hws april 17 cover - wordpress.com · indian wine market and fiona sims rails against shoddy wine...

NEWSTrade's last-ditch effort to lobby fora freeze in duty

April 17 2009 | Issue no: 005 | www.harpers.co.uk

DESIGNSPECIAL

BUSINESSHow wine spend per head is key to Northcote's success

TASTEDrinking rum at St James Tavern and new drinks launches

PROFILEBernard Fontannaz on making the business case for Fairtrade wine

REVEALED: THE WORLD'S BEST DESIGNEDDRINKS BRANDS

EASTERN EUROPE: OUR GUIDE TO THE LATEST TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

166261_1_HAR Les Grands calvet IFC.indd 1166261_1_HAR Les Grands calvet IFC.indd 1 14/4/09 10:42:4714/4/09 10:42:47

18 OpinionAngela Mount learns the lessons of the Indian wine market and Fiona Sims rails against shoddy wine lists

20 TasteA rum pub in Brighton; Charles Metcalfe’s tasty wine list at Tamarai; Torres invests in Rioja and M&S’s spring tasting

25 And the winners are ...Harpers Wine & Spirit reveals the winners of our design awards

32 The high achieversSouth African wine imports arebooming, reports Andrew Catchpole

36 Looking EastCaroline Gilby MW looks at developments in eastern Europe

44 BusinessBernard Fontannaz runs the world’s biggest Fairtrade wine operation and behind the scenes at the Northcote

If you scratch below the surface of any successful company then there is usually one common factor that ties them all together – a commitment to and an investment in their staff. Not just platitudes that sound nice or go down well in the annual company report, but a genuine commitment to making their workplace as rewarding and an inspiring place to be as they can.

As a trade magazine we are equally only too aware of our responsibility in investing in the industry we support. We cannot just idly sit back and watch from the sidelines.

This week we introduce a new initiative designed to help, support and hopefully inspire independent merchants. By the nature of their business independents work mainly on their own and operate as mini companies . Not many will have been through any offi cial business training prior to opening up shop, and it is their sole responsibility to keep up to date with any new business or employment legislation.

We are launching a new networking initiative for independen ts, called the Top 50 Indies, to come together, share experiences, and hopefully help each other build businesses. My experience of the sector is the great camaraderie that exists between fellow retailers. The fact we are all in this together creates an instant bond.

We are looking to bring together a club of independents, chosen not by their turnover or how many prizes they may have won, but by a commitment and a passion to be part of a networking initiative where everyone is equal.

The club will be open to any independent and you can either nominate yourself or if you know of a great store you can put them forward.

If chosen, all we ask is you give up some of your time to come along to some of the events we will be organising across the country over the coming months. If we can go some way to helping you and your businesses in return, then it will have been an investment worth making.

April 17 2009 | Harpers Wine & Spirit | 3www.harpers.co.uk

EDITORIAL Editor Richard Siddle 01293 867607Managing Editor Claire Hu 01293 867605News EditorEamonn Houston 01293 867622Senior ReporterCarol Emmas 01293 867628Chief Sub Editor Lawrence DutrieuxDeputy Chief Sub Editor Emily Kearns

DESIGN Art Editor Steven Dillon 01293 867629Designer

Clare Turnbull

ADVERTISING, SALES & [email protected] Manager Kevin Moore 01293 867602Account Manager Freddie Linfi eld 01293 867601Account Executive Carl Archer 01293 867603Classifi ed Account ExecutiveKyle Rawles 01293 867609

AD PRODUCTIONAdvertisement Production ExecutiveVinod Nalawade 01293 610251Advertisement Production ExecutiveKieran Smith 01293 610456

PublisherLee SharkeyManaging Director Andrew ReedGroup Managing Director Charles Reed

Harpers Wine & Spirit is available on annual subscription at the following rates

UK: £161.20Europe: £246.02ROW: £260.96

Subscription EnquiriesTel: +44 (0)844 2490460Fax: +44 (0)844 8150866Email: [email protected]: Harpers, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GU

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Harpers Wine & Spirit is published fortnightly by William Reed Business Media, Broadfi eld Park, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 9RTInternet: www.william-reed.co.uk Telephone: 01293 613400General Enquiries: 0800 6526514© William Reed Business Media. All rights reserved

Cover image: Steven Dillon

NEWS

4 Industry braced for BudgetThe drinks trade launches last push to persuade Darling to freeze duty

6 Direct Wines in consultationThe company asks staff to re-apply for jobs

7Latour fi rst with lower priceChâteau Latour is the fi rst Bordeaux fi rst growth to slash prices

10 The week in reviewFirst Drinks’ spirits coup; the cost of holiday drinking; Will Broadfoot’s drinks choice and quotes of the week

12 Prosecco leads the chargeSparkling wine is profi ting from the falling fortunes of Champagne

16 The Big QuestionWhy should wine importers foot the bill for new packaging legislation?

17 Q&A with Simon BaileThe new owner of Oddbins reveals how the chain is performing

REVIEW

ANALYSIS

TASTE

FEATUR ES

BUSINESS

22

32

44

10

A club that offers clout for Indies

COMMENT RICHARD SIDDLE EDITOR

CONTENTS

Keep up to date with all the news seven days a week at: www.harpers.co.uk

4 | Harpers Wine & Spirit | April 17 2009 www.harpers.co.uk

The drinks industry is stepping up its campaign to persuade the government to put a freeze on alcohol duty rises ahead of the Budget (April 22).

A ComRes poll commissioned by the British Beer and Pub Association’s Axe the Tax campaign has off ered some hope to those involved in the trade when it revealed that 59% of MPs oppose Chancellor Alistair Darling’s controversial 2% above infl ation duty escalator.

DUTY

Industry braces itself for Darling’s decisionBy Eamonn Houston Some 61% of MPs also want

more government action to support local pubs.

A total of 202 MPs, including 97 Labour backbenchers, have signed a Parliamentary motion calling for a freeze on duty.

Gavin Partington, head of communications with the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), said that job losses in recent months should spur the government to alter its approach.

“If ever there was a time when a duty rise was inappropriate, it is now,” he said.

David Williamson of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) was hopeful the combined lobbying approach by the trade this year would be eff ective. “Working with other drinks sectors, a strong case has been made across government that the above infl ation duty escalator should be removed and duties frozen.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Offi ce has responded to a Harpers online poll that urged Gordon Brown not to

introduce legislation that punishes people who drink responsibly. It states it does not intend to introduce draconian measures, but has a responsibility to deal with the issue of irresponsible drinking.

The trade can take hope from the Irish government’s decision not to raise taxes on alcohol in an emergency budget last week.

Blueprint for success for indiesAn innovative merchandising solution aimed at increasing profi ts in the independent drinks sector has helped retailers lift sales by 25% despite recession, its designers have claimed.

The Federation of Wholesale Distributors Take Home Blueprint has released fi gures from 80 independent retailers that show that the beer, wine and spirit educational guide has helped them achieve average annual increases per shop of

£36,281, an increase of 25%.Blueprint chairman Alan Toft

said: “Retailers in need – and there are a lot out there – will see sales increase if they adopt the Blueprint, that’s guaranteed.”

He added: “There are just too many small shops who limit their off ering to price. They are wrong. We are not talking fi ne wines here.”

The scheme is backed by a number of major drinks companies including

INDEPENDENTS

Constellation Europe and Foster’s EMEA who help put together the industry-wide category plans for beers, wines and spirits.

Toft added: “In such a large and fragmented market it is unfortunate that there are still far too many local shops with jumble sale displays – the wrong products on the wrong shelves. There are so many independents who are earning good money with professional displays.”

NEWS

Have your say on the 2009 Budget at harpers.co.uk

Williamson: united we stand

South African surge

South African wine is seeing

double-digit growth. Off-trade

sales were up 26.3% in the

year to December 27, 2008,

and volume increased 22%,

according to Nielsen. Brands

such as Kumala and Namaqua

are reporting strong growth

in our South African focus,

starting on page 32.

Fairtrade on the move

Fairtrade wine and food is

bucking the economic trend,

with a consumer global

survey showing healthy sales

around the world. A survey of

14,500 people, commissioned

by the Fairtrade Labelling

Organizations International,

showed almost three

quarters of shoppers believe

companies should support

community development in

developing countries.

Caption winners

David Cox, formerly of Brown-

Forman, is the winner of our

Harry Hill photo competition

in last week’s issue. He wins

a bottle of offi cial BAFTA

Champagne Taittinger for

his caption: “No more duty

rises, Darling, or you get this

up your dispatch box.” Dave

Bell of St James’s Wealth

Management, is the winner

of a bottle of Benromach

Traditional courtesy of

Gordon & MacPhail for our

Shurely Not competition last

issue who quipped: “Anyone

fancy a fag? These patches

do nowt for me.”

Who to contact?

If you have a story, comment

or would like to join in any

debate at HWS contact:

Eamonn Houston, news editor

on: 01293 867622, eamonn.

[email protected] or

Carol Emmas, senior reporter

on: 01293 867628, carol.

[email protected].

Carol is also the best contact

for appointments.

In Brief


had left the trade in a perilous position, he added.

“The government thinks the drinks industry is very big and can bear the cost without too much damage, and that more duty will decrease health problems. On both those aspects it is wrong, and it’s damaging one of the most successful industries in the country. I only hope the government can see common sense - if consumption is falling, jobs and investment are being lost then what on earth is the point of another rise in duty?”

A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “What we have previously said is that the government should cut taxes on low alcohol drinks and raise taxes on problem drinks like high strength ciders and alcopops.”

Hopes were further raised of a duty freeze after Labour MP

By Claire HuThe Conservative Party would “very seriously” consider ditching the government’s duty escalator if it came into power, according to a leading Tory MP.

Geoff rey Clifton-Brown, who co-chaired an All-Party Parliamentary inquiry looking at the impact of duty on the drinks trade, said pressure was mounting for the government to freeze duty in next week’s Budget, rather than carrying out its threat of a 2%-above-infl ation increase.

He said evidence showing thousands of jobs could be lost and investment was being diverted away from the UK due to high costs meant the Tories would consider abandoning the policy.

“The best thing we can do is to start up a realistic dialogue between the two sides,” said Clifton-Brown. “We would look very carefully at the duty escalator. I think it’s very questionable in terms of raising revenue and the supposed health benefi ts and I would certainly be calling for it to be stopped.”

A 17% increase in duty in 2008

DUTY

Tories offer hope on duty escalator

Join Top 50 clubHarpers Wine & Spirit is launching the Top 50 Indies – the fi rst dedicated networking club for the country’s best independent drinks merchants.

Independents are among the UK’s most innovative retailers, being well placed to buck the downward trend in drinks sales through their high level of personalised service and product knowledge.

The Top 50 Indies will provide a platform for retailers to learn from each other and from

business experts through a series of networking events and tastings throughout the year. Members, who will be chosen through nomination and a special panel of industry experts, will also receive point of sale material they can use in their stores.

Sponsors will gain exclusive access to a sector of the drinks industry that off ers some of the best profi t margins around.

To fi nd out how you can make a nomination or get involved, turn to page 40.

INDEPENDENTS

TV presenter and author Oz Clarke dropped by the fi rst day’s judging of the world’s biggest and toughest wine competition, the International Wine Challenge. Hundreds of judges from the UK and abroad convened at the Barbican in London on Tuesday to kick-start the two-week long IWC, now in its 26th year.

