Analysis & Insights - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Spain report: Extremes roundtable with Ramón Bilbao

Published: 06 November, 2023

Andrew Catchpole gathered a specialist panel to explore the evolution and boundary pushing across Spain.

Spain Report: Owen Morgan on Sherry

Published: 03 November, 2023

Founder of the award-winning 44 Group of tapas restaurants, bars and a hotel, self-confessed sherry fanatic Owen Morgan gives his pointers on how to take the category forward.

Spain Report: Cava rides youthful wave

Published: 01 November, 2023

As Cava enjoys a boost in popularity with a younger generation, James Bayley learns how explaining the nuances of the Spanish fizz could broaden its appeal further.

Headline Heroes: Wines with altitude

Published: 30 October, 2023

Ribera del Duero is one of Spain’s biggest triumphs – a fine wine icon in the making. The Castilla y León region has been pivotal throughout the country’s rich history. Vines here have been supplying the Spanish court with superlative red wines for many centuries, and it is also the birthplace of El Cid! Yet when the Ribera del Duero DO (appellation) was created in 1982, there were just nine wineries in this arid corner of north-western Spain.

Spain Report: Reinvigorating Ribera

Published: 27 October, 2023

Sustainability, low intervention and fresh expressions are the new face of this evolving region. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Headline Heroes: Domaine Bousquet – Brilliance through innovation

Published: 25 October, 2023

James Lawrence finds out how Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet has inspired others by breaking new ground in sustainable winemaking.

Spanish wine has potential in diversity

Published: 23 October, 2023

Spain is seen as exciting and in evolution by those in the know. But the wider industry and consumers still stick to Rioja. How can Spain’s multiplicity infiltrate the UK mainstream? James Bayley reports.

Global Grenache Taste-Off

Published: 20 October, 2023

With this versatile variety on the rise, Andrew Catchpole invited a panel to take a dive into its possibilities and progress on the world stage.

Argentina: Move over, Malbec

Published: 17 October, 2023

Jo Gilbert speaks to the trailblazing producers at the vanguard of Argentina’s white wine revolution.

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.

Tech: The greenwash gap

Published: 11 October, 2023

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.