Analysis & Insights - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Not just a novelty – how white Malbec is finding its niche

Published: 03 April, 2026

A familiar red is exploring new territory with an excursion into a different expression, reports Oliver Catchpole.

Mendoza: Altitude with attitude

Published: 01 April, 2026

Mendoza’s winemakers scaled new heights to unlock a brave new world of travel, taste and terroir. Now they’re ready for the next chapter, writes Jo Gilbert.

South America wine's export picture

Published: 31 March, 2026

Argentina has been on an export journey not untypical of much of the wine market – both value and volume sales over the past five years have been on a downward trajectory.

On-trade: Give consumers a reason to spend more

Published: 31 March, 2026

With many restaurants currently fighting to survive, how can they prompt customers to trade up, asks Chris Losh.

Criolla calling

Published: 30 March, 2026

Amanda Barnes MW explores whether these wines deserve recognition as a category in their own right.

Chardonnay: Preparing for battle with the old guard

Published: 27 March, 2026

James Lawrence assesses South American Chardonnay’s ability to sit at the top table.

Talking South America

Published: 24 March, 2026

Andrew Catchpole invites leading importers and producers to comment on the significant trends they and their comrades are seeing across the Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan wine scene.

What the EU-Mercosur deal could mean for the UK drinks trade

Published: 23 March, 2026

In a latest twist, the long-awaited EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement has been delayed after the European Parliament voted to refer the deal to the EU Court of Justice following opposition from the French agricultural sector. It took 25 years for the EU Council to sign the Interim Trade Agreement in January, but its completion is now, however, in sight.

Erupting popularity: Spain’s island wines

Published: 20 March, 2026

It’s a sunny afternoon in early November and tourist traffic is building along Lanzarote’s famed La Geria wine route, running through the island’s eerie lunar-like volcanic landscape.

Education is key to rum’s growth

Published: 18 March, 2026

Headlines such as ‘Rum is the big success story of the last decade’ always provoke a ‘duh’ reaction in me. I should know, I’ve enjoyed the rise of rum as a front-seat passenger for the better part of 20 years. But there is also the smug satisfaction of knowing we are in a fabulous era for tasting experiences that range from cost-effective to uber-niche sugarcane spirits from corners of the world that few knew had a rum tradition. A population with exciting diversity has a rum selection to match.

The rosé conundrum: Growing the category via darker hues

Published: 16 March, 2026

Wine critic and consultant Ben Bernheim isn’t one to mince words when it comes to rosé – a category he claims is “doing well despite the best efforts of the trade”.

How bright is the future of AI for the trade?

Published: 13 March, 2026

For the media – both trade and mainstream – the hype related to artificial intelligence’s disruptive potential has filled column inches. Despite huge claims from Silicon Valley’s tech leaders often not materialising, there are early signs the technology may be having an appreciable impact on productivity. An assessment of whether AI-induced progress has been made (or not) within the drinks trade is sorely needed. Harpers charts the lie of the land and speaks to a leading wine business about how AI’s integration – from vineyard to boardroom – has advanced.

Trade’s Gen Z despair not warranted

Published: 12 March, 2026

Gen Z has inspired many articles over the past few years, driven by a collective anxiety in the trade about how little the generation is drinking. These worries about a decline in consumption are not unfounded – national health survey data shows a peak in young adult alcohol consumption in the late 1990s and early 2000s before a long-term contraction.

Natural plateau: Can the low-intervention category stymie stagnation?

Published: 10 March, 2026

Natural wine has grown massively over the past couple of decades, moving from a niche product drunk only in a handful of ‘cool’ venues, to a much wider, and more well-known, phenomenon. A survey by the IWSR found that in 2024, 31% of regular wine drinkers were aware of natural wine (up five percentage points in three years). However, despite expectations that natural wine will continue to grow well into the future, some in the industry are beginning to think that the category is running out of steam.

Paris panel: The tariff rollercoaster

Published: 09 March, 2026

“This is not about UK vs EU vs US – it is industry vs government.” So said the typically measured Miles Beale, chief executive of the UK’s Wine & Spirit Trade Association, speaking on a panel entitled Tariffs: The Spirits Industry Under Pressure at Wine Paris.

In the DOC: Celebrating Rioja at 100

Published: 06 March, 2026

“This is a very important moment for us, Rioja is my home, I was born here… but also here we have the honour for me to represent over 600 wineries and 13,000 growers,” said Raquel Pérez Cuevas (pictured, left) at DOCa Rioja’s closing gala to its 100-year celebratory 12 months. “A century is not just about looking back with pride, but thinking what has brought us here and from this learning to understand more about how to create our future.”

Don't mention the drinks

Published: 25 February, 2026

In the wake of Michelin’s new Grapes distinction, Eloise Feilden asks why restaurant critics more generally are often drinks list-blind.

Overcoming the pitfalls of indie ecommerce

Published: 23 February, 2026

While some aspects of ecommerce may seem beyond the scope and pockets of many indies, there are ways of integrating it into a physical business, finds Oliver Catchpole.

Cork talk

Published: 18 February, 2026

With cork closures firmly back in the ascendancy, Jaq Bayles assesses why it still reigns supreme.

Austria: Tasting truths

Published: 16 February, 2026

When consumers taste Austrian wines, they often don’t look back – but how should the trade be enticing them to take that first step? David Kermode reports.