Andrew Dismore, who co-chaired the inquiry, reiterated his calls for the duty escalator – 2% above infl ation for the next four years – to be halted this year. “I’m calling for a freeze in reaction to the reduction in demand , reducing revenues together with the eff ect of the increased cost of importing wine due to exchange rates.”

The Liberal Democrats said they would not take a position on

duty until the Budget had been announced.

In the past, LibDem leader Nick Clegg has supported calls for the introduction of a minimum pric ing .

“It is unacceptable for retailers, especially big supermarkets, to run a coach and horses through alcohol duties in order to sell alcohol well below its cost,” he said .

Will Conservative George Osborne lock horns with Darling on duty?

17%The increase in alcohol duty in 2008


Direct Wines has denied it is in diffi culties after it emerged that staff at its Reading headquarters have been asked to re-apply for their jobs.

A statement issued by the company said: “Direct Wines is undertaking a 30-day consultation regarding its overall organisational structure with a number of its employees.”

The move comes less than a year after a series of high-level departures rocked the company last summer.

But Phil Hullah, managing director of Direct Wines UK, said the consultation had nothing to do with poor sales.

“As a company, Direct Wines is performing well,” Hullah said. “This consultation will ensure that we remain just as successful in the future, providing long-term security for our staff , suppliers and customers.”

EMPLOYMENT

Direct Wines staff to re-apply for own jobs By David Williams

The direct-selling specialist trades under the identities of Laithwaites, Virgin Wines, Averys, Warehouse, the Sunday Times Wine Club, Barclaycard Wine Service, and British Airways

Wine Club. It has a turnover of more than £250 million and over 500,000 regular customers.

Prosecco gears up for UK PR stintProsecco is to be boosted by its fi rst ever UK public relations charm off ensive as the sparkler continues to take the fi zz out of Champagne sales.

The Prosecco DOC d i Coneglian o-Valdobbiadene Consortium is planning to launch a PR campaign as consumer demand continues to soar.

The campaign by the trade body – aimed to further increase and support sales of Prosecco will also educate trade and consumers about the DOC.

A Harpers Wine & Spirit online poll show ed that 65.2 % of trade respondents reported an increase

in sales of Prosecco this year.The PR campaign has been

designed to raise accessibility to Prosecco to on and off -trade wine buyers as well as the media.

In tandem with a media relations campaign, the consortium will hold a tasting at London’s Institute of Directors on October 19.

The event will again host around 40 DOC producers and a seminar will be presented by Tim Atkin MW. Non-trade guests will also be invited to the event.

Giancarlo Vettorello, director of the Prosecco DOC di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene

ITALY

Consortium, sa id: “With the UK consumers ever more discovering Prosecco DOC, we want to give utmost support to importers, retailers and the hospitality industry to maximise the potential of this exciting growth.

“We are confi dent the planned programme will meet the needs of the trade and consumers alike.”

Over the past year, Prosecco has recorded strong growth, while Champagne sales have dropped.■ See Prosecco analysis on pages 12 and 13

NEWS

Have your say on the Direct Wines consultation at harpers.co.uk

Direct Wines trades under Laithwaites

What is happening in the

Hungarian wine industry at

the moment?

The two major things are the

rise of small producers who

have really raised the standard

of premium wines. The bigger

producers are also doing a

good job, especially with Pinot

Grigio and rosé. Other whites

like Grüner Veltliner and

Sauvignon Blanc are selling well

in supermarkets and are good

value for money.

What is being done to promote

Hungarian wines in the UK?

There has been a lot of work

over the past few years with both

consumer and trade tastings

and visits to the country to

show people how things are

developing. Wines of Hungary is

hosting its largest ever tasting

at Plaisterers’ Hall in London

on Thursday April 30. Over 40

producers are attending and

there will be focus tables and

tutored tastings.

What makes Hungarian wines

stand out?

Tokaj is still a great hook for

Hungary because it’s well

known and gets people

interested; but there are also

some really exciting dry whites.

There’s a real buzz about

Hungary at the moment, with

lots of young winemakers getting

involved in the industry.

What does the future hold for

Hungarian wines?

The future is bright if Hungary

can communicate its strengths

— great wine, great value and an

interesting variety of styles.

Caroline Gilby MW will be leading

tutored tastings at the Wines of

Hungary tasting on April 30 in

London’s Plaisterers’ Hall .

Caroline Gilby MWWine writer

TAKE 5 WITH


By David WilliamsChâteau Latour has become the fi rst of the Bordeaux fi rst growths to release its price for the 2008 vintage .

As expected it is some way below the opening price for its 2007. The Pauillac property will be off ering the wine for € 110 a bottle (€ 130 ex-negoce) some 46% lower than the 2007.

The fall in price is in line with top St-Emilion property Château Angélus, which was the fi rst property to release its 2008 – also down more than 40% on its 2007.

It is widely expected that the remaining four fi rst growths, along with the other top-tier Bordeaux, will follow the same strategy.

Whether the reductions will be suffi cient to appease British merchants calling for fairer pricing from the Bordelais, in what promises to be a diffi cult en primeur campaign, remains to be seen, however.

Many in the trade had been

BORDEAUX

Latour fi rst in with lower price

Albariño wines face rebrandingThe Australian wine industry is reeling from the announcement that many of its Albariño wines will have to be repackaged.

DNA testing found a number of varieties, thought to be Albariño, were in fact the little -known grape variety Savagnin Blanc (Traminer) which is almost exclusively grown in Jura, eastern France.

The authenticity was questioned late in 2008, when the Albariño s’ veracity in Australia was bought to the attention of the Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation.

Tests were carried out by the Australian Commonwealth

Scientifi c and Industrial Research Organisation , in January, using DNA profi ling.

The study concluded that wines produced from vines sourced by that collection cold not be labelled as Albariño.

Under the Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation Act 1980, it is an off ence to internationally sell, export or import wine with a false description.

Figures have not yet been revealed about how many producers will be aff ected and what the implications may be, as the confusion is reportedly not confi ned to Australia.

AUSTRALIA

Château Latour is the fi rst to announce its fi rst growth prices — at 46% lower than 2007

hoping for an even bigger drop in price – to as low as € 100 a bottle in the case of the fi rst growths – to take into account the global economic climate.

In a statement earlier this month, Adam Brett-Smith, managing director of Corney & Barrow, had urged the Bordelais to be “dramatic, even

inspirational. Use 2001 opening prices as a reference or 2002, or even 2004. You can aff ord to and you really, really need to make some friends. We all need them in these times do we not?”

However, Farr Vintners’ buyer Oliver East welcomed the Latour announcement which, for the fi rst time for a fi rst growth since

2002, has come before Robert Parker has delivered his verdict on the vintage.

“It’s a bold move to do it before Parker [and] a good thing for Bordeaux,” East said.

“History says the other fi rst growths will come out at the same price, but will they all work at that price? I don’t think so.”

Harpers Wine & Spirit has teamed up with Ascot Racecourse to offer four lucky readers the chance to win a day out at one of the biggest race meetings of the year. The third annual Ascot Racecourse Festival of Wine takes place on Saturday May 9. Up for grabs is a table for four in the Pavilion Restaurant, premier admission tickets, a three-course luncheon, open bar (excluding Champagne), light afternoon tea , a race card and entry to the Festival of Wine for each person.

Simply e mail your answer to the following question to: [email protected].

What was the name of the winning horse at the recent Grand National?


By Richard SiddleMajestic remains confi dent it can buck the economic recession and build on what will be bullish sales for the last year, according to chief executive Steve Lewis.

He told Harpers Wine & Spirit th at while conditions over the past nine months have been among the worst he has ever known, the company was on track with its sales targets and well placed to see out the downturn.

“This is my third recession and I believe we have the experience and expertise to come through this,” he said. “The key to surviving the recession is to have a very low cost base and that is how we have set the company up. We are in a very good position to come through this.”

He added: “We have to, more than ever, concentrate on our products and our customers.”

He said its residential customer base was holding up “pretty

MULTIPLES

Majestic confi dentit’s recession-proof

well” in 2009 and that Majestic expects to report positive year-on-year results from its off -trade business.

But he conceded the business customer side of the business will be down, with sales through

restaurants, pubs and event management companies continuing to slow . “We are planning for that,” he said. “In the long run it will come back, but it will take longer.”

He confi rmed trials of six -bottle cases would continue, but would only be rolled out across the estate if he was 100% confi dent it was the right decision. “It is such a big decision for us, so we have to be sure,” he said.

Lewis has had a baptism of fi re since taking over the chief executive role from Tim How last August. He said the group went through a “diffi cult September, October and November” and suff ered a sharp decline in Champagne sales over Christmas.

But 2009 has not been as bad as many feared.

“We expected January and February to be truly awful and have been genuinely surprised at how we have done,” Lewis said.

Global crisis hits consumptionThe global economic crisis has started to take its toll on global wine consumption, according to a new report from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine .

Total consumption around the world was down by 2 million hectolitres during 2008 compared to the previous year, the State of World Vitivinicole in 2008 report estimates .

The report added that exports “halted to a stop in terms of [their] development”.

The total amount of land under vine also dropped, by 28,000ha

to 7.861 million ha, thanks largely to grubbing-up schemes in the EU, particularly France. But total production rose by 1 million hl to 240.5 million hl.

“It is obvious that the world economic crisis has played a role in lowering overall demand,” said OIV director general, Federico Castellucci, who blamed the fall in consumption on traditional markets such as France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

The report also confi rmed Italy as the world’s largest exporter, with Spain now eclipsing France in second place.

WINE

NEWS

Imag

e: P

ho

tos.

com

Benevolent Steak Out at Tate

The Benevolent Buddies has

announced the return of its

Steak Out! event at the Tate

Modern on Wednesday May

13. The event is held during

the London International

Wine Fair. Tickets are £75 and

includes transport from Excel

to Tate Modern. The price

includes dinner, wine, beer

and entry to an after party.

Tickets are available through

thebenevolent.org.uk or from

Rob Pickard at robpickard@

thebenevolent.org.uk.

SKYY launches fruit vodkas.

Three SKYY Infusions

— citrus, passion fruit and

raspberry — have been

launched. Made with SKYY

Premium vodka, which is

distilled four times and triple

fi ltered for smoothness,

the resulting fl avours are

described by the company

as being “as fresh and full of

fl avour as sun-ripened fruit”.

Success at The Dorchester

The Benevolent has announced

the total raised on the

evening of its March Ball in

the Dorchester reached over

£40,000. “A fantastic fi gure in

light of the general economic

climate that surrounds us,”

said chief executive Cheng Loo.

The event was the fi rst in the

charity’s fundraising calendar

and saw more than 300 guests

attend. Many other events will

be held throughout the year.

Chadwick scoops award

Eduardo Chadwick, president

of Viña Errázuriz, has been

named Wine Personality

of the Year 2008 at the

Chilean Circle of Food and

Wine Writers Annual Awards

Ceremony, held at Santiago

restaurant Emilio . The awards

celebrate people and events

deemed to have made the

most signifi cant impact in the

fi elds of gastronomy and wine

over the past 12 months.

In Brief

Consumption fell 2 million hl

Customers and products must come fi rst, says company’s boss

Lewis: confi dence in Majestic

April 17-24■ International Wine Challenge 2009The Barbican Centre, London EC2. Contact Mike Florence at [email protected]. Results announced on May 12.

