David Babich on how carefully matched food helps bring his wines alive

David Babich, general manager of the family-owned Babich Wines, which reaped its first vintage in Auckland's Henderson Valley in 1916, along with Dinah Kinnear, sales manager for Europe, introduced their wine range at a special event hosted by UK distributor, PLB, at London's Underground Cookery School.

Chris Stroud's World Cup Memories with Saudi Arabia, Roger Milla and Bryan Robson

Adam Withrington on New Order, Ghana, Suarez and his World Cup memories

Well that was a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion. Too many bad memories if you happen to be Brazilian, but dreamland for the Germans. To help bring us back down to earth we turn to Adam Withrington, PR manager at Treasury Wine Estates for his World Cup Memories.

Jason Wilson: whatever happened to Viognier becoming the next big thing?

Whatever happened to Viognier becoming "the next Chardonnay"?

Adrian Atkinson on Zidane, Lineker and Barry Davies in his World Cup memories

After the long, two day wait, the World Cup in Brazil starts again later today with Brazil back in to action againt Columbia. To get you in the mood, here Adrian Atkinson is the latest to step up to the plate and share his World Cup memories.

Ted Sandbach, Oxford Wine Company: what I want from my suppliers

As an independent wine merchant one of the important and challenging jobs is how we deal and negotiate with suppliers. These can be large national companies or small boutique operations and we could be dealing with anything from the old fashioned "rep" to owners, directors or winemakers.

David Cartwright remembers Mario Kempes, Gordon Banks and Bryan Robson

And then there were four...yes the Brazil World Cup is getting down to the serious stuff with only the semi-finals and final to go. But there is still time for members of the trade to share their World Cup Memories. David Cartwright of Seckford Agencies is the latest to take up the challenge.

Tim Atkin MW on the hail crisis in Burgundy and what producers could learn from Argentina

"Would you like to go up in one of our planes?" asked Eduardo Martín, director of the Argentinean Ministry of Agriculture's anti-hail squad. It was an offer that was all too easy to refuse. In Mendoza, the 24 pilots who are employed by the Ministry to combat hail are paid danger money and deserve every peso. Since 1998, when planes seeding clouds with silver iodide replaced rockets as a way of combating the biggest risk to vineyards, the pilots have been doing what must rank as one of the scariest jobs in the world. You fly inside a cloud at 1,500 metres for up to seven hours a day with almost zero visibility, relying on your instruments to guide you. A plane went down in 2004 and it won't be the last.

Richard Siddle on why independents are demanding so much more from major suppliers

It was nearly three years ago when leading independent wine merchants and their suppliers came together to hold open debates on how they could work closer together. The sessions, organised by Harpers, culminated in both sides agreeing a set of Best Practice Guidelines by which they felt they could work better together.

The rum doctor: Dr Frank Ward of WIRSPA

Harpers.co.uk caught up with Dr. Frank Ward of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers' Association (WIRSPA) to find out what the association is currently doing to raise the profile of Caribbean rum in the UK.

WSTA's Miles Beale gears up for the next battle to cut wine duty

Fresh from victory in the battle against hiking alcohol duty ever-upwards, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association's chief executive is already champing at the bit to secure a fair duty level next time around.

Guy Woodward remembers Maradona, Gazza and 1990 in his World Cup memories

Two days without World Cup football on TV? Well here is our latest World Cup Memory to keep you going whilst we wait for the quater-finals to kick off tomorrow afternoon. Step forward Aston Villa fan and former editor of Decanter, Guy Woodward, for his trip down World Cup memory lane. Guy has also agreed to sign for Harpers as one of our regular columnists here on Harpers.co.uk and in the magazine, so look out for his latest column on the site tomorrow.

Beermoth looks to bring US style beer retailing to Manchester

Specialist beer shops have joined the 21^st century, among them Beermoth, in central Manchester's hip northern quarter, and set up by Scot Davies, a former manager at the city's The Knott bar, and American Jeremy Stull, who worked at the esteemed Port Street Beer house.

Nik Darlington plays out the World Cup for real - with the world of wine

You could cut the tension with a grissino. The shoot-out was tied at 2-2, both sides' fans on tenterhooks.

Christian Seely shows the quality of the Douro with a vertical tasting of Quinta do Noval

Christian Seely's contention that the Quinta do Noval vineyards are producing outstanding dry red table wines was vindicated at a mid-summer vertical tasting in London. The flamboyant, bow-tie- wearing managing director of the leading port house has always believed that unfortified wines from the Douro had the potential to express Noval's terroir. A look at the estate's three dry reds - Quinta do Noval Douro DOC,  Cedro do Noval and Quinta do Noval Touriga Nacional - between the period 2004-11 supported that view.

Dan Townsend on Italia 90, Johan Cruyff and Archie Gemmill in his World Cup Memories

Stephen Rosser applauds the quality of wines being produced in Portugal's Douro Valley

Stephen Rosser, of the Association of Wine Educators, tips his hat to the growing number of quality wines being made across Portugal's Douro Valley that are slowly making the region if not as famous for its Ports at least respected for its winemaking skillls working with vines that date back over a 100 years.

Matthew Dickinson on Gary Lineker, Maradona, Zico and his World Cup memories

Today wine consultant, Matthew Dickinson, who by living in Avignon can still claim to be partly in the World Cup with France looks back over the years to give his World Cup memories. If you would like to share your World Cup best and worst moments with the trade then simply answer the same questions as below and emaile richard.siddle@wrbm.com.

Ben Smith, CYT UK, World Cup Memories: Gazza, Nessun Dorma and The Cure

Things are hotting up down in Brazil as the World Cup is now well in to its knock-out phase. As the tensions mount over the next fortnight, Harpers will be turning to key people in the trade to look back and pick out their favourite World Cup memories.

Heather Dougherty's Top 10 wine countries for the World Cup