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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France has become one of the leaders in sustainability protocols in the 21st century, with its myriad regions now producing a network of best-practice roadmaps which can be used in the wine world’s global fight against climate change.
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When Véronique Cochran first converted Château Falfas to biodynamic agriculture in 1989, it looked unconventional. Fast-forward to today and many of the methods she uses at her vineyard in Bordeaux’s Côtes de Bourg – not using chemical pesticides, growing cover crops between vines – seem mainstream. Such is the march of organics and biodynamics in Europe in recent decades. But today those shifts are part of a wider sea change towards more sustainable production.
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To describe the current macroeconomic environment as challenging would be a distillery-sized understatement. Yet the growing ethos on buying local, a natural corollary of the gradual shift towards sustainably produced wines and spirits, has given stakeholders cause for (tentative) optimism in 2025. The question is: can a movement transform into a stampede?
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The glass bottle has been a fixture of the wine world since the 17th century, while the earliest examples date back to the Roman era. Impermeable and inert, it remains the universal vessel of choice, but a growing consumer awareness of its carbon footprint could yet threaten that status, meaning its days would be numbered. Estimates vary, but glass production accounts for up to half the CO2 in a typical bottle of wine. The material is energy intensive, with gas used to heat furnaces to 1,700ºC for its manufacture. Then there’s the impact of shipping as bottles, many of them needlessly heavy, are hauled across the world, with the IWCA (International Wineries for Climate Action) estimating that transport accounts for 15.9% of the average winery’s emissions. Theoretically, glass has an infinite life – the UK boasting one of the better recycling rates at 74.2%, according to British Glass – but the process is notoriously complex, requiring rigorous colour sorting, and it uses energy.
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After an unprecedented run of success, gin has hit some problems: consumption is falling and the industry is going through a painful process of consolidation. “The days of seeing a new gin brand appear almost every week are over,” observes Martin Reid, co-founder of The Gin Cooperative. “Unfortunately, we will see many gin brands vanish over the next two years.” Yet the weakening of the craft sector does not tell the whole story – not by a long shot.
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Innovation and reinvention are prerequisites for any dynamic wine industry, but Portugal is in a league of its own. For years winemakers here have been rediscovering indigenous varieties, experimenting with new styles and exploring terroir. The Douro has moved well beyond Port to also produce the highest quality red and more recently white wine. Minho – home of Vinho Verde – now produces complex, often single varietal wines from native Alvarinho, Loureiro and other varieties alongside the spritzy poolside wines for which the region has long been famous.
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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.
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Growth spots in the global spirits industry are offering an encouraging counter-picture to the moribund health of wine sales – although the category is having to come to grips with challenges impacting long-term premiumisation trends and the instability of major markets such as China.
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In light of rum’s recent success, the subject of rhum agricole, the category’s quieter and less well-known cousin (at least outside La Francophonie), has swung back into the conversation at Harpers. Made minus the molasses, rhum agricole offers up a fresh, grassy and slightly green flavour from its sugarcane juice-only recipe. This in turn offers an undeniable point of difference to the traditional molasses-based rums which make up 98% of the world’s production, according to statistics from Markwide Research and its Global Rhum Agricole Market report.
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