April 20■ Matthew Clark 2009 Wine TastingThe Bristol Hotel, Bristol BS1 4QF. Invitation only. Contact [email protected] ■ 10am Enotria Annual TastingThe Great Halls, Vinopolis, London SE1 9BU. Contact Ben Smith at [email protected]

■ 8.30pm Discover the Origin educational master-class, held by Rose Murray Brown MWHotel du Vin, Edinburgh EH1 1EZ. Contact [email protected]

April 21-22■ IWC Discovery TastingExhibition Hall 1, Barbican Centre, London EC2Y 8DL. Contact Mike Florence at [email protected]

April 21■ 11am Enotria Italian Roadshow — BristolRiverstation, The Grove, Bristol BA1 4RB. Contact Ben Smith at [email protected]

■ 11am Vinho Verde Tasting — BirminghamInvitation only. Contact Claudio Martins at [email protected]

■ 6.45pm A tutored tasting of fi ne wines from Chile and ArgentinaHesperia Hotel SW1V 1QA. Contact Clare Benson at [email protected]

April 22■ 10am Thorman Hunt TastingMerchant Taylors’ Hall, London EC2R 8JB. Contact [email protected]

■ 11am Enotria Italian Roadshow — Leeds Carnegie Stadium LS6 3BR. Contact [email protected]

■ 11am Sotheby’s: Finest and Rarest Wines34-35 New Bond Street, London W1AA 2AA. Contact [email protected]

■ 11.30am WaverleyTBS 2009 Wine Tasting ScotlandApex International Hotel, Edinburgh EH1 2HS. Invitation only. Contact [email protected]

April 23■ 11am English Wine Producers Trade & Press Tasting [email protected]

■ 11am Enotria Italian Roadshow — EdinburghMerchants Hall EH2 2EP. Contact [email protected]

■ 3pm Vinho Verde Tasting London. Contact Claudio Martins at [email protected]

April 27■ 10am Provence Rosé Tasting Trade and press only. Contact [email protected]

■ 11am Wines of Argentina 2nd Annual Super Reserve Tasting Invitation only. Contact [email protected]

■ 3pm Michel Chapoutier introduces his Selections Parcellaires 2008The Groucho Club, London. Invitation only. Contact eliza-beth@mentzendorff .co.uk

■ 8.30pm Discover the Origin Masterclass on Burgundy wines, Port and Douro Valley wines held by Christine AustinMalmaison, Leeds LS1 4AG. Contact [email protected]

April 28■ Matthew Clark TastingPark Plaza, Cardiff CF10 3AL. Invitation only. Contact [email protected]

■ 10.30am The Co-operative Spring Press Wine TastingICA, London SW1Y 5AH. Contact [email protected]

■ 10.30am Wine Started HereRoyal Horticultural Halls, London SW1P 2PE. Contact Vasil Managadze on +995 32 37 80 55

■ 11am 50 Great Portuguese WinesManchester. Contact [email protected]

■ 11.30am Great Western Wine Spring TastingThe Vineyard Room, Vinopolis, London SE1 9BU. Contact [email protected]

April 29-30■ 10am Waitrose Spring 2009 Press Wine TastingThe Worx SW6 4TJ. Contact [email protected]

April 29-30■ Les Caves de Pyrene’s Real Wine Tasting London. Contact Amy Morgan at [email protected]

April 29■ 10am Le Cinq Bordeaux TastingCentral London. Contact [email protected]

April 30■ 9am International Wine Challenge 2009The Barbican Centre, London EC2. Contact Mike Florence at [email protected]

■ 10.30am Wines of Hungary TastingPlaisterers’ Hall, London. Contact [email protected]

■ 11am 50 Great Portuguese Wines — Edinburgh [email protected]

The diary is produced in conjunction with the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. Please note that all diary booking must be made and verifi ed through the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.Call Diary BookingsTel: 020 7089 3877Fax: 020 7089 3870The Wine Trade Diary lists events for the next 12 months at www.wsta.co.uk

■ April 189am Level 2 Intermediate CourseThe George Hotel & Brasserie, High Street, Buckden, Cambs PE19 5XA. Contact [email protected]

■ April 27-29Level 2 Intermediate Certifi cate for Wine & SpiritsLondon Wine & Spirit School, Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF. Contact [email protected]

WSET COURSES

DON'T MISS

EVENTS


Keeping it real with Les Caves de PyreneLes Caves de Pyr ene is all about " keeping it real" , and is set to host the largest ever tasting of “real wines” in the UK. The independent UK agent believes in promoting wines which are made by hand, with minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery , like those of producer Jean-Bernard Larrieu at Clos Lapeyre, pictured. The Real Wine Tasting will take place at Porchester Hall , London, W2 5HS, on April 29 -30 from 10am -6pm. For further information, contact Les Caves de Pyr ene on 01483 538 830 or email [email protected] .

www.harpers.co.uk

Gallo targets menE&J Gallo’s Redwood Creek brand is to be rolled out across both the on and off-trade markets after some success in the US, where it is a 2 million -case brand.

Aimed at 35 to 65-year-old male s, the winery hopes it will fi ll a gap in the market for a red wine oriented brand, said Iain Newell, marketing director for Europe.

“Following extensive consumer research, we have developed a second premium wine offering from California, as we believe there is a gap in this area of the market,” he said.

The initial range will consist of two reds, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon, and one white wine, a Chardonnay.

MY CHOICE

Will Broadfoot Marketing directorLondon International Wine Fair & Distil

It’s often presumed that I get to taste a fabulous selection of

wines while the show is running, but the truth is I’m constantly

dashing between appointments . A couple of years ago I took part

in a pedometer challenge during the fair and clocked up around

34 miles without tasting a drop!

That said, for the other 362 days of the year, I like nothing

better than hunting out interesting wines. I recently came across

a Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg, Domaine Weinbach 2000 ,

which was nothing short of Riesling perfection , with incredible

mineral concentration and biting fl avours. Also the fi nal bottle in a

half case of Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant 2003 that I couldn’t

resist over Easter. If you enjoy the complex spices and fruit of the

southern Rhône then this Californian won’t disappoint.

Talking of Easter, here’s an unusual accompaniment to a

seasonal slab of dark chocolate — sake. I had a sneak preview of

some of the sakes at the Cherry Blossom Festival, running at

a selection of London’s Japanese restaurants, and really enjoyed

Akashi-Tai Genmai 2002. It’s the only sake made from brown

rice in a specifi c year, oh, and did I also mention that you can try

it at Distil running alongside the LIWF?

NEWS

Martini looks to push its low-alcohol RosatoMartini, the company that gave us the classic Cinzano campaign featuring Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter, announced a new £5.6 million campaign to showcase Martini Rosato.

The new campaign, Stay Beautiful , will promote the Martini Rosato and

pomegranate juice serve, with marketing activity championing the brand’s positive benefi ts of lightness due to its lower abv. One standard 7 cl Martini serve contains one unit of alcohol.

10 | Harpers Wine & Spirit | April 17 2009

(Don’t) hold the front page

First Drinks strikes dealUK premium supplier First Drinks has announced that it will handle the distribution of R émy Cointreau brands in a major coup for the company.

The expansion means that First Drinks now controls a 26% share of the premium spirits market in the UK and it has revealed a £40 million investment package for 2009.

The company has also announced a series of new appointments as a result of the expansion. New recruits include Andy Corris as senior brand manager for Glenfi ddich, Anthony Habert as senior brand manager for Rémy Martin, St Rémy and Three Barrels and Joanne Birkitt as senior brand manager for Russian Standard..

202

Number of MPs who have signed an early day motion calling for a freeze on alcohol duty

We cast our eye over the stories that made the news in the industry over the past few weeks

Sky-high gin with a twist!Brockman’s gin scaled dizzy heights at the Paramount Club in London’s Centrepoint. The venue, some 31 fl oors up, hosted Brockman’s Perfect Pour cocktail competition, which saw some of the best mixologists in the country compete.

No less celebrities than Bianca Gascoigne and Irish comedian Graham Norton attended .

On the night the competition was won by Antonio Simonnetti (pictured) leading mixologist from one of London’s top style bars, the Hoxton Pony.

A tipple abroad is cheaperA pint of beer and a bite to eat still costs less overseas, a new study by travel fi rm Thomas Cook revealed.

The Holiday Cost of Living study, which compares prices in 16 popular holiday destinations, has shown that a cup of coff ee in Goa will cost you 10 times less than in the UK, while other holiday hotspots, such as Cuba, also enjoy bargain prices.

Many other destinations are also “signifi cantly cheaper ” with a three-course meal costing around £11.50 in Spain and a beer in Bulgaria costs £1.20.

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April 20The night when some of

the world’s biggest egos

descend on London for

the presentation of the S

Pell egrino World’s 50 Best

Restaurant Awards, run by our sister

title Restaurant magazine. It is invitation

only but you might want to tread

carefully ringing up your on-trade clients

the following morning. It is taking place

at The Freemasons’ Hall, London, WC2.

April 21 and 23It may be a mouthful, but the

Comiss ão de Viticultura da

Regi ão dos Vinhos Verdes is

hosting two tastings, one in

Birmingham on April 21 and

London on April 23 to give the

trade an insight into its distinct wine

styles. The Birmingham tasting is at

Hotel du Vin, whil e the Royal Exchange

hosts the London one. Sarah Ahmed will

lead a masterclass tasting at each event.

Contact [email protected].

April 23It’s time to take to the streets

and celebrate St George’s

Day. Or you could head off

to the Bayside Brasserie in

Broadstairs, Kent, which is

hosting a day of themed

lunches (£7.95 for two

courses) and dinners

(£32 for fi ve courses).

More details at

thebaysidebrasserie.

co.uk.

April 30Forty Hungarian producers will

be descending on London for the

annual Hungary Tasting on April 30.

It promises to be the largest yet, with

far more than Tokaji to get your palate

and your order book excited .

It claims to be the new

home for Cabernet Franc as

well as a host of intense white

varieties.

Our resident Hungarian

expert Caroline Gilby MW

(see her eastern Europe

review on pages 36-38)

will be delivering a

masterclass. Head to

Plaisterers’ Hall,

1 London Wall, London, EC2

between 10.30am-4.30pm.


How far is South Africa, again?They had better hurry up if they want to see the fi rst ball being bowled in the second year of the Indian Premier League . The tournament kicks off on April 18 in its new home – South Africa. Strange but true, but following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai at the end of last year the whole of the IPL, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff included, are all heading off to the Cape for over a month of mad 20:20 cricket. It has still, however, attracted a fair deal of interest from the world of drinks. Not only is drinks titan, Vijay Mallya, of UB Group and Kingfi sher fame, the owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, which has Pietersen among its ranks, but Pernod Ricard has signed up to sponsor the Mumbai Indians. The move to South Africa means it is far more friendly for the TV audience in the UK and pub groups are hopeful it will bring some welcome cricketing talent to their doors.

‘‘QUOTES OF THE WEEK

‘‘

“I have been through this before [a recession]. I know what to do. I am not daunted by it.”

Steve Lewis, chief executiveMajestic

“The government is completely wrong-headed on increasing duty.”Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP,

Conservative chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Wine and Spirits Group

“Retailers in need — and there are a lot out there — will see sales increase if they adopt the Blueprint.”

