Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Frost forecasting: tackling an age-old problem for vineyards

Published: 21 April, 2025

Spring is a joyous time of year but any vineyard operator will tell you it fills them with trepidation. Grape vines first exhibit bud burst at this time of year, a vital stage in the growth cycle. New shoots and green tips emerge on the vine, the very first signs of what will become a cluster of grapes. These nascent buds are also very vulnerable to frost damage, a particular concern in places such as the UK.

Preferabli’s software could be a gamechanger for the UK market

Published: 21 March, 2025

Picking a wine can be difficult; it can depend on everything from mood to the weather. But what if there was a way around this internal battle?

Guy Woodward: How polytunnels could enhance producers’ toolkit

Published: 13 March, 2025

From Margaret River to Mendoza, Barolo to Burgundy, I’ve seen some picturesque vineyards in my time. The B58 Winery in Beaulieu was not one of them. Muddy, grey and damp, the scene that February morning would do nothing to dispel an outsider’s preconceptions of English wine.

Fruit focus ramps up viticulture-related content

Published: 12 July, 2021

The NFU's Fruit Focus, the leading UK fruit grower event, is teed up to offer several sessions relevant to English and Welsh grape growers during its day-long event on 21 July.

Tech & innovation: Seismic shifts

Published: 14 April, 2021

We’re on the cusp of a new and advanced tech-fuelled era for hospitality as the on-trade begins to reopen, says Jo Gilbert.

Tech & Innovation: The rule of change

Published: 01 February, 2021

A surge of smaller, indie-focused delivery platforms and third-party apps are helping to bridge the gap between neighbourhood restaurants, bars and consumers, accelerating pre-lockdown trends, as Jo Gilbert discovers

Serving up a new normal

Published: 13 August, 2020

Covid-19 has given birth to the digitalisation of the hospitality sector. Welcome to a new era, says Jo Gilbert

In spitting distance of Covid-19

Published: 15 June, 2020

At the onset of the ongoing global pandemic, traditional on-trade channels saw sales fall to zero overnight. But what about the wider drinks trade and the interactions within it? Jo Gilbert asks if it's time to reassess tried – and maybe tired – formulas?

The end of sex, drugs…and alcohol?

Published: 23 April, 2019

The brains behind synthetic alternative Alcosynth say they’re five years from hitting the market and revolutionising the alcohol industry. Is this really the future, asks Jo Gilbert?