at-home value

Published: 16 October, 2023

James Lawrence takes a pre-emptive dive into Christmas, consumer confidence and festive drinks trends.

M&S: Championing diversity

Published: 13 October, 2023

Twelve months on from announcing its ‘wine transformation’ exclusively to Harpers, M&S and its new-look range is starting to take shape. James Bayley reports.

Alcohol is lagging behind other sectors in the sustainability stakes when it comes to convincing consumers it is doing enough to safeguard both people and the planet. Jo Gilbert looks at how innovation can help.

Gavi goes for gold

Published: 10 October, 2023

This classic Piedmont appellation is looking to deepen its appeal through a focus on terroir-driven wines, where the impact of the region’s red and white soils reveals itself with age. Jo Gilbert reports from a recent visit.

Duty hikes: Exploring abv options

Published: 09 October, 2023

With autumn tastings in full swing, and with it the opportunity for retailers, wholesalers and suppliers to show off new stock, Harpers wondered if there might be an influx of lower-abv wines in light of the duty hikes. James Bayley reports.

Sicily and the revival of the fittest

Published: 04 October, 2023

James Lawrence looks at how Sicily’s winemaking scene is thriving and organic certification is on the increase.

Headline Heroes: Crémant rises

Published: 02 October, 2023

The UK’s appetite for sparkling wine has led to increasing sales for wallet-friendly Champagne alternatives, and crémant ticks the right boxes. James Lawrence reports.

Washington post

Published: 29 September, 2023

America’s second-biggest wine-producing region is a hotbed of evolution and experimentation, with a pioneering spirit still shaping the state. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Italian sparkling round table

Published: 28 September, 2023

Amid a buoyant and still rising sparkling wine category, Harpers invited a top panel to assess the positioning and full potential of Italian sparkling wine and Trentodoc Metodo Classico wines.

Introducing wine tech from the space-age

Published: 22 September, 2023

Jo Gilbert takes a deep dive into Deep Planet – the revolutionary diagnostics tool that works with the European Space Agency to offer vineyard management advice.

Round Table: Low & no

Published: 20 September, 2023

In partnership with Wild Idol and Spirits of Virtue

Headline Heroes: Revival of the fittest

Published: 18 September, 2023

James Lawrence looks at how Sicily’s winemaking scene is thriving and organic certification is on the increase.

Independents: Paying the duty bill

Published: 15 September, 2023

Jo Gilbert reports on the results of Harpers’ latest survey, where we asked independent retailers to let us know which cost pressures are affecting them most – with inflation and duty unsurprisingly leading the charge.

Chile’s cool evolution

Published: 11 September, 2023

Chile is in the midst of a dramatic revision of its viticultural assets. Andrew Catchpole asks three leading producers what part the larger companies are playing.

The Douro’s steep learning curve

Published: 08 September, 2023

To keep up quality with its expanding still wine production, Sogevinus must also fight climate change. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Analysis: Green targets and scope 3 emissions

Published: 04 September, 2023

The global beverage industry has some serious catching up to do if it is to have a hope of hitting its 2030 and 2050 green targets, with Scope 3 emissions woefully lacking in pace. Jo Gilbert reports.

Unusual Suspects: New York State

Published: 01 September, 2023

New York State has been slowly but steadily growing its UK presence. Andrew Catchpole finds out why.

Unusual Suspects: Emerging regions

Published: 01 September, 2023

If good marketing is made up of good stories, then wine and spirits certainly have some of the greatest tales to tell, with distillers, vineyards and wineries to be found in some of the most unlikely places. Here, Harpers rounds up some of our favourite eclectic producers from around the world.

Unusual Suspects: The Balkans

Published: 30 August, 2023

Caroline Gilby MW picks out some of the most promising regions of the Balkans, with Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and North Macedonia offering a wealth of worthy wines waiting to be explored.

Packaging: Weighing up the options

Published: 30 August, 2023

With glass in the firing line and alternative packaging now routinely found in supermarkets, Jo Gilbert asks: is there a price ceiling for consumer buy-in for alt formats?