Alan Toft, chairmanBlueprint

YOU SHOULD FIND THE TIME TO …

Here’s what not to miss in the coming fortnight

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Prosecco leads the charge

One man’s recession often proves to be another’s big break. So the adage

goes and no truer when analysing the meteoric rise of Prosecco and sparkling wine against the comparatively fl oundering fortunes of Champagne.

Sales of Prosecco and sparkling wine jumped by 37% in the fi rst nine months of 2008 while Champagne imports fell by 4.8% (Nielsen).

The latter – the aristocrat of hotel, high-end club and restaurant bars – has had a dip in sales as recession forces even the glitterati to weigh their options.

Budget and premium bubbly, with range and quality have made signifi cant inroads. The defection to good quality Prosecco and sparklers has had the Champenois rushing to cite the heritage and enduring appeal of their revered drink. If it has historically fl ourished in good times, it has also survived as

that still speaks of premium.According to Roslyn Storrar,

the Rocco brand and Prosecco is a statement of lifestyle and quality.

Low-end alternatives, she says, will come and go, but superior Prosecco is here to stay.

“There are many reasons for the success of Rocco,” she says, “ultimately Prosecco is an excellent grape, it has a wonderful bouquet, is light and fresh. Prosecco is very diff erent from Champagne – lighter and often compared with many Champagnes, it off ers more complex fl avours. People also are becoming more sophisticated in their taste, as they travel more.

“When we present Rocco we always say that a good wine list should off er good Champagne and also an excellent quality Italian range of bubbly. Rocco fi ts very well beside an excellent NV Champagne. We are happy to sit beside good Champagne.

“Why have a poor quality Champagne when you can have an excellent Prosecco? This is where Rocco has fi tted perfectly. We off er a unique range of superior quality and off er a brand visibility which is important to our clients,” Storrar says.

Key price pointsThe secret of Rocco’s success has been the brand’s ability to convey sophistication a good few price points below Champagne.

Matthew Clark will be listing three of the brand’s Prosecco s.

Andrea Ruggeri, director of purchasing at Matthew Clark, says that the acquisition of the Prosecco strengthens the

company’s Italian and sparkling portfolio and harnesses the newly discovered energy of Prosecco.

“This new range strengthens the sparkling element of our already-strong Italian portfolio and we envisage continued growth in Italian wine sales driven by the addition of this strong brand.”

Storrar adds: “People want quality and quality will always win, people will also pay for quality and expect to pay for good products, now the market at present makes everyone more aware of what they are doing and buying and that is ultimately a good thing.

“Good Champagne is always good Champagne and a good Prosecco is always a good Prosecco.

“It is a good thing that the market off ers a variety of quality and prices, but quality will always survive and low-end products will come and go.

“We are a fresh modern Italian brand, Rocco off ers a little touch of luxury, a touch of La Dolce Vita – a taste of the modern Vene tian life. Our ultimate aim is to off er the whole La Dolce Vita experience of Rocco Venezia – when you taste the Prosecco you are transported to the beautiful Italian piazza.”

Prosecco has also become a familiar option on the supermarket aisles.

In recent years it has managed to shrug off its reputation as a second-rate Champagne.

The global fi nancial crisis has forced the consumer to re-adjust and Champagne, synonymous with good times has taken a hit.

many bad times.The relatively new kids on

the block are beginning to make their mark on wine lists in the most urbane restaurants and bars across the UK.

Some Proseccos from Italy and Cava from Spain have found themselves in exactly the right market position – that area between the cheap and cheerful and outright decadence. And in 2009, that’s just the place to be.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Diff erence Vintage Cava was its best selling wine at Christmas.Matthew Clark, Britain’s largest on-trade supplier of wines and spirits, has been swift to seize on the opportunities presented by Prosecco .

One of the company’s recent acquisitions is Italian brand Rocco Venezia. Owned by husband-and-wife team Andrea Tumiotto and Roslyn Storrar, the DOC Prosecco produced from vineyards in the Veneto hills sits comfortably alongside Champagne and at that cheaper but all-important price point

ANALYSIS

Champagne may be losing favour in hard times, but sales of sparkling wines are taking off. Eamonn Houston reveals how fi zz’s poorer cousin is turning the tables

Tumiotto and Storrar: tasting

success with Rocco Venezia


Shipments for 2008, according to Nielsen, stood at just under 36 million bottles. Most Champenois expect things to get worse before they get better.

“We are prepared for a diffi cult couple of years,” said Laurent Gillet, president of Champagne Jacquart. “Champagne growth is linked entirely to that of the economy, and until that starts to improve we cannot expect to grow sales.”

The slumping fortunes of Champagne stand in contrast to the advance of Prosecco and sparkling wine. Sales of sparkling are markedly up and now account for £294 million in the UK market.

Italian wine brand La Gioiosa last year strengthened its position in the sparkling wine category by unveiling new premium packaging for its Prosecco Spumante Brut and extending distribution in Tesco

to 650 stores.Lewis Jones, marketing

director of UK agent D&D Wines International explains: “In today’s market conditions, as consumers trade down from Champagne to other sparkling wines, La Gioiosa Prosecco Spumante off ers fantastic value for money at £7.49 with packaging that over-delivers signifi cantly in the category.”

Success storyProduction of Prosecco has grown steadily as the bubbly establishes itself as a luxury tipple. With the success story of the past year, who could say that trend won’t continue?

Storrar adds: “A few years ago Prosecco was one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. This, to us, seems amazing as the best Prosecco DOC grapes have a wonderful

bouquet, fl avour and unique quality, very diff erent from good Champagne, uniquely Italian.

“Our aim for Rocco was to create the best Prosecco range, from the best grapes from the DOC province. Rocco would be young, fresh, light and delicious and uniquely Rocco. The market was ours, there was no-one else, why we still don’t know.”

Steve Lewis, marketing

director at Majestic Wine, says the performance of Prosecco and sparkling wine has gone some way to make up for the fall in Champagne sales.

“We are seeing excellent sales for Prosecco . The quality on off er is really attracting people . We have seen quite a signifi cant fall in Champagne, but the sparkling wine category is a real alternative.” ■

THE ROCCO STORY

Production 2008:Rocco Prosecco doc Brut: approx 400,000 bottlesRocco Prosecco doc Extra dry: approx 300,000 bottlesRocco Rosé Brut: approx 300,000 bottles

Recommended prices Retail: £ 13.50-£15On-trade: £25-£27

UK sales:Rocco Prosecco doc Brut: approx 50,000 bottles Rocco Prosecco doc Extra dry: approx 20,000 bottlesRocco Rosé Brut: approx 40,000 bottles

UK sales prediction 2009: 250,000 bottles in total

Cash-strapped drinkers are being

drawn to Prosecco’s appeal


ANALYSISNUMBER CRUNCHER

Women and wine: truth is out there

SHARES: HIGHS AND LOWS

THE BRIEFING

It seems that women’s

attitudes to wine are not quite

what we would believe of the

traditionally termed – “fairer

sex,” and in fact it transpires,

that women are much more

ballsy and knowledgeable than

previously thought.

A survey carried out by

Vinexpo which is aimed at

women’s attitudes towards

wine has overturned several

long standing perceptions

that men take the lead in wine

buying, are more self-confi dent

and knowledgeable, and that

women prefer to drink white.

Aimed at revealing middle

England’s attitude to wine,

1,300 women readers of Living

etc and Decanter magazines

aged between 18 and 60-

plus were asked a series of

questions online about how

they purchased wine and their

perceptions of it.

A similar picture of self-

confi dant and knowledgeable

women wine drinkers emerged

from comparable research of

more than 4,300 women initiated

by Vinexpo in France, Germany,

Japan and the US .

However, women in the

UK it seems are much more

single-minded than their global

counterparts and scored higher

for confi dence. When questioned

whether they asked advice when

choosing wine purchases, 61%

of women said they chose their

own wine against an international

average of 44%.

UK women also buy eight out

of 10 wines drunk at home and

purchase predominately from

supermarkets (87%). Specialist

wine shops came in second at

84.7% with internet sales coming

in strong at 36%. Globally – the

supermarket purchase tags

behind the specialist wine shop at

64% and 72% respectively.

One of the most surprising

results of the survey was

that women preferre d red

wine to white, with a global

60.1% average, and a UK 55%

preference. A massive 73% of

women in the US prefer to drink

red over white.

The main reason women select

a wine is for price (74%), with

grape variety coming in second

(64%), country of origin third

(54%) and brand/packaging

fourth (42%).

Government health warnings

didn’t appear to have an effect on

women’s purchasing, and when

asked, less than a fi fth said they

had cut back on their intake

because of such advice.

Finally, when asked why

women drank wine, 78% said

they liked the taste, with over

69% preferring it with food.

Wine consultant Angela

Mount commented at the

seminar: “I’m surprised at the

red wine, white wine split and

would have to challenge that.

“It’s a traditional fact that

people think women prefer

white wine to red and because

of that generally white wine is

given more shelf space.”

Are women cheap skates?

Apparently when buying a

bottle, a massive 80% of

women don’t like spending over

a tenner.

New research dispels the stereotypical myths of the relationship between women and the grape. Carol Emmas examines the results

Currency 1=$ 1=€ 1=£

Argentina Peso 3.675 4.842 5.501

Australia AUD$ 1.374 1.821 2.046

Chile Peso 580.1 764.5 868.9

China Yuan 6.832 9.00 10.22

Euro HK$ 0.758 — 1.136

India Rupee 49.81 66.04 74.41

New Zealand NZ$ 1.740 2.293 2.605

South Africa Rand 9.171 12.089 13.719

Russia Rouble 36.46 45.10 50.11

U S Dollar — 1.317 1.497

CURRENCY RATES

61%of UK women said they selected their own wine against an international average of 44%

Price Year high Year lowDiageo 788.5 1079 794Majestic 177.2 257 109Marks & Spencer 306.5 418 200Mitchells & Butler 271.7 458 128Morrisons 247 306 220Punch 113 670 107SABMiller 1068 1324 800Sainsbury’s 305 399 240Tesco 327.7 437 286Whitbread 836.5 1395 690

87%OF WOMEN BUY FROM SUPER-

MARKETS

74%CHOOSE A WINE BASED ON PRICE

80%DON’T LIKE SPENDING

MORE THAN A TENNER ON A

BOTTLE

Read a longer version of this article at harpers.co.uk

FTSE/AIM share prices at end of trading to April 14Currency rates as of close of trading to April 14

166118_2_HAR Casa Girelli 1P.indd 1166118_2_HAR Casa Girelli 1P.indd 1 14/4/09 11:03:3514/4/09 11:03:35

They didn’t before. So what has changed?If a business has a turnover of at least £5 million, and handles more than 50 tonnes of packaging materials, it’s obliged to recycle a certain proportion of the waste it generates.

In the wine trade, it’s always been the customer, rather than the physical importer, who has been liable under the Packaging Regulations. But the rules have been reinterpreted, meaning that many businesses are now caught up in the system for the fi rst time.

Environment Agency policy adviser Adrian Harding explains: “In the past, when goods entered the UK and were placed into bonded warehouses, there was a broad consensus that it was the company that removed them and paid duty that would need to account for the packaging.

