Spanish specialist Jürgen Mathäß sees both continuity and change for the most important players in the Spanish wine business. In some areas, the economic crisis has also given an impetus to refocus on new priorities.
Hardys, one of the world’s best known wine brands, has been through tumultuous times in the past decade. But the family that stands behind the name are looking forward to the next 160 years. Felicity Carter and Robert Joseph report.
The UK market continues to defy easy analysis, says Richard Woodard. On the one hand, consumers are still looking for cheaper wines, which the wine trade is finding unprofitable to supply. On the other hand, the fine wine market is booming.
It’s been a trying time for wine in Russia, says Eleonora Scholes, thanks to a stagnant market and restrictions on what can be written or said about wine. Yet there are bright spots, including a new willingness to experiment and the spread of interest in wine to regional cities.
UK wine supplier Enotria has not only bypassed the financial problems plaguing former competitors, says Adam Lechmere, but they’re actively looking to grow through acquisition. It’s a wine company that’s found a balance between the corporate and the artisanal approach.
China’s wine consumers are frequently portrayed as red wine obsessives preoccupied with status. But as wine becomes more expensive, particularly from France savvy wine drinkers are looking elsewhere for value. Edward Ragg, charts the rise of China’s new consumers.
Wine exporters are turning their attention to Poland, as the market there grows. Panos kakaviatos went to the first ever official tasting of Bordeaux “grand cru” wines in Warsaw, to see how things might develop. Because where Bordeaux goes, others follow.
