Almost one year on from the launch of the Harpers Sustainability Charter, Jo Gilbert surveyed its signatories to find out how much progress has been made on lowering carbon footprints.
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As the Harpers Sustainability Charter gathers momentum, James Lawrence looks at the progress made by just some of those involved.
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As thousands of winegrowers in the Languedoc convert to organic farming, James Lawrence looks to Millésime Bio, the event at the centre of the movement.
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Andrew Catchpole looks into the innovation and excitement being generated by France’s compact Catalan wine region.
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There’s no denying that Bordeaux is a big beast when it comes to wine. Not only do its most famous names dominate the heady heights of investment portfolios, well-heeled cellars and critics’ scores, but it also produces some 25% of all French AOC wines. It’s the biggest appellation in France, with some 111,400ha under vine. And, to put that into perspective, the whole of Australia’s vineyard area tallies 146,244ha (2021 figures, CIVB and Wine Australia respectively). As such, it’s a powerhouse of vinous production.
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CIVB president Allan Sichel talks to Andrew Catchpole about the challenges and changes faced by this multi-faceted region.
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Affordable and trendy, Italy’s famous sparkler has been in the fizz category’s driving seat for some time.
James Lawrence reports
The famous fortified’s efforts to attract a younger demographic look to be paying off as travel plays favourably to its home nation. James Bayley has the details.
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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.
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Vivino has taken wine-drinkers by storm. James Bayley discovers where its global popularity lies.
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M&S is on a mission to offer “the most exciting wine range on the planet”. James Bayley catches up with head of BWS Andrew Shaw to find out more.
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All too often in our industry lately, the word ‘staffing’ has been swiftly followed by ‘crisis’ – and for good reason. UK Hospitality estimates there are 170,000 unfilled jobs in hospitality (not including seasonal and casual workers) – a vacancy rate of 10%.
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In 2022, despite the heatwave that touched many regions around the world, global wine production volume is expected to be at a level similar to that of last year. This would be the fourth consecutive year when the global production level can be considered slightly below average.
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Chefs used to steal all the limelight in restaurants, leaving front-of-house in the shadows, except for a few exalted characters who managed to gain notoriety across the trade. The rise of the superstar sommelier, however, shifted more focus to the service side, with films and documentaries adding to the allure of the wine gurus fronting the drinks offer that complements the food.
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With the cost-of-living crisis and import challenges ratcheting up, Andrew Catchpole catches up with our 50 Best Indies list topper Hal Wilson to discuss the path ahead.
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In 2024, Ramón Bilbao will celebrate its centenary, 100 years of fine winemaking that has firmly established it as one of the leading producers in Spain and one of the world’s most admired wine brands. However, since the start of the current millennium Ramón Bilbao has become famous for more than just great winemaking. Under head winemaker Rodolfo Bastida, who assumed the reins in 1999, and the ownership of the Zamora Group, the Haro-based producer has been at the forefront of innovation in Rioja Alta and beyond. While pursuing excellence, it has cast aside many of the conventions that led many people to brand Rioja as boring and predictable.
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In many ways, Rueda has been a counterpoint to Galicia’s roll call of increasingly sought-after (but often niche) whites. As Spain’s premier white wine-producing region, Rueda has long provided crisp, easy-going styles, with the ‘green’ notes of its flagship Verdejo grape dubbed the ‘terrace tiger’ for its popularity as a summer refresher. Not that Rueda is without quality credentials; sitting at 700-800m above sea level on pebble-infused sandy soils, with big diurnal shifts in temperature and many old vines, these green (‘verde’ – Verdejo) wines have thrived here for up to 10 centuries. But as a category, it has more often played the everyday crowd-pleaser to Galicia’s more exalted status among independents and sommeliers.
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Spain’s north-west corner challenges the cliché of full-bodied, fully ripe wines associated with the country. Galicia is the gateway to Atlantic storms and Rías Baixas, its largest DO, a succession of estuaries that allow the ocean to penetrate inland and one of the world’s wettest wine regions with an average rainfall of 1,400–1,600mm. Its lush vines trained mainly in pergolas yield small, thick-skinned Albariño berries that are behind some of Spain’s best whites.
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Modern and traditional are surprisingly slippery terms in Rioja and should be handled with caution. Techniques, ideas and debates that are considered contemporary turn out to have strong historical precedents. Reading Ludger Mees’ new book The History of Rioja Wine (Routledge), I was struck by how often the present echoes the past. As early as 1771 – long before Rioja became a famous wine region – people were grumbling about excessive yields and low prices, the very subjects that still exercise commentators, growers and producers today.
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Cava’s image has been bruised in recent years, not least by an exodus of nine influential producers in 2019 from the DO. Nonetheless, it remains a sparkling powerhouse, led by corporate giants Codorníu and Freixenet. The numbers speak for themselves: global exports rose by 16.45% in the first nine months of 2021, according to the Consejo Regulador. However, with stagnant growth in the UK, there are challenges ahead if the DO hopes to reconquer one of Europe’s most dynamic sparkling wine markets.
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