“In the case of wines and spirits, the packaging would include the bottles, corks, caps,

label and the secondary and transit packaging such as pallets, boxes and shrink wrap.

“Following legal advice in connection with enforcement action that we were undertaking, we needed to review the point at which obligations are incurred.

“We took the view that it was no longer appropriate to link the importer obligation to the payment of duty, but instead to consider who had actually imported the product .”

Harding argues that the new interpretation brings the wine trade into line with the way the system works with other kinds of imports – say, electrical goods or fresh produce.

How have the changes been communicated to the trade?There are various compliance schemes (such as Valpak) which administer the Packaging Regulations on behalf of the government, and these businesses were told to

communicate the changes to their clients, Harding says. Talks have also been pursued with the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.

But evidently there is still some talking to be done. WSTA head of communications Gavin Partington says: “The lack of clarity surrounding the change has caused the most irritation, with compliance schemes being very slow off the mark to give a clear indication to companies on how to record their packaging data . Urgent clarifi cation is required .”

How many companies have been exposed to the system for the fi rst time – and what sort of costs do they face?According to Partington, this is “diffi cult to quantify”. He explains: “All those responsible for bringing packaged goods into the UK have to pay a levy.

“The revised guidance means that some importers – defi ned by the regulations – are now having to pay a great deal more than they did in the past. Typically these are SMEs.”

The actual cost burden is “diffi cult to estimate as this year is the fi rst year that companies are being asked to comply with the revised guidance,” Partington says. “But for some companies the potential cost runs into tens of thousands of pounds. Clearly companies

are very nervous about any additional costs, especially in the current climate.”

Harding says: “Some may need to reduce their obligations . Others will need to increase their obligations, some businesses will fall below the 50-tonne threshold and out of regulation and others will need to register for the fi rst time.”

Is this a revenue-generating exercise by DEFRA?Not says the WSTA. The revised system merely transfers some of the fi nancial burden from one part of the trade to another.

Any chance of a U-turn?Very little, it would seem. Explains Partington: “The WSTA has been in discussion with DEFRA, but there are no plans to change the legislation. We have taken independent legal advice which confi rms the Environment Agency’s view that the revised government guidance is correct.”

Should importers pay up for wine packaging waste?A change in packaging legislation means those in the drinks supply chain could be legally liable for handling waste. Graham Holter looks at a potential legal minefi eld

Are new regulations a waste of time or a meaningful change?

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THE CUSTOMER■ The system is well

understood and has operated

smoothly for years

■ Smaller import businesses

are facing increased costs ,

according to the WSTA

■ There is a risk that recycling

targets won’t be hit due to the

confusion of compliance

THE IMPORTER■ This is how the system works

for other types of imports – why

should wine be different?

■ A legal challenge to the

“customer pays” system could

have cost the public purse a

great deal of money

■ Importers now have a greater

incentive to think greener


ANALYSIS

WHO SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR WINE PACKAGING WASTE?

YOUR VIEW?

Have your say on packaging

waste and tell us your

experiences.

Go to harpers.co.uk or

email richard.siddle@

william-reed.co.uk


It’s been nine months since Simon Baile and his brother-in-law Henry Young bought

Oddbins from the French company Castel Frères, which had clearly struggled to get to grips with the original concept of the chain after buying it in 2002.

Baile had a personal fondness for Oddbins and a clear understanding of its vision dating back from when his father Nick ran the company between 1973 and 1983. But it was not just sentiment that made him follow in his father’s footsteps.

Baile is confi dent Oddbins will weather the storm and that recent sales prove that in some areas it is already managing to buck the downward sales trend.

Figures up to December 2008 show Oddbins has been able to maintain level sales with Castel’s 2007 performance, something Baile didn’t expect to happen when he took over. Champagne sales were also up 7% in December alone.

What diffi culties have you experienced since August last year?A change-over is never easy, especially with a new management team coming in and taking over a company that we considered was not working in the right way.

The challenge is getting people to think in the same way we do quickly enough and changing old habits.

We’ve found that the company as a whole needed to raise its standards, whether that applied to the range or simple cleanliness, display or merchandising.

Some people have adjusted to the changes very quickly, with others it’s hard to talk them

around, but we are aware that it’s not going to be something we can change overnight.

How are you currently performing and what new areas are you expanding in?The last two weeks [to end of March] we have done the same as the previous weeks the year before, the week before that we were 4% up and we had a good January. We had a blip at the end of February into March that was due to the huge range change, when we had to squeeze a lot out of old stock from the system . Stock levels are now where we want them.

Wholesale is an area of growth. It used to be a larger part of Oddbins, but with Castel it was not an area they wanted to concentrate on as a lot of sales have a low margin and they lost a lot of custom. Our perspective is that wholesale is a large part of our business and we have a dedicated team of four wh ich is focusing purely on that area.

Oddbins will always be fi rst and foremost retail, but wholesale clients are now beginning to return. We have a direct delivery system as there are branches right around the country with shops around the corner from many restaurants, whose staff can make a call in the morning and get a delivery by the afternoon.

What are the biggest changes you’ve made?The range was not as we wanted . I have high standards and didn’t want it to be same old, same old.

To me it’s important to have wines that challenge the palate, which Castel didn’t have.

We are now raising the bar on quality . It may take a year or two

to make all the changes, but we hope that through our recent press tasting people will begin to see the high standard coming through.

There are great wines coming in from northern Italy and Alsace that don’t feature anywhere else . Our range change is across the board .

It’s important to us not to be brand focused and we want to get back to exploring small producers around the world.

When we took over there were 2,000 products . We’ll end up with 1,000 and get rid of 1,500, which means there will be 500 new lines, which is a huge change.

Oddbins will get back to doing what it did best in the old days which is bringing in bin-ends, small parcels and selling quality products.

What is the image you now want Oddbins to portray and the customers you want to attract?We want to entice a whole cross-section of people. If someone

Q&A with Simon Baile

Baile: Oddbins is on track to rebuilding its business model

ANALYSISQUESTION & ANSWER

How is Oddbins performing since its takeover by Simon Baile last summer?

wants a beer then we want to be selling them a really good bottle.

We’d like it to be how Oddbins was before when there was a passion for the products . What that did was pull in all diff erent types of people, from all walks of life, who wanted alternatives from the norm.

What’s the future strategy? We want to pay attention to the core issues which are selling the right products and the right off ers.

It will take at least the rest of the year to get things right, but we are making signifi cant progress.

The most important thing is that we can see what’s going on now and have very clear goals . One of those is to make sure we’re at the forefront of the industry again.

Within this quarter we will also be rolling out customer tastings again and we’ll be making sure they are the best in the country, so that people will get in their cars or on a bus to come and taste our wines. ■


One for all the marketeersHaving read Joe Wadsack’s assassination of the marketer’s art in Harpers Wine & Spirit (April 3) and much as I love Joe , I feel compelled to defend our position.

Our primary job in marketing is to satisfy the consumer . T his means : a) making their choice easier by providing cut-through (so they see our wine) and reassurance (so they take the risk) at the point where they choose the wine; b) ensuring that the wine they have bought exceeds their expectations (the bit Joe’s interested in); and remembering the wine so they’re looking for it the next time .

The point of marketing is to make sure that consumers begin to form an emotional engagement with the wine as well as a rational relationship, for example, they begin to love it. We know that one way to do that is to tell them engaging stories about

the wine, or the winemaker . But Joe is right about those wines that don’t really have a story, where claptrap is used to target unsuspecting consumer s.

Good brands and their stories are all based on something real and, believe it or not, consumers are savvy enough to see through most of the claptrap. Of course, wine writer recommendations are one of the best ways to boost sales , which is why we are all so keen that our wines are tasted.

In a perfect world, where consumers’ palates were as fi nely tuned as Joe’s, and they knew which winemaker and which vintage to buy, and there weren’t 900 wines on the shelf to confuse them, then we could do away with the marketing.

Instead we are in a highly competitive market where we have to use all the tools to sell our wines and sometimes annoy the poor wine writer on the way.Jeremy Rockett, marketing director,

González Byass UK

LETTERS

Number 10 responds The following is a response from Downing Street to our poll urging the government not to punish the majority of people who drink responsibly with any drinks-related legislation:

Thank you for your e-petition about drinking levels in the UK.

Drinking alcohol is a long-standing part of British culture and, ultimately, it is down to individual choice whether people drink and how much they drink.

The government does, however, have an important role to play, and we are determined to tackle under-age drinking, binge-drinking, and long-term excessive drinking . We want to tackle these problems in a way that does not unfairly punish the majority who drink responsibly. Instead, we will target those who drink irresponsibly and cause harm to others, those specifi c localities where alcohol causes particular problems, and those businesses

OPINION

The best letter wins a bottle of ChileanONA Anakena Cabernet Merlot Carmen ère 2006

(Oddbins for £9.99). Courtesy of Westbury Communications. Email:[email protected]

Last month saw my fi rst visit to

India – Mumbai. Having watched

Slumdog Millionaire two days

before fl ying, the impact of the

city was still shocking, fascinating

and eye-opening. Despite the

recent terrorism – there was still a

sense of hope and opportunity.

The mood was a little different

at a wine fair and conference,

where I was speaking about the

opportunities for wine market

development in India. If the

situation in the UK wine industry

is dire, then half of the emerging

Indian wine industry seems

already set to fall on their swords.

Taxes on wine imports stand

at more than 200%, as the

government seeks to encourage

domestic production. Restrictions

and regulations regarding bonded

warehousing, distribution,

maximum retail pricing and

the like abound, and the word

“corruption” is never far from

anyone’s lips. So, while there is a

hunger and potential for growth

from an emerging affl uent,

younger community, the chances

of buying a decent wine at a

reasonable price are remote.

Wine producers struggle to buy

land because of legislation, so

they have to rely on grapes from

farmers who are in for a quick

buck and lack understanding of

the intricacies of viticulture.

Only 10 million of the country’s

1 billion population drink wine,

and volumes are still tiny, but the

potential is there.

Two key messages emerged

from my experience. Firstly,

the need to work cohesively as

an industry in times of strife.

Importers and producers within

this confused, fragmented, yet

hopeful community need to

present a united approach to key

issues. I applaud the efforts of

Harpers Wine & Spirit, its sister

publication, Off Licence News, and

trade bodies in the current united

approach to tackling the potential

impact of the duty escalator.

Secondly, the need to

communicate with the consumer.

In every presentation, I always

hear the words “engage with and

educate the consumer” – but are

we doing this well? I don’t really

think so. Retailers are developing

initiatives to provide more

information, on bottles and on the

shelf. But the key message on all

POS is nothing but price.

Time and time again I speak

to consumers desperate for

information and advice. The brand

owners and suppliers who do this,

and also provide the retailers and

independents with the innovation

and tools to market these

initiatives, will be the ones who

stay the course. Food for thought.

Angela Mount is co-director of

Mount + Paul Wine Industry

Solutions

COMMENTANGELAMOUNT

LETTEROF

THE WEEK

selling alcohol irresponsibly.In order to support the

implementation of new laws to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder, we are running a series of workshops aimed at ensuring that frontline practitioners are aware of, and understand, the wide range of tools and powers available to them. We will be supplementing these workshops with a digital resource pack for frontline practitioners comprising updated guidance, reference materials and pre-recorded training modules.Prime Minister’s Offi ce,

Downing Street, London

Imag

e: R

ob

Law

son

Feed consumers with information

The Guardian

An ethical approach to buying wine isn’t straightforward, reports Victoria Moore.When asked about her thoughts on Fairtrade wines she agreed that it does not just safeguard good working conditions, minimum prices and terms of trade, all of which help to protect smaller producers. It also invests in development projects, building schools and universities and improving drinking water.

