Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Bordeaux 2022: Some like it hot

Published: 10 May, 2023

Harpers’ man in Bordeaux, Gavin Quinney of Château Bauduc, weighs up the 2022 vintage – and finds it could be one of the greats, though uneven.

Fine wine remains relatively stable amidst economic uncertainty

Published: 14 April, 2023

In times of market turmoil, such as the 2008 financial crash, the coronavirus pandemic or the war in Ukraine, fine wine has proved itself to be an asset largely insensitive to macroeconomic uncertainty.

Bordeaux's evolution

Published: 28 November, 2022

There’s no denying that Bordeaux is a big beast when it comes to wine. Not only do its most famous names dominate the heady heights of investment portfolios, well-heeled cellars and critics’ scores, but it also produces some 25% of all French AOC wines. It’s the biggest appellation in France, with some 111,400ha under vine. And, to put that into perspective, the whole of Australia’s vineyard area tallies 146,244ha (2021 figures, CIVB and Wine Australia respectively). As such, it’s a powerhouse of vinous production.

CIVB: Talking Bordeaux

Published: 25 November, 2022

CIVB president Allan Sichel talks to Andrew Catchpole about the challenges and changes faced by this multi-faceted region.

Champagne trade share at all-time high according to Cult Wine Investment

Published: 16 November, 2022

Fine wine investment specialist Cult Wine has released its 2022 Champagne report and the investment potential “speaks for itself” according to the experts.

Tim Atkin MW: Singling out Rioja's merits

Published: 02 November, 2022

Modern and traditional are surprisingly slippery terms in Rioja and should be handled with caution. Techniques, ideas and debates that are considered contemporary turn out to have strong historical precedents. Reading Ludger Mees’ new book The History of Rioja Wine (Routledge), I was struck by how often the present echoes the past. As early as 1771 – long before Rioja became a famous wine region – people were grumbling about excessive yields and low prices, the very subjects that still exercise commentators, growers and producers today.

Casa Real: Thirty years of excellence

Published: 10 October, 2022

Casa Real is a fitting poster child for the agrarian revolution sweeping across Chile today. The nation’s winegrowers, passionate and highly driven, continue to refine their knowledge of local soils, matching the vine variety to the place. “Casa Real represents an apex of terroir expression in the Maipo Valley. Since the wine’s inception in the 1980s, our journey has been a legacy of understanding the environment,” says Santa Rita winemaker Sebastián Labbé. “We are custodians of the soil – nothing less.”

Aldi launches 70 new wines with the help of consumers

Published: 28 September, 2022

Newly minted Big Four retailer Aldi has unveiled its newest roster of seasonal wines, but this time with a twist in the wine-buying tale.

Frost, hail and heat, but Bordeaux predicts ‘quality is there’ in 2022

Published: 06 September, 2022

Having experienced one of its earliest starts to harvest on record, and with climatic extremes to the fore throughout growing season, Bordeaux is predicting a “very promising” vintage, according to Vins de Bordeaux.

Guy Woodward: Intercontinental blends challenge the sanctity of terroir

Published: 06 September, 2022

Earlier this year, Penfolds announced its ambition to essay “a strategic shift from fine wine brand to global luxury icon”. The brand’s new marketing campaign, it said, encapsulated Penfolds’ “innovative spirit and desire to push the boundaries through self-belief”.

Penfolds releases its first-ever Bordeaux/Oz blend

Published: 21 July, 2022

Australian wine brand Penfolds has released its first-ever Bordeaux/Australian blend - and the first French wine to be included in its annual collection release.

Bibendum’s Bordeaux Collection grows as new chateaux join the fold

Published: 20 July, 2022

Bibendum, the premium wine specialist, announced that new estates will join its Bordeaux Collection.

Bordeaux Day 2022: Uncovering hidden gems

Published: 14 July, 2022

Now in its second year, Bordeaux Day returned to Manchester and London this week for two days of tastings, meetings and conversations.

Majestic re-enter En Primeur market with Bordeaux ‘21 campaign

Published: 14 July, 2022

After a fourteen year absence; the UK’s largest specialist retailer, Majestic, is reentering the en primeur market with a new campaign for Bordeaux’s 2021 vintage.

Societe Jacques Bollinger invests further in Bordeaux Index

Published: 19 May, 2022

Societe Jacques Bollinger (SJB), the Family Group behind a portfolio of wines and spirits, including Bollinger Champagne, has increased its minority stake in Bordeaux Index.

Jane Anson announces scholars for Bordeaux Mentor Week

Published: 19 May, 2022

Since the announcement of Bordeaux Mentor Week in March 2022, more than 103 applications have been received from 28 countries, spanning the globe from Lagos to Beirut to Sydney to San Francisco.

Liv-ex 2021 Bordeaux En Primeur survey results revealed

Published: 16 May, 2022

After a two-year pause of En Primeur tastings, the international trade returned to Bordeaux for the 2021 vintage.

2021 a challenging year for Bordeaux winegrowers

Published: 28 April, 2022

The 2021 vintage once again put Bordeaux winegrowers to the test. But their technical choices, changes in practice, improvements and perseverance were rewarded with beneficial late-season weather conditions.

Liv-ex predicts ‘off’ vintage for Bordeaux 2021

Published: 21 April, 2022

A wet and cool 2021 is likely to result in “heterogenous vintage” for Bordeaux, with large gaps in quality between appellations and estates predicted to result in significant numbers of “indifferent wines”.

Generation Sobriety turns to fine wine for alternative investments

Published: 20 April, 2022

According to a study released by Cult Wine Investment, an “identity-conscious” demographic of wealthy Millennial buyers are becoming vital to the prosperity of the secondary wine market.