People & Opinion - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Profile: Martyn Rolph, Berry Bros & Rudd

Published: 14 December, 2023

Jo Gilbert catches up with Berry Bros & Rudd’s newest head of buying, to discover what’s next for Britain’s oldest wine merchant.

Tim Atkin MW: Moving away from ‘icons’

Published: 12 December, 2023

My late friend Michael Cox, who ran Wines of Chile’s UK office for more than a decade, had a great line about so-called “icon” wines. “Is that one word or two?” he would ask with a raised eyebrow. The pun works best in English, but the marketing strategy it points fun at is pretty much universal. Wines promoted as “iconic”, especially

Producer Q&A: Ed Macdonald, Hunter’s Wines

Published: 07 December, 2023

Embracing regenerative viticulture, lightweight bottles and with an Offshoot label to appeal to a different demographic, this family winery stands out from the Marlborough crowd. Andrew Catchpole catches up with Ed Macdonald GM of Hunter’s Wines.

Five minutes with Charlie Stein, Rick Stein Group

Published: 05 December, 2023

As he rolls out a new series of wine dinners with group head chef and brother Jack across their restaurants, Charlie Stein, director, Rick Stein Group, talks Andrew Catchpole through his approach to wine and food pairing.

Interview: Carine Bailleul, Champagne Castelnau

Published: 30 November, 2023

In partnership with Champagne Castelnau.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Has wine become like religion for some?

Published: 28 November, 2023

In last month’s article for Harpers, I considered the potential for huge disruption in the UK wine trade from new rules that will allow the blending and processing of wines imported in bulk. They raise the possibility of making drinks that have all the taste and packaging characteristics of established wines while not being subject to the historic restrictions for making them.

Jerez calling at Fourth & Church

Published: 23 November, 2023

With international sherry week upon us, sherry educator and self-confessed Jerez ‘anorak’ Paul Morgan explains to Andrew Catchpole how his passion has translated into a month-long event at Hove’s Fourth & Church.

Soapbox: Somm tips on ordering wine

Published: 21 November, 2023

Aulis’s Charles Carron Brown irons out the mistakes commonly made in approaching a somm, helping to bag the wine a diner wants, rather than the one the somm wants them to drink.

Profile: Les Grand Chais de France

Published: 16 November, 2023

France’s leading producer remains very much a family affair, bucking the notion that big is staid. Andrew Catchpole discovers more.

Guy Woodward: Celeb overload

Published: 14 November, 2023

I've been trying to figure out just why I’m so instinctively hostile to celebrity wines. Ultimately, I suspect it’s an inherent aversion to smug egotists enjoying gushing media coverage and immediate space on supermarket shelves despite a complete lack of winemaking credentials. I also suspect I’m not alone in this stance. But journalistic rigour demands that I essay a more objective appraisal of the worth of such wines to the industry, so in a bid to get over myself, here goes…

Five minutes with Talya Roberson, Marasby

Published: 07 November, 2023

Jo Gilbert gets clued up on Roberson’s latest venture – the first of its kind platform, which promises to offer consumers the chance to buy English wine, direct from producers, at vineyard prices. 

Producer Q&A: Jaime Suárez, Dominio De Atauta

Published: 31 October, 2023

Working with 700 microplots of vines of between 140 and 190 years old, Jaime Suárez, winemaker at Dominio De Atauta, shares his passion with Andrew Catchpole.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Will 2024 mark the end of the UK wine trade as we know it?

Published: 26 October, 2023

I realise that is a pretty dramatic title. But none of us should underestimate the game changing potential of the changes the UK government intends to introduce around wine beginning in early 2024.

The White Hart: On the trail of English wine

Published: 24 October, 2023

Jo Gilbert visited the White Hart pub & restaurant in East Sussex to find out how the venue is looking to become a hub for English wine.

Q&A: Isa Bal MS, co-owner, Trivet

Published: 19 October, 2023

Andrew Catchpole catches up with Isa Bal MS, sommelier, restaurateur and new chair of the Sommelier Wine Awards.

Profile: The wonder of Wanderlust

Published: 17 October, 2023

Wanderlust’s Richard Ellison talks Andrew Catchpole through his journey into wine.

Soapbox: Calling time on sustainability inaction

Published: 10 October, 2023

With emissions targets slipping away, Denomination’s strategy director Mariella Menato urges action across the drinks industry

Tim Atkin MW: Rioja on the rocks?

Published: 06 October, 2023

It should have been a moment of celebration, a chance to hymn the qualities of a special place. José Luis Pérez-Linares’ documentary, Rioja: La Tierra de Mil Vinos, will be premiered at the Valladolid film festival later this month. No doubt the movie will talk about Rioja’s diversity, about the thousand wines of its title, but it will also prompt deeper questions about the way Spain’s marquee wine region is run – and its future viability.

Five minutes with Laurent Chaniac, The Cinnamon Collection

Published: 03 October, 2023

As he unveils a new series of Spice & Wine dinners at London’s Cinnamon Club, Laurent Chaniac talks Andrew Catchpole through the challenges of pairing quality wine with spicy dishes.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Growth is central to business strategy. Is it time to change?

Published: 27 September, 2023

Many years ago I was asked to act as a strategic consultant to a Chilean wine business. They wanted help with reformulating their strategy, first to achieve break even, then to reach sustainable profitability. The business was 100% targeted at export markets, with the UK a key priority.