“So,” she says. “It feels churlish to admit the reason I rarely mention Fairtrade wines is that I’ve rarely enjoyed drinking one.”

What to drink? Fairtrade Chilean Carmenère 2008, Curicó Valley (£4.99, Co-op). “Is a brilliant wine, it reminds me of brambles and cocoa nibs.”

She adds: “For ethics of a diff erent nature try the classy, rounded,” Ses’fi kile Chardonnay 2008, South Africa (£6.99 Marks and Spencer), which is 100% owned by BEE (Black Economic Empowerment).

The Independent

What did you give up for Lent? asks Anthony Rose. If it was wine, he says, “then you will be looking forward to some demi-sec’’.

“I’m not much of a fan,” he admits. “But if there’s a right time for demi-sec Champagne, then Easter it is.”

“Not just any demi-sec mind,” Rose adds. “Because a lot are too yucky.”

He recommends a “classy one’’. Like Louis Roederer Carte Blanche, Demi-Sec NV, (£34-£40 Majestic, Harvey Nichols, Tanners).

Or Billecart-Salmon (£29.99-£39-99, Uncorked, Oddbins).

The Observer

Brian Clough, when asked if he was the best football manager in the country replied, “I don’t know about that, but I was in the top one”.

Which reminds Tim Atkin MW of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, both considering themselves the “numero uno,” of the Iberian wine scene.

Which of them is right? he asks. Rioja is bigger and better known, but it’s Ribera that commands the higher prices and journalistic accolades, he says, with Pingus 2004 currently selling for around £700 a bottle.

Apparently King Juan Carlos’ favourite tipple is Vega Sicilia and the soon-to-be-released 1999 Unico is “very classy, if a little tight lipped,” (£225 Berry Bros & Rudd).

And the winner? asks Atkin. “Well the top Riberas are Spain’s best reds, but Rioja makes a greater number of aff ordable well made wines. I’d call that a one-all draw.”

Financial Times

Jancis Robinson MW says the trouble with the 2008 vintage Bordeaux that she tasted last week is that “it looks really rather good,” and “certainly very much better than the wildly overpriced 2007”.

Although she explains that it would have been much more convenient for interested parties if 2008, had have been even less successful than 2007, as in recognition of these straightened times they could have dramatically reduced the opening prices, or abandon the en primeurs campaign.

Proprietors of sought-after Bordeaux wines are still fl ush with the proceeds of the last few vintages, but it is the 2007s that are still sitting on the merchants’ books, “unloved and unwanted”.

She reports that last Monday Hubert de Boüard of St-Emilion took everyone by surprise by announcing an opening price for his Ch Angélus at 40% less than his 2007.

Yet, the even more signifi cant news, says Robinson, “is that even at this price Angélus 2008 is proving far from an easy sell”.

“It was remarkable,” says Robinson, “that some of the most exciting wines I tasted last week came from relatively modest addresses.”

Elevating Quality

Premium wines from Chile

www.lfewines.com

D&D Wines International 01565 650952


THE CRITICS

I’ve lost count of the number of bad wine lists I’ve

come across. With the worst culprits, you’re lucky

to get a country, let alone a region, producer or

grape variety declared on the list. And vintages?

Forget it. Often they’re completely wrong, with

restaurants under the mistaken belief that one

vintage tastes pretty much like another. And don’t

get me started on the spelling mistakes.

And what’s with the wine compendiums? Or Big

Dick Wine Lists, as I like to call them. A roll call of

the biggest names, they are stuffed with pricey top

drawer Bordeaux and Burgundy, completely lacking

in depth, and chosen without a single thought for

the food, and where you need to pay at least £30

for anything vaguely drinkable. Hello, there’s a

recession going on.

Far more important elements are a good range

of prices and a wine

style to suit everyone,

inspiring customers

to be adventurous,

while at the same time

being comforting and

reassuring. Some key

growers and producers

along with some good

years do the latter, while

the former is readily

achieved through time

and effort.

And why do so many

wine list layouts fail? If it’s confusing to read, with

no hint as to the style of the wines, people will go

for the cheaper, safer options every time.

I like a list that is written by style – though it

should always be adapted to the style of business,

taking into consideration location and food. It’s

easy for the customer and it’s easier for the

sommelier to fi nd their way around.

And where’s the fun? The customer loves to be

shown something a bit different.

The ideal wine list should invite us to explore

every part of it; otherwise customers will go for

the default choice – Pinot Grigio et al – just about

every time.

Fiona Sims is a freelance drinks writer who writes

for business, consumer and national press, including

The Times and Caterer & Hotelkeeper

The list of woes just gets longer

GUEST CRITICFiona SimsThis week’s review of what the

national wine critics have had to say

You can sign up to a longer version of The Critics every Tuesday at www.harpers.co.uk

‘‘If wine lists are confusing to read, people will go for the cheaper option every time

Leduc -Piedimonte Ice Cider 2006, Rougemont, Québec, Canada£25 (37.5cl) , Top Selection You’ve tried Canadian ice wine, now try it’s apple -like relative, made only in Quebec, where winter temperatures in the orchard fall as low as -25ºC. The yield is one-eigth of conventional cider, so unsurprisingly this is massively concentrated stuff. Rich, smoky, and with wonderful bruised apple aromas and flavours, it’s kept in check by tangy acidity.

Domaine Saparale Corse Sartène 2006, Corsica, France£11.75, Yapp BrosThe Farinelli family’s 40 ha estate in the south west of Corsica is entirely given over to native grapes. Whites are made from Vermentino, while the reds are blends of Nielluccio and Sciaccarellu. The spicy young red is packed with cherry and plum , but there’s also a grippy, earthy finish .

Domingo Molina Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003, Yacochuya, Salta, Argentina£14.49, Hispamerchants This wine, from the Domingo family, from the high -altitude district of Salta, brims with vibrant damson, berry and blackcurrant flesh, with an almost garrigue-like herby edge to the finish and hints of mellow maturity.

El Gordito 2005, Calatayud, Spain£10.25, Indigo WineCalatayud isn’t the most renowned wine region of north central Spain, but it’s a happy hunting ground for those in search of old-vine Garnacha. El Gordito winemaker Pamela Geddes has blended equal amounts of Shiraz with a dollop of Tempranillo, and the result is a rich, smoky red with berry fruit and a spicy finish.

Domaine la Fourmente Visan Côtes du Rhône Villages ‘Nature’ 2007, Rhône, France £10.49, Richards WalfordFrom Jean-Louis and Rémi Pouizin’s organically farmed 50 ha estate in the southern Rhône, this is a ripe, friendly red, brimming with spicy berry fruit that isn’t afraid to show a slightly stalky character.

Villa Wolf Silvaner 2007, Pfalz, Germany£7.49 - £7.99, ABS Wine AgenciesSince Ernie Loosen took the reins in 1996, the J L Wolf estate has gone from strength to strength, with the entry-level Villa Wolf wines proving popular. Th e Silvaner combines the tangy citrus fruit of Riesling with a peppery bite akin to Grüner Veltliner.

Delheim Chardonnay ‘Sur Lie’ 2007 Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa£12.95, Jackson Nugent Vintners While Sauvignon Blanc is arguably the star performer in South African white wine , the Chardonnays can still be excellent. This combines peach with citrus , with a nutty finish with a hint of spicy oak.

Hermanuspieters- fontein Sauvignon Nr 7 2008, Western Cape, South Africa£10.95, O W LoebHermanus Pieters was a 19th -century teacher . A century later, winemaker Bartho Eksteen named his winery in Pieter s’ memory and his commendable range includes this svelte, minerally Sauvignon, with apple and cut grass flavours.


TASTE

FIRST TASTE

Harpers Wine & Spirit’s expert taster gets his lips round eight new releases and suggests where they could fit into your wine line-up

SIMONWOODS

VERDICTA FLAVOURSOME

ALTERNATIVE TO WHITE

BURGUNDY

UPMARKET SEAFOOD

WINE

VERDICT

VERDICTGREAT INTRO TO MODERN

GERMAN WINE

VERDICTAN HONEST,

RUSTIC, TASTY GLUGGER

VERDICTGOOD VALUE

PRIORAT ALTERNATIVE FOR INDIES

VERDICTINTENSE,

JUICY WINE FOR CARNIVORES

VERDICTLIVELY AND UNUSUAL, GOOD WITH

CHARCUTERIE

VERDICTDELICIOUS, UNUSUAL,

GREAT WITH BLUE CHEESE


M&S’s policy as sticking to its sourcing principals while “ensuring customers can find true value – the combination of both quality and price”. Judging from its recent tasting at Paddington HQ it has, on the whole, managed to achieve this.

Value sparklers, English wines and rosés were some of the themes. An English Brut from Chapel Down (£16.99) had an attractive citrus note and a smoother finish than many Champagnes at the same price. A new Blanc de Blancs (£9.99) from the popular Kiwi Bluff Hill range had a lovely ripe red apple and pear nose, but was a bit sweaty. Cava continues to sell well at M&S, and a 2006 vintage from Segura Viudas (£9.99) was a great example. M&S’s Prosecco Rabosa is a success story, and a new sparkling Pinot Noir from Claudio Manera (£7.99) in Piedmont, Italy, is bound to sell

Claire Hu Managing editor Harpers Wine & SpiritMarks & Spencer’s spring tasting, April

Glencadam’s limited releaseJust 615 bottles of a 30-year-old single

malt from Glencadam Distillery are being

released to the market.

Glencadam Single Sherry Cask 30 Year

Old was distilled in 1978, matured in an

ex-sherry cask at the Highlands distillery

and bottled in March this year at

46% abv.

Brand development director

Duncan Baldwin said: “This rare

release yields generous

hints of vanilla, toffee,

fudge, raisins, chocolate and

candied peel. Overall it is a

malt of good complexity.”

The basics: £199, specialist

whisky stores

Torres invests in RiojaSpanish wine giant Torres has produced

its first wine from the DOC area

of Rioja, a crianza made from

100% Tempranillo.

The wine is the result of

Torres’ investment in Rioja

Alavesa in 2005, with the

construction of a new

winery.

Called Ibéricos and from

the 2006 vintage, the new

wine is aged for a year in

American and French oak,

with a further six months

in bottle, and is described

as having “smooth, supple tannins

underpinned with fine blueberry fruit”.

Production of Ibéricos is predicted to

double over the next two years.

The basics: £8.99, Waitrose

Scheduling made easyIs sorting out the staff rotas in your

bar, restaurant or pub the bane of

your life? Then you might want to

check out a new online tool that

promises to make the process a walk

in the park, saving time and money.

The new feature, called On

Schedule, can create rotas in a few

clicks after the initial set-up.

Staff can enter availability and

view rotas online or via mobile

phones.

The basics: It costs £25 a month to

schedule 25 employees and a further

£5 for every additional 25 employees, see

on-schedule.org

A clear modern twistA new absinthe plays on the notorious

history of the spirit, with a skull depicted

on the front label.

