Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Champagne prepares for upcoming harvest

Published: 22 July, 2024

Champagne winegrowers and houses gathered at the Comité Champagne headquarters in Epernay to determine the conditions for this year's harvest.

Henri Giraud MV19 tasting reveals hidden depths in Champagne

Published: 18 July, 2024

The trade was introduced to the newest vintage release of Henri Giraud this week, with the Aÿ Grand Cru Fût de Chêne MV19 becoming the latest cuvee to be added to the cannon of this little known, yet widely prized, Champagne house.

Headline Heroes: Creating Champagne’s ‘perfect year’

Published: 17 July, 2024

David Kermode looks at how top Champagne houses are taking their pick of the best vintages to create superior blends

Jukes inks global distribution agreement with Champagne Billecart-Salmon

Published: 04 July, 2024

The new distribution arm of Champagne Billecart-Salmon is looking to bolster its ranks of zero alcohol drinks in France and beyond by teaming up with Jukes – the premium zero alcohol wine range from wine writer Matthew Jukes.

Guy Woodward: English wine is facing a dilemma

Published: 02 July, 2024

Last month’s English Wine Week kicked off with two high-profile but contrasting events. First, the august members’ club 67 Pall Mall held a glitzy industry lunch for producers, trade and media. Nineteen different English wines were poured

France Report: The Champagne bubble

Published: 26 June, 2024

David Kermode charts a bumpy ride for France’s favourite fizz

Lanson follows Le Black Création with launch of complimentary new rosé

Published: 06 June, 2024

Champagne Lanson has introduced Le Rosé Création 67 to the UK, following in the footsteps of the multi-vintage Le Black Création, unveiled in 2023.

Profile: The shapeshifting Canned Wine Co

Published: 16 May, 2024

With quality canned wines firmly on the rise, Andrew Catchpole visits one of the most innovative in the business.

One Champagne house left standing in Royal Warrant refresh

Published: 13 May, 2024

A number of Champagne brands could have fallen out of favour in King Charles III’s first Royal Warrant list after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Champagne faces off against sparkling Riesling

Published: 07 May, 2024

Champagne’s supremacy was put through its paces last week when it went head to head with a ‘lost and forgotten world-class category’ of sparkling wines in a blind tasting.

WineCap Q1 2024 Report: A summary

Published: 18 April, 2024

Wine investment firm WineCap has released its Q1 2024 Fine Wine Report offering a comprehensive market overview.

‘Rare gems’ on show at Keeling Andrew tasting

Published: 17 April, 2024

Keeling Andrew’s trendy portfolio attracted a suitably young and vibrant crowd at its tasting in Holborn yesterday (16 April), where the business took the opportunity to highlight some of its under-the-radar producers while honing in on specialisms in Burgundy and Champagne.

Analysis: PIWIs come of age

Published: 09 April, 2024

A new generation of PIWI varieties are on a roll, pushing deeper into Germany, Italy and France. Jo Gilbert considers the future for these next-gen grapes.

Fine wine market shows signs of recovery

Published: 02 April, 2024

Signs of economic recovery are starting to appear in the fine wine market after a year of consistent declines. The industry benchmark, the Liv-ex 100 index, has been in freefall since March 2023, dipping 14.6%, whilst the broader Liv-ex 1000 index has fallen 15.3%.

Berkmann expands premium portfolio with EPC Champagne

Published: 13 March, 2024

Berkmann Wine Cellars has reached an agreement with EPC Champagne to distribute the brand in the UK market.

Bibendum & Campari shake on Champagne partnership

Published: 23 February, 2024

Bibendum and Campari have teamed up to give a fresh boost to Champagne Lallier, with the Campari-owned house now joining the on-trade distribution’s portfolio of premium brands.

Bordeaux Index: Fine wine takes a tumble in 2023

Published: 22 January, 2024

‘Frenzied activity’ characterised the fine wine market during the second half of 2021 and most of 2022 in particular for Champagne and Burgundy, when prices increased by 69% and 58% respectively according to Bordeaux Index. However, things were much more subdued in 2023, with the platform also predicting some return of optimism in 2024.

2023 Champagne shipments down 8.2%, 'as expected'

Published: 15 January, 2024

Le Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), the organisation grouping the actors of Champagne production and trade, has revealed that total Champagne shipments in 2023 were down 8.2% to 299m bottles.

BWS Christmas sales down for UK multiples

Published: 11 January, 2024

Despite record spend on groceries during Christmas in UK supermarkets, sales of beer, wine and spirits were all in decline over the same period.

WineCap cautiously optimistic for 2024

Published: 11 January, 2024

Following news that the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index ended 2023 down 14.1%, WineCap has outlined its expectations for the year ahead, amid a ‘correction phase’ which might present opportunities for investors.