Harpers Special Report: multiple and supplier relations uncovered

Tesco has taken a bit of a battering in recent months, with profits slipping and then the little matter of the £250 million profit overstatement.  But although Tesco is in the spotlight, there are issues for all of the major retailers right now, as the discounters go from strength to strength and the Big Four's choke hold on the market weakens. Harpers.co.uk spoke to some of the wine trade's key suppliers and ex-buyers to find out their views.

Christmas part 2: Key players weigh up the role of sparkling wines as the festive season approaches

The festive season is still the key trading period for sparkling wines. What do producers, brand owners, multiples and merchants expect from sparkling wines this year?

Analysis: how effective has the Crus Bourgeois classification been?

Last week the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois arrived in London for the fifth annual review of the wines deemed worthy to use the Cru Bourgeois seal of approval. Five years into the new incarnation of the classification Heather Dougherty reviews its successes and challenges - and looks at its prospects for the future.

Christmas Part 1: How bubbles are trending in the lead up to Christmas

A celebration is nothing without a bottle of bubbly and Christmas is no exception. In the UK Prosecco and Cava remain strong, as consumers favour other sparklers over costly Champagne.

Ports, sherries and fortifieds get ready for Christmas

The tapas craze helped boost sherry sales temporarily but the category is now in decline, and Port is still struggling to shake its fusty and festive image. Gemma McKenna and Erin Smith look at how fortified wines can carve a niche

Harpers Global Design Awards 2014: The Results

The competition to stand out not just on-shelf but also on-screen means there is intense pressure on wine producers, suppliers and, most of all, the creative and design agencies behind the labels to really up their game. Here are the results from the first worldwide Harpers Design Awards where we invited entries from around the world, attracting designs from the US, Australia and across Europe.

Harpers Global Design Awards 2014: what the judges said

This year saw Harpers' Design Awards go global, with entries featuring a range of products aimed at all levels of the market. From the budget to the luxury, we pick out the medal winners and showcase those products and their designers that stand out from the rest.

Lidl part 2: Best value at all costs

When it comes to driving best value at a lower cost there is a lot to learn from the Lidl buying philosophy, says Angela Mount

Lidl: what makes it so successful?

The new "Lidl Surprises" tagline is the latest UK brand-positioning success story from the hard discounter. Gemma McKenna looks at how its buying strategies are now expanding its wine offer

Global wine harvest predictions released by Ciatti

The overall European wine harvest for 2014 looks like being down on last year, according to the latest report from Ciatti, the global grape broking business, but France is set to return to its position as the biggest wine supplier in the world.

How Berlin Tastings Series put Chilean wine on the map

Eduardo Chadwick's pioneering Berlin Series Tastings have helped change global perception of Chilean wine in their 10-year run. Andrew Catchpole, who was at the seminal first event, assesses their impact

How Oddbins has defied its critics to bounce back to winning ways

In three years Oddbins has risen from death's door to win IWC High Street Retailer of the Year. Gemma McKenna meets Ayo Akintola, its Renaissance Man

Majestic's leading wine buyers set out their strategy and needs from suppliers

In the second of her series of 'Buyer to Buyer' interviews, former Somerfield head wine buyer, Angela Mount, talks to Matt Pym and Chris Hardy of Majestic Wines about their buying strategy and what they are looking for from their suppliers.

How Chile can use its mainstream appeal to grow share of premium wines

Gemma McKenna reports on why Chilean winemakers are shifting focus to a more premium offering

Argentina bucks economic difficulties to compete on international stage

Despite the domestic economic challenges Argentinian producers are facing, UK consumers still can't get enough of their wines. Ahead of the Wines of the Beautiful South tasting Erin Smith analyses the category

Caroline Gilby MW explores Central and Eastern European wines

Caroline Gilby MW analyses why the wines and key growing regions of  Central and Eastern Europe are finally taking  their place on the world wine stage.

Own-label wine is not just for major multiples any longer

Own-label and private-label wines are no longer the preserve of the major multiples, but what is the attraction for independent merchants and restaurants alike?

Bulgaria's Yakata group strives to change the country's wine image

Bulgaria is looking to promote itself as a very different kind of wine-producing country than it was 30 years ago and it seems to be attracting the right level of investment and interest to potentially change its image in the UK wine trade.

Cape Legends is pushing the premium wine boundaries in South Africa

South Africa's wine industry is changing and the premium wine segment is no exception. Harpers.co.uk talks to the leaders who are pushing the boundaries of Distell's premium wine portfolio, Cape Legends.

The Smith Report: Exchange rate is it a friend or foe?

The Smith Report takes a look at the opportunities for wine producers in South Africa, where its currency exchange has proven to be both its best friend and its worst enemy.