Pandor is an absinthe from the Haute

Saône region of France, made using

traditional methods and aged for nine

months in glass tanks.

The spirit is clear rather than green and,

in a bid to attain a more modern image , does

not louche (go cloudy) when water is added .

MY TASTE

With an average bottle price above its competitors and a team of in-house winemakers who travel the world helping to produce its exclusive blends, Marks & Spencer is facing the downturn from a unique position. But it is still at the same crossroads as many multiple retailers – namely deciding how much to sacrifice in terms of quality, provenance and variety in the interests of value, value and more value.

Head of wine Andrew Bird describes

NEW TASTE

THE LOWDOWN ON THE LATEST DRINKS LAUNCHES, TASTINGS, RESTAURANT OPENINGS AND MERCHANT PROFILES

Known as the “green fairy”, absinthe

became notorious for its supposed evil

effects, such as madness and death,

and was banned at the beginning of the

20th century. It was later accepted that

any unwanted effects were probably

caused by the fantastically high

alcohol content.

The basics: Pandor Black (69%

abv) , £44.99 ; Pandor White (40%

abv) , £34.99, Vanquish Wine

Spain’s new flavoursTwo new wines from the Galicia

region of north west

Spain include the first

biodynamic white wine

from the area.

Flavours of Spain is

exclusively stocking

Pedralong a Barrica

2006, made from Albari ño

grapes and fermented for

six months in French oak

barrels. It has an intense

bouquet of green herbs

and some smoke. From the

Valdeorras sub-region is

Pagos de Galir 2005, made

from Mencia grapes and

matured for a year in oak.

The basics: White £22.05

for an individual bottle ;

red £18.75, Flavours of

Spain

well. There was also a big line-up of new rosés from Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and Montepulciano.

For the whites, there was a very clear delineation between those below and above £5 – particularly when it came to £3.99 wines, some of which were rather dilute. Exceptions included an Italian table wine from Mondo del Vino (£3.99), a blend of Catarratto, Trebbiano and Moscato which showed great character. Many of the new Semillon/Sauvignon blends were also winners.

New basic appellation level red vintages from France, particularly from Gascony, Fitou and Margaux continued to prove why M&S is a Francophile’s heaven. A new Silver Tree Shiraz (£8.99) from Stellenbosch, South Africa, was smokin’, while a £3.99 Spanish Garnacha Shiraz was a fun and fruity glug.


PUB’S TASTETHE ST JAMES TAVERNMadeira Place, Brighton BN 2 1T N

Kemptown is to Brighton what Hoxton is to London - it’s less of a tourist trap than the central areas and people actually live there.

The St James Tavern dates back to the 1800s. The ornate and beautifully crafted glasswork on the back bar is 120 years old.

Jamaica’s Red Stripe complements the pub’s extensive rum offer and outsells Carling.Philosophy and strategy: Owner Pleisure Pubs has latched on to spirits as a means of keeping business booming in a recession. Each of its Brighton pubs has picked a different spirit as its own speciality offer, with rum being the focus at the Tavern.

“Rum is versatile and its history speaks of adventure, revolution and piracy,” says manager John Young.

Rum sales totalled 800 shots a month when he first arrived at the St James . Now, a year later, the pub sells 2,000 shots a month. Rum accounts for the vast majority of spirits sales which, in turn, account for almost 25 % of the

pub’s drinks sales. Most pubs make around 8% of their drinks take through spirits.But the St James, like other Pleisure venues, steers clear of the shot culture. “We want to encourage people to sip, taste and discover,” sa ys Young. Range: The St James offers 70 rums from countries including Nicaragua, Cuba, Jamaica and Venezuela. It holds a monthly rum club with tastings and a speaker. The rum club has been going for six months and regularly attracts around 30 people. Sponsors have included Sta Teresa, Havana Club, Bacardi and Appleton – the pub’s house pour. Customers are kept informed via a newsletter and a website: myrumclub.com But is 70 rums too many for a pub? Young says not: “We want to offer choice and represent every style.” Pricing: Rums start at £1.90 a shot and most are below £3. There are a few in the £7.50 -£10 range. “Flights” offer the chance to pick three rums from three different quality ranges. An Economy flight offers three rums for £6; Business is £9, while three First Class rums will set you back £12. Flights are served with a pot of flavour triggers, including chocolate, mango, banana, raisin and molasses.Bestsellers: Favourites on the rum menu include, from Barbados, Plantation 1993 and Appleton 12 Year Old Extra from Jamaica. But as Young puts it: “It’s best not to have a favourite, we are always trying to develop our customers’ range and knowledge – having favourites stops us doing that.”

Andrew Burnyeat

‘‘We want to encourage people to sip, taste and discover

This Chilean wine producer has been

investing heavily over the past few years

and is reaping the rewards with medals

including a trophy for its Castillo de Molina

Sauvignon Blanc, from the Elqui Valley.

Wines

San Pedro is the first winery to have a

Sauvignon Blanc from the Elqui Valley, in

the most northern viticultural part of

Chile. The 35° South range also

incorporates a selection of organic wild

ferment wines, in addition to the

Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Shiraz and

Cabernet Sauvignon, among others.

Wines in the UK

Les Grands Chais de France is the Agent

for San Pedro wines in the UK. The Castillo

de Molina range is stocked by Majestic and

35° South is listed in Sainsburys,

Morrisons, Waitrose and Asda.

Winemaking philosophy

The arrival of Marco Puyo in 2006

heralded significant changes in

winemaking at San Pedro. Puyo’s

experience at some of Chile’s most

forward -thinking wineries, as well as

Lafite-Rothschild, William Fevre and Veuve

Clicquot, hugely influenced his approach.

Vineyards

Nowadays, Viña San Pedro has vineyards

in pretty much every quality corner of

Chile — just over 2,500ha under vine.

Top people

Marco Puyo , chief winemaker of premium

wines; Miguel Rencoret, chief winemaker

of varietals and organics and Javier Bitar,

chief executive of VSPT group (the

merger between San Pedro Wine Group

and Tarapacá group). The VSPT group

now encompasses 11 different wineries

in Chile and Argentina.

In association with the International Wine Challenge

VERY IMPORTANT PRODUCER

TASTE

The Saint James, in Brighton’s Kemptown, offers 70 different rums in a friendly pub setting

VIÑA SAN PEDRO, CHILE


It may take a while to accomplish the religious path to enlightenment, but if it’s a culinary awakening you ’re after then it’s worth visiting new pan-Asian restaurant Tamarai.

Inspired by the old spice trading routes of the Bay of Bengal and China, the restaurant showcases eight Asian food styles from Chettinad, Burma, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Th ailand and Vietnam.

Accessed through a small entrance on Drury Lane, Tamarai is deceptively large and sits cocooned in a basement at the end of a labyrinth of staircases.

Launching a summer menu and wine list, chosen by wine writer and journalist Charles Metcalfe, manager Anshuman Saxena says the aim of Tamarai is to combine the traditional and contemporary.

For £69 per person, the chef ’s tasting menu involves a series of dishes, including dessert, and five different 7.5 cl measures of wine chosen by Metcalfe to both complement and challenge the food – and the combination is a delicious culinary ass ault.

The à la carte menu offers small plates from £6-£16 . Large plates begin with Thai

to nightclub (it has a 3am weekend licence) is smooth – the walls are painted black, so all that needs to change is the lighting.

So while your pockets may feel substantially lighter after the fairly pricey fusion food, wine and cocktails, perhaps the dancing will also leave customers with a trip in their step.

Carol Emmas

TAMARAI167 Drury LaneLondon WC2B 5PG0207 831 9399

RESTAURANT TASTE

green curry with chicken, pea aubergine and young bamboo shoots (£15 ), with steamed jasmine rice (£4 ) .

Tamarai’s wines begin with Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Chile (£27 a bottle, £7 a glass), to Château Léoville las Cases, St-Julien 2001 (£192 a bottle ).

“Going to Tamarai is about being with friends, sharing food and then heading to the dancefloor and having some fun. It saves people having to think about queueing up outside other nightclubs.” says Saxena.

The hybrid transition from restaurant

Tamarai’s restaurant/nightclub hybrid offers entertainment for the duration of the evening

OPENINGS

Do you know of a Restaurant or a bar to feature here? Please email [email protected]

Bespoke’s modern twistAlfie’s Kitchen restaurant, bar and deli has

opened at the Bermondsey Square Hotel

in London. Offering a modern twist on

traditional English cooking, the venue uses

seasonal and local produce with dishes

including Denhay ham and eggs, salad

of Borough Market vegetables and slow

roasted pork cheek with creamed cabbage .

0870 111 2525 bespokehotels.com

Decadence in EdinburghNew to Leith, the Soho of Edinburgh,

Bond No9 is a Champagne lounge bar.

The concept is to combine comfort and

decadence while offering bespoke cocktails

and Champagne. There are 270 bottles on

the back bar and an absinthe drip. Low level

Moroccan tables set the scene, with lavish

purples, deep blues and Banksy-style art.

0131 555 5578 bondno9.co.uk

Ruffling tail feathers in Battersea The Peacock Bar is all things to all men,

encompassing a day café, bar and club,

and evening entertainment of opera and

burlesque in a retro, rococo, baroque

setting in Battersea. Food is buffet style,

beginning at £5 per head, and drinks vary

from monastic meads, to house Heidsieck

Champagne at a very reasonable £30.

020 7228 3130 the-peacock-bar.co.uk

166107_1_HAR ZGM 1P.indd 1166107_1_HAR ZGM 1P.indd 1 14/4/09 12:12:3114/4/09 12:12:31

HWS DESIGN AWARDS 2009

Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review reveals this year’s winners of our design awards for the drinks industry

And the winners are …

The 2009 Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review Design Awards are awarded to the best launches and redesigns of the past 12 months.

Now in its 10th year, the Design Awards are the most recognised authority in the fi eld. They are judged by a panel of experts drawn from both the drinks and the design and packaging industries. The judges fi rst ask themselves how well the product’s design fulfi ls its brief. Second, they want to know if it suits its target market. And third, does it have that wow factor to make it stand out from the crowd .

All of the medal winners succeed on all three counts, while the best in class – the trophy winners – are among the best and most eff ective designs in circulation within the drinks industry. So congratulations to all our winners. We hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we did.

BEST SPIRIT RANGE AND BEST OVERALL DESIGN

Esterházy Wein Spirit RangeAustrian wine and spirit producer Esterházy has a long,

proud tradition of drinks production dating back to the

17th century. So it’s no surprise that when it came to

presenting its range of premium spirits, the company

wanted to communicate some of that heritage in the

bottle and label designs.

The problem was how to communicate all that history

without becoming irrelevant to today’s drinker, a problem

that has defeated countless producers in categories as

diverse as Cognac, port, wine and whisky.

Fortunately, Esterházy has come up with a solution

that not only met its brief, but was also, according to

judge David Williams, “easily the most attractive

packaging we’ve seen today”.

That solution draws on the Chinese

wallpaper that has adorned the walls of the

lounges of the Esterházy Palace in

Burgenland since the 18th century. Each

label in the range takes a single detail from

the wallpaper, and places it in the clean,

modern context of a white label featuring

modern typography alongside the family’s

traditional coat of arms. The bottles use

premium glass in attractive, squat bottle

shapes.

Williams was not alone. “It’s a lovely

label, with an unusual bottle, but really

good looking,” said Sid Russell. Lynne

Whitaker was even more effusive.

