Barefoot adapts Pinot Grigio flagship to match pink and fizz trends

E&J Gallo’s carefree California wine brand Barefoot Wine is fastest growing top five wine brand in the UK according to Nielsen. Harpers caught up with head winemaker Jen Wall to discuss 20 years of making affordable, fruit forward wines that people want to drink.

Q&A: Charles Smith, Wines of Substance

Since selling off the five key labels of his eponymous wine range to Constellation Brands in 2016, former rock band manager turned Washington-based wine pioneer Charles Smith is now focused on creating Wines of Substance. Jo Gilbert reports

Port houses join Symington in declaring 2016 vintage

Quinta do Noval and Quinta do Romaneira are the latest Port houses to declare 2016 a vintage year, following the lead of top Port house Symington Family Estates.

Buckingham Schenk to distribute te Pā Family Vineyards

Buckingham Schenk has been appointed exclusive UK agent for Maori wine business te Pā Family Vineyards.

Iconic Stag's Leap Wine Cellars returns with a punch with 2015 Cabernets

Harpers tasted the new vintage from preeminent Californian estate Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, tracing the grapes and the soil to the same – if re-planted – site which gave birth to the victorious 1976 Judgment of Paris Cabernet Sauvignon.

Côtes du Rhône scam sold 66 million bottles of fake wine

The extent of a large-scale wine fraud in the Côtes du Rhône has been unveiled, amounting to 66.5 million bottles of counterfeit wine.

China to squeeze bulk supply of Australian red to critical levels over next 3-5 years

Top US organic producer Bonterra joins Enotria&Coe

Enotria&Coe is increasing its stall of organic wines via leading organic producer Bonterra.

TWE declares war on Rush Rich and other ‘copycat operators’

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) is embroiled in yet another legal challenge, this time against a label which it claims intentionally riffs off the look and feel of one of its flagship Australian brands.

Louis Roederer shows its modern face at MMD tasting

Things sometimes move at a glacial pace in the world of fine wine, but even Grande Marque producer Louis Roederer showed it is up for moving with the times at its most recent tasting, showcasing zero dosage and experimentation with organic and biodynamic wines.

Asia’s thirst for Australia drives AU$2.56bn export high, but UK and USA dip

The most recent export figures from Wine Australia, released at the busy Australia Day Tasting (ADT) in London on 23 January, revealed that Australian wine exports to mainland China continue to boom in the wake of the 2015 free trade agreement between the two countries.

Rise of German cool climate wine leads to UK's first German Pinot Noir tasting

Britain’s first ever German Pinot Noir tasting is to take place in London, in March this year, Harpers can reveal.

Rioja directs coffers on global promotional spend and single village clarity for 2018

The Rioja Control Board is continuing to invest heavily in its marketing activity in 12 key countries, including the UK.

Matt Pym to lead “ambitious growth” plan at Vintae UK

Majestic’s former head buyer has joined Spanish and Chilean producer Vintae to head-up the producer’s plan to “heavily invest” in the UK and Ireland.

Thistledown champions Grenache renaissance

Alliance Wine’s Giles Cooke MW will be releasing the first commercially available results of Thistledown Wine Company’s Riverland project, focusing on old vine Grenache, under a Gorgeous Grenache label at M&S this spring.

Jean-Claude Mas continues quest for Languedoc domination

Since founding Domaine Paul Mas in 2000, Jean-Claude Mas has been building up a wine empire across the  Languedoc Roussillon. Harpers caught up with the Paul Mas proprietor and pioneer behind some the Languedoc’s biggest exports to discuss how the newest portfolio addition continues his quest to own estates “in all the great areas" of this versatile region

The creation of Priorat Singulars

A new association of producers from Catalonia’s DOQ Priorat officially presented their new Priorat Singulars group in Barcelona on 27 November, representing a new initiative to raise the profile of the region's very top wines.

Marcelo Papa takes top wine job as Concha y Toro named biggest mover of 2016

Marcelo Papa has been appointed technical director of South American wine behemoth Concha y Toro.

Spanish give English Albariño wine the thumbs up

Chapel Down Winery in Kent is the only UK vineyard to make a wine from 100% Albariño – a grape associated with Galicia in northwest Spain.

How the “crazy” state of Prosecco’s 23p price erosion could be about to change

The media last week widely reported that the average price for a bottle of Prosecco has fallen a further 23p over past year as competition drives down prices.