January can be bleak for the trade, with the mix of diminished consumer spend, attempts to cut back on the booze and the ever-glorious weather conspiring against the will to go out and enjoy.
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As we've mentioned elsewhere in Harpers this month, we could be on the verge of the driest January on record. And no, we're not talking about the weather.
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There was a degree of sniping when environment secretary Andrea Leadsom claimed recently that England was taking its place "among the world's most renowned wine producers".
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In retail head offices across the country, buyers will be analysing this year's trading, investigating highs and lows, and providing the traditional Christmas post-mortems.
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Burgundy and Bordeaux may share a common language, but they are very different places.
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No one doubts that the future for historic winery Chateau d'Yquem and for sweet Bordeaux's renowned 11 premier cru producers - and even the second crus in Sauternes and Barsac - looks good.
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The UK has experienced a long-term period of prosperous on trade growth.
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As Uruguay's leading producer of premium wines, Bodega Garzón is approaching the promotion of both its portfolio and Uruguay in a fascinating way.
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The ability to cut supply chain costs while at the same time maintaining a high-quality distribution service has become a holy grail for many wine merchants and retailers.
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Visitors to the Scottish town of St Andrews will no doubt have heard of the university, its hallowed 18th green as the birthplace of golf and, as time goes on, Eden Mill.
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Champagne and Britain are inextricably linked. As the region's longest-standing, largest export market, hovering steadily around the 33 million bottle mark every year, it is surprising that the sound of popping corks does not drown out all other noise.
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The current on-trade staffing shortage is being exacerbated by a lack of appropriate training. Harpers spoke to Matthew Cocks about Jascots' WineEd initiative designed to help plug the gap
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I don't want to be a siren of gloom. After all Christmas is the time for good cheer. But we are racing towards the end of a year where disruptive global events - Brexit, Trump, Aleppo - have shaken our feelings of security.
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As a tumultuous year draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities in 2017
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As the British electorate showed us in June - followed by Americans in November - 2016 has been the year to rip up the rulebook.
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According to Paul Jenkins, purchasing director at D&D hospitality group, recruiting and retaining staff isn't just a perennial problem - it's getting worse.
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It's the impossible question. And also, of course, the one that members of the trade are most frequently asked. "What's your favourite wine?" In the past, I always used to trot out the standard answer: "It depends" - on the occasion, the weather, the company, the mood and, of course, who's paying.
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The UK referendum decision on European Union membership surprised many, but while the parliamentary and legal bodies work through the most appropriate process to enact legislation, the wine and spirit trade can use the time to plan for change.
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Investigative journalism is a dangerous business. Indeed, you could argue that in its purest form it's often fatal.
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Whitbread is the UK's largest hospitality group, with an annual turnover of £2.9 billion. Harpers spoke to wine, beer and cider buyer Eileen Ginger about the drinks offerings across the portfolio
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