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Global wine consumption is on a downward spiral thanks to a perfect storm of negative influences, from economic factors and health concerns to the moderate drinking trend and changing consumption patterns across occasions. According to the IWSR’s 2024 report, What’s Driving Wine’s Structural Decline, per capita consumption of wine in the UK peaked in 2009 and has been in decline since, “except for a small temporary boost during Covid. On a per-adult basis, the UK now drinks about 14% less wine than it did in 2000.”
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California doesn’t do things by halves. Having recently leapfrogged Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, this Pacific state is indisputably at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. On a recent trip to the Central Coast vineyards, which took in rides in the autonomous Waymos that ply the street of LA and San Francisco, and witnessed the earth-rumbling launch of a SpaceX rocket Starlink satellite launch – which completely upstaged a winemaker in his vineyards in the Santa Barbara Hills – this was pressed home time and again.
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Callum Woodcock (pictured, left) has just come out of what he describes as fundraising mode, when he, colleague Ollie Thorpe (pictured, right) and I meet to talk about their year-old start-up.
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Storage is the shock absorber of the wine trade: necessary but hidden, the unglamorous element that you don’t think about until it starts to go wrong.
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African distilling is by no means a new phenomenon, but spirits from the continent are continuing to gain traction in the UK market. At the Signature Serve theatre at this year’s London Wine Fair, a panel hosted by Carly Foxwell of Fox in the Well consultancy, alongside three founders of African spirits brands, demonstrated the heady potential of spirits from the continent. Damola Timeyin of Spearhead Spirits, Eileen Twum of Asoro and Rohan Shah of Imizi rum highlighted the exciting proposition of their brands for the British market.
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The global temperance movement, buoyed by an influential public health lobby, is gaining momentum. Under growing scrutiny from governments, medical institutions and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the drinks trade is entering uncharted territory. It is required to justify its continued existence – and to defend a historic beverage that, while culturally rich and economically vital, is increasingly viewed as malign.
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Many in the drinks world, due to its global nature, collect ‘air miles’ through various schemes, occasionally upgrading their cabin or saving up to kick-start a welcome vacation. But few, perhaps, give much thought to the link between flying and wine, beyond having the odd glass with dinner at 39,000ft. For a growing number of ‘ordinary’ frequent fliers, however, BA has emphatically strengthened that link with its The Wine Flyer programme, most recently taking the form of an inaugural The Wine Flyer Avios Experience trip to San Sebastian and La Rioja.
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After 25 years in the wine and hospitality trade across the UK and Australia, I’ve come to learn this: the wine list should never be an afterthought. A wine list isn’t just about what’s in the glass – it’s a reflection of how well your whole business is thinking.
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Creativity among independent retailers is not only a natural product of many proprietors’ entrepreneurial spirit, but increasingly a necessity to help them negotiate the laundry list of financial headwinds they face. Many indie merchants have shown great adaptability, both in terms of in-store and online retail settings, exploring new revenue streams and reinvigorating existing ones to help weather the storm.
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Harpers and North South Wines invited a panel to consider the differing ways drinks trade companies can have a lasting impact on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and sustainable development.
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Two years ago, my review of the 2022 vintage in Bordeaux was entitled ‘Some Like it Hot’ after a very good year for the top growers who handled the heat and the drought well. So when I saw the brochure at Château Haut-Bailly for its 2024 called ‘Singing in the Rain’, I was tempted to pinch that as a header for this report. The dancing with the elements theme was repeated at all the châteaux that had to deal with ‘rain, rain and more rain’ in 2024, as hosts explained to the wine professionals who came to taste the new vintage this April. Any observer might well have assumed that 2024 was a washout.
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If it wasn’t for the Aviation – love it or hate it – Créme de Violette may not exist. For much of this century-old classic cocktail’s existence, bartenders couldn’t get their hands on the violet-flavoured liqueur that gave the drink its distinctive colour and floral notes, and it was frequently omitted. But in the early 2000s, the craft cocktail movement brought enough demand for this near-forgotten ingredient that it reappeared; today there are more than a few to choose from. And the Aviation continues to be found on cocktail lists around the world in its original form.
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As if the complexity of transporting wines and spirits wasn’t enough in itself, logistics companies face a rising mountain of challenges, from workforce shortages and increasing fuel costs to sustainability issues and supply chain disruptions. For two of the UK’s best-known drinks logistics companies, staffing issues loom large and, while Brexit is still seen as the villain of the piece, its supporting cast has grown considerably – not least the fact that last month employers’ National Insurance went up from 13.5% to 15%, while the national minimum wage rates increased at the same time.
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English sparkling wine’s forward march has been a sight to behold in recent years. With a growing reputation both domestically and internationally, producers are looking to channel this steam towards a growing market share. Although the domestic market accounts for the bulk of sales revenue, exports are providing an increasing share of returns.
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Familia Torres has recently begun work on a groundbreaking pilot project to concentrate carbon dioxide from wine fermentation in its purest form for reuse at its Pacs del Penedès winery.
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In the 50 short years since China’s wine industry swung into serious action, marked by a switch to production of dry reds and the country’s first whites, this fledgling industry has grown significantly and shows little sign of slowing. From Shandong to Shangri-La, by way of regions such as of Ningxia and Xinjiang, the burgeoning scene is increasingly defined by a new generation of home-grown winemakers, focused on local terroir, also with a notable number of women in those ranks.
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I used to love Wine Twitter. In those early days, it was such a vibrant place: issues debated, introductions made; previously untapped insights and articles uncovered; consumers and commentators exchanging views with winemakers and business leaders in an international, interactive forum.
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Ahead of our 30 Under 30 2025 list, which will be announced in May at the London Wine Fair and published in the June issue of Harpers, we caught up with some of last year’s top winners to gets their views on hospitality.
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The spring weather finally bounced into view at the end of last month, coinciding with a less-than-sunny outlook for UK businesses via Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement. In the lead up to Reeves’ address, there was hope that businesses would be given a reprieve from the tax hikes announced in the last Autumn Budget. In the end, the 26 March statement was labelled a missed opportunity for failing to reduce, or even scrap, the increases announced in October 2024.
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Ever been greenwashed? It’s not always as obvious as you might think. Some companies’ use of “greenwashing” – hyping their record to make it sound greener than it is – is blatant. In 2022 the Advertising Standards Authority ruled against fruit drinks company Innocent over an ad that strongly linked its products to protecting the environment. The message ran: “Innocent. Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet.” Complainants pointed out that the company’s products come in single-use plastic bottles and that it’s owned by Coca-Cola (which generated an estimated 3.22 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2021).
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