Technology - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

How will AI impact wine?

Published: 19 June, 2023

Jo Gilbert strays to the dark side, courtesy of ChatGPT.

How EU QR codes will hit UK

Published: 20 April, 2023

Jo Gilbert caught up with data standardisation gurus Bootlebooks to dive into the new EU regulations around nutritional labelling for wines and spirits, and how that could impact UK businesses.

The added benefits of functional drinks

Published: 14 March, 2023

So-called functional drinks have been on the rise for a while now. Jo Gilbert looks at the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

Closures – beyond cork and screwcap

Published: 06 March, 2023

James Lawrence looks at the top closure innovations beyond cork and screwcap, to find out what is improving both quality control and the consumer experience.

Britain’s new low & no HQ

Published: 26 February, 2023

Jo Gilbert went along to Club Soda’s permanent bar/shop in Covent Garden to test out an innovative new concept.

Tech and Innovation: Looking to the future

Published: 25 January, 2023

Following a strong year in 2022 in terms of technological advances and innovation, Jo Gilbert asked the trade’s key crystal ball-gazers to share their predictions for 2023.

‘Better for me’ drinks and ‘borderless wine’ among top innovative trends for 2023

Published: 23 January, 2023

Harpers caught up with some of the leading experts in the trade to share their top predictions for 2023.

This year had its struggles, but the overwhelming response from businesses looking to meet those struggles head-on proves there has never been a more exciting time to work in the wine and spirits trade. Jo Gilbert looks back at 2022’s top technological and digital innovations.

Dusting for wine prints

Published: 22 November, 2022

Forensic technology that aims to give a unique signature to the liquid inside the bottle could be a game-changer for provenance tracking, writes Jo Gilbert.

Sustainability in action

Published: 24 October, 2022

Retail can sometimes feel like the centre of the world in business. It joins customer to distributor and producer, as arbiter of supply and demand. This is particularly true in the wine trade, where its gatekeepers provide a vital entry point into an often obscure product category. However, in this new era of hyper sustainability sensitivity, retail has a less obvious – if equally important – role to play, with less power over sustainability related goals than some might think.

The nitty gritty of soil data

Published: 16 September, 2022

When it comes to battling climate change, working closely with the vineyard is a given. Yet, as time goes on – and the climate becomes more unpredictable – the role of technology is growing in tandem with approaches that seek to have minimal interference with the land; and where that interference is necessary, using data to carry out the best possible response.

Tech & Innovation: Detecting fine wine forgeries

Published: 17 August, 2022

According to a 2021 report from Business Insider, fake wine accounts for 20% of wine sold worldwide. If this is true, and many credible sources seem to agree, then the chances are you have drunk from a bottle containing fraudulent wine. The report referred to numerous cases of wine crime in recent history, including the seizure of 4,000 bottles of the counterfeit ‘super-Tuscan’ Bolgheri Sassicaia, which fetches up to £320 a bottle.

Hyper-convenience and the opportunities for wine

Published: 13 July, 2022

Forget the next day or one-hour delivery slot. Buoyed by the rise of on-demand culture and at-home eating and drinking trends, a surge in the rise of rapid retail platforms is now promising consumers deliveries to their door via an app in 15 or even 10 minutes.

Tech & Innovation: Going dark, building back

Published: 13 June, 2022

Digitalisation has been a long time coming within the wine industry. Often derided for its last-to-the-party pace of adoption, things finally seemed to be catching up at the beginning of the new decade, with acceleration a key part of the trade’s Covid journey.

Drizly grows online sales

Published: 25 May, 2022

Uber’s buyout of US-based third-party alcohol delivery platform Drizly was finalised in October 2021. Following her recent appearance at Vinexpo America, Drizly COO Cathy Lewenberg spoke to Jo Gilbert about what the future of drinks delivery looks like and whether the model could translate to the UK.

Canned wine powers up

Published: 25 March, 2022

Canned wine has exploded onto the scene in the past couple of years as the next logical step for wine NPD. Picking up from the success of other products of its kind, such as canned cocktails, G&Ts and hard seltzers, canned wine has fitted snugly into a consumer desire for convenient on-the-go drinking.

Berry Bros. & Rudd launches its first podcast series

Published: 04 March, 2022

Fine wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd has launched its first podcast, Drinking Well, a six-part series designed to help listeners enjoy and shape their wine collection.

Wine gets smarter

Published: 27 January, 2022

The OIV’s inaugural digital symposium unveiled the discoveries of a year-long, wide-ranging look into the future of connected technology and how key areas of development will transform sustainability, profitability and efficiency in vineyards. Jo Gilbert reports.

Connected packaging revs up

Published: 07 January, 2022

At any one time, there are an average of seven trillion pieces of packaging in the world. The opportunities offered by technology to engage with consumers via the bottle are only just getting started, says Jo Gilbert.

Long read: Chasing formats isn't enough for the Instagram generation

Published: 15 November, 2021

In the past decade, regular wine consumption among 18-34 year olds has fallen by 10% (Wine Intelligence), which could indicate trouble for the sector in the future. Alex Green, co-founded wine distributor Beyond Wines after working with business partner Matt Johnson at Copestick Murray where they worked on i heart and Freixenet. Here, he explores why wine brands are failing to engage the younger demographic and where they stand to make the biggest wins.