Analysis & Insights - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Burgundy 2020

Published: 11 February, 2022

Lay & Wheeler’s Burgundy expert and buyer Catherine Petrie MW gives Andrew Catchpole the inside track on the 2020s campaign.

Multiples: Retail trends

Published: 08 February, 2022

A five-year snapshot of the retail world reveals just how sales of wines and spirits have been shaken up by the pandemic, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Seltzers: Turning on the hard sell

Published: 04 February, 2022

A hard seltzer might sound like a hangover cure to us Brits, but their power in the low-calorie, low-abv proposition, is not to be sniffed at. Jo Gilbert reports.

Portugal: A break from normality

Published: 03 February, 2022

For Portuguese wine, the pandemic has offered a shift away from old habits, moving to adopt a fresher, more modern outlook, as Charles Metcalfe reports.

Resetting Australia

Published: 01 February, 2022

With export markets yo-yoing in the wake of China’s trade tariffs, Australia is once again reassessing its place in the wine world. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Tequila raises the bar

Published: 31 January, 2022

Once known by its ‘slammer’ reputation, tequila is carving out a new niche in UK spirits with optimistic sales as a premium sipping drink, writes Jo Gilbert.

Late frost wreaked havoc in the Loire, the ‘Garden of France’, in 2021. Jo Gilbert looks at how the region is looking to mitigate growing climate issues while keeping up momentum for its plethora of popular styles.

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.

Multiplying out

Published: 26 January, 2022

In the first of a regular look at the multiples, Andrew Catchpole sizes up the general health of the sector.

Australia facing the heat

Published: 25 January, 2022

With much of its current viticultural activity already adjusting to a changing climate, Australia’s wine industry is fast progressing with its sustainability programmes.

Christmas 2021: boom or bust?

Published: 24 January, 2022

James Lawrence finds the festive season was a mixed bag, with reduced sales in many areas but some sectors exceeding expectations.

Duty and import confusion intensifies in 2022

Published: 21 January, 2022

Red tape and potential duty rises are going to push up prices for wine, as James Lawrence reports.

Consumer caution hits Christmas drinks sales

Published: 20 January, 2022

On-trade drinks sales fell by a quarter in the run-up to Christmas as wary consumers avoided pubs, bars and restaurants ahead of socialising on the big day, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Cold Christmas in the on-trade

Published: 18 January, 2022

Already battered on-trade businesses suffered further in what should have been their busiest time of year. Clinton Cawood reports.

Indies: Fighting fit?

Published: 17 January, 2022

Adaptability has been key for indies that have sought not just to survive, but to thrive, as Angela Mount reports.

Packaging’s conflicting objectives

Published: 14 January, 2022

After 18 months of escalating online demand and consumers being immersed in “online shopping training”, the packaging industry is being tasked with satisfying supercharged convenience, sustainability and luxury trends, which , finds Jo Gilbert, is quite the challenge.

Prosecco opens doors for Italy

Published: 12 January, 2022

David Kermode delves into the world of Italian sparklers as the category covers new ground, from the march of rosé Prosecco to the increasingly popular high-quality fizzes of Franciacorta and Trento.

No & low: The sector giving food for thought

Published: 10 January, 2022

A new world of teas, kombuchas and fermented infusions are among the healthy drinking trends helping the top bars to scale up not only their no & low offer, but their overall alcohol offer, as 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.