“Beautiful packaging – both the bottle and

the outer carton,” she said. “Really

exquisite production values.”

A worthy winner, then, of this year’s top

prize.

THE JUDGES

Angela Mount Mount & Paul Consultants

Sid Russell Head designer, Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Lee Sharkey Publisher, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review

Lynne WhitakerManaging director, Winebrand

David WilliamsFreelance drinks writer

April 17 2009 | Harpers Wine & Spirit | 25


BEST WINE RANGECono Sur SparklingCono Sur has long had a

reputation for being one of

Chile’s more stylish

producers. That’s all in

keeping with the original

blueprint for the company,

which was to be a modern,

forward-thinking alternative to

parent company Concha y

Toro . Th is entry seamlessly

incorporates the company’s

brand values, yet is

distinctive in its own right.

Judges said: “This is modern,

striking and has a distinctive

bottle shape.”

BEST SPARKLING

QB Quanto BastaQuarter bottles are one of the key growth sectors

thanks to a mix of health concerns and the desire to

serve by-the-glass as freshly as possible. But few

companies have given the sector the attention to detail

that Italian producer Gruppo Coltiva has with QB

Quanto Basta (which means “How much is enough?” ).

This range of nine wines from Italy is, said the judges,

“just beautifully done,

with a premium feel.

The bottle shapes are a

real standout, they look

great on the table and

the branding is

consistent across

the range.”

BEST INNOVATIONBalance 1.5-litre boxThe bag-in-box is often not, you would have to say,

the most glamorous of packaging formats. So hats off

to design agency dare! for giving a new and funky

lease of life to the wine box, with this innovative

1.5-litre pack for Kingsland Wines & Spirit’s new range.

There’s wit, style and a pleasingly tactile feel, and the

brand message of environmental sensitivity is

confi dently conveyed without being preach y.BEST SPIRITTobermoryDesign agency Good Creative pulled out all the visual

stops for this special edition 15 Year Old Single Malt

Scotch from Burn Stewart. And the judges loved the

attention to detail applied to every part of the

packaging, from the specially

commissioned water colour

of Tobermory Bay on the

tissue paper wrapping, to

the fi ne

dark-gold oak of the

box. The cumulative

effect was, in the

words of the judges,

“both reassuring and

premium”. A case of

job, unequivocally,

done.




BEST FORTIFIEDCroft PinkThe reinvention of port is a much-discussed project.

How do you make it appeal to a new, younger, female

audience without risking alienation to its

loyal, if slightly conservative, consumer

base? For the Fladgate Partnership, the

answer was Croft Pink, which is an

attempt to tap into the current voracious

appetite among light wine drinkers for

rosé. What makes the packaging, by

dare!, so successful is the sheer

amount of information it conveys,

without being either

too fl ashy, as may

befi t such a radical

wine, or

disregarding port’s

heritage. This is

clean, modern, and

clearly pink. But it

also looks classic

and authentic.

BEST WINEHeimspiel Not all brands last forever. But then, not all brands are

supposed to. Take Heimspiel, for example. Here is the

very defi nition of a special occasion wine, designed

specifi cally for use in the Swiss and Austrian on-trade

during last summer’s Euro 2008 football tournament

(which was co-hosted by both nations), with the blend

taken from wines produced in both countries.

The judges loved its fun and

original take on football nostalgia,

and its clean and modern

approach. Indeed, based on the

design alone, it’s a shame it won’t

be around any longer. Clarens

Jung, from design agency

Glasmeyer, Jung, Schreiter, says:

“ We named the wine, which is a

cuvée from the Austrian varietal

Blauer Zweigelt and the Swiss

varietal Pinot Noir, Heimspiel

[home game] and used a

scoreboard letter type . As a visual

link , we chose the ball and the

men (in their football shirts) of

the very popular Tipp-Kick

game.”

BEST DESIGN AGENCYThe Brand Union There were other design agencies with more entries

this year. And there were others with more trophy

winners. But the consistent quality of Brand Union’s

work for Diageo’s malt whisky range made it a

deserved winner of the Best Design Agency trophy.

With 21 offi ces worldwide, from Abu Dhabi to Cairo,

Shanghai, Dublin and London, employing 500 people,

The Brand Union doesn’t exactly lack clients. Indeed,

with names such as the Barclays Premier League,

Vodafone and Unilever on its books, the company is

one of the world’s biggest and best design and

branding consultancies.

BEST RTDWest Eleven CocktailsThe guys at design agency Navy Blue were given a

tricky brief . They were asked to communicate to both

trade and consumers that these premium packaged

spirits were capable of reproducing the real “cocktail

experience” at home and in bars. They also had to

avoid any associations with alcopops . They deserve

huge credit for doing just

that, with bottles that

the judges said had “a

nice hand made feel,

which captures the

authenticity of the

product well”.

To reserve a stand at The Restaurant Show 2009, call the sales team today on01293 867637 or email [email protected] www.therestaurantshow.co.uk

Explore.

Th

e R

esta

ura

nt S

how

The Restaurant Show is a perfect blend. A unique

event bringing together food and wine.

Thomas Sorcinelli,Head Sommelier, The Ritz

166109_1_HAR_Glasmeyer Jung HV 4CL.indd 1 09/04/2009 16:47



Gold medal winners

Elements of Islay (Speciality Drinks)Grant Burge Moscato (Grant Burge Wines)Auchentoshan Single Malt Range (Breeze Creative)d:vine (dare!)Port Ellen (The Brand Union)

Silver medal winners

Solerno (Stranger & Stranger)Illyquore (Robilant Associati) Point West (DFJ Vinhos)Bowmore Craftsmen’s Collection (Breeze Creative)Entwine (ZGM UK)Vina Zamporia (ZGM UK)Autentico (Glasmeyer)Gusto Glusto (Glasmeyer)Sainsbury’s own-label wine range (Sainsbury’s)Selección del Directorio CabSauv (Santa Helena) Roederer (Maison Marques et Domaines)Notas de Guarda (Santa Helena)Linkwood 26 Year Old (The Brand Union)Bollinger x 2 (Lewis Moberly)35 South Organic (Viña San Pedro)Floria (dare!)Tiers (dare!)McGuigan Grey Label (McGuigan Wines)Otterbrook Mill (Australian Vintage)

Bronze medal winners

Wakefi eld Jaraman (The Collective)Talisker (The Brand Union)Glenmorangie Astar (Lewis Moberly)Arinzano (Lewis Moberly)1865 Single Vineyard (Viña San Pedro)Le Fou (dare!)The Devil’s Peak (dare!)Dignité (dare!)Tullamore Dew (C&C International)Ardmore (Qorus Communications)Mateus Rosé Sparkling (Sogrape Vinhos)Cono Sur Range (Viña Cono Sur)Veuve du Vernay (Patriarche)La Poderosa (Nightingale Austen Designs)Palacio de Villachica (Nightingale Austen Designs)Bowmore Premier Range (Breeze Creative)Palais des Anciens (Bottle Green)Caliterra range (Hatch Mansfi eld)Santa Helena Don (Viña Santa Helena)Not all winners are pictured

166118_1_HAR Casa Storie 1P.indd 1166118_1_HAR Casa Storie 1P.indd 1 14/4/09 10:54:4614/4/09 10:54:46

SOUTH AFRICA



Favourable money markets and good value is fuelling a surge in South African wine imports. Andrew Catchpole reports

The high achievers

▼

Aside from some excellent wines and a general air of optimism, two rather unusual points stuck in my mind after Cape Wines 2008. Namely that the Western Cape has a greater

fl oral diversity than the whole of the British Isles and also that the global wine industry emits one ton of greenhouse gas every 5.9 seconds.

Odd facts, perhaps, to be promoting at an event dedicated to showcasing and selling wine, but then these were hardly random messages. Both tied in to broader themes that ran through the event and form the core of Wines of South Africa’s (WOSA) ongoing marketing. Diversity and sustainability are central pillars, with Fairtrade, empowerment and tourism all part of a heady mix designed to reinforce a strong generic image of this, admittedly beautiful, country while neatly engaging with the concerns of the modern wine drinker.

It is, of course, open to debate as to quite how much these messages have helped to boost sales of South African wines in the UK. But coupled with a weak rand, relative to the strength of both the euro and dollar, the British market has seen South African sales soar with double-digit growth year on year.

The official on-trade figures are less impressive, suggesting a decline in share, but it should be pointed out that these are hotly contested by many players, including Raisin Social, DGB and Kleine Zalze . More on this in a moment but, by any measure, South Africa’s overall growth is doubly impressive given the otherwise fl at wine market in this deep recession. What they all agree on is that the country represents good value and that this is the major factor underpinning sales.

“The positive messages surrounding South African wine do help, but ultimately I think both consumers and buyers can see that South African wines are good quality and value for money,” says Patrick Halliday, sales and marketing director at Raisin Social. “This has to be led by the retailers and they can get a good margin, so they have been encouraging consumers to trial South African wines through good price points and promotions.”

Halliday compares the value of a wine like Beyerskloof

compared with a second -growth Bordeaux or, more generically, the value of South African Sauvignon Blanc aside its pricier New Zealand counterpart.

It’s a value-driven perception that has helped grow South Africa’s brands, with Kumala, First Cape and Namaqua all comfortably in the top 20 UK off-trade brands (ranking nine, 10 and 17 respectively), with Arniston Bay close behind. Namaqua is up 22% year on year, with a further 15% growth rate so far in 2009 – and this through sales that are 80% at a non-promotional price. Elsewhere, Clare Griffiths, Constellation’s vice president for European marketing, reports a more modest current 6% growth for Kumala – but from a larger base. This follows a “revitalisation programme” that has seen a neat repackaging, focus on consumer communication and emphasis on quality through winemaker Bruce Jack.

“There is a big opportunity for South Africa in the middle ground and at the more premium end – and we have the range, with Fish Hoek and Flagstone, to exploit this opportunity,” says Griffi ths. “The South Africa off ering is not as saturated at these price points as other countries, but it can off er great value at higher price points and there are still big opportunities for growth here.”

Meanwhile, Arniston Bay has launched a reserve range aimed precisely at capitalising on the growth above entry level and persuading consumers to trade up.

Moving with the timesBrands may bring people to the category and help them understand the varieties and styles of wine on off er, but until recently South Africa seemed to be faltering in terms of making a broader impact at a more premium level. This, though, appears to be fast changing with double-digit growth in the £5 -£10 price bands and above, along with a roll-call of wines to satisfy this market.

In no particular order, names such as Ken Forrester, Ra ats Family Wines, Jordan, Springfield, La Motte, L’Avenir, Paul Cluver, Neil Ellis, Vergelegen, Beyerskloof, Boschendal, Flagstone and many others, sit alongside similarly priced rivals from anywhere in the world.

The big question, though, is whether South Africa can

‘‘There is a big opportunity for South Africa in the middle ground and at the more premium end

Below: Ross Sleet of

Kleine Zalze believes

future opportunities lie

with independents and

the on-trade

SOUTH AFRICA


Leap brand (which is on course to grow to a 1 million -case brand). “Our philosophy for La Motte was to establish it as a leading world brand . We had to decide what the best style of wine would be from the land and tools we had, to listen to what the world wanted, but also to make a wine that was South African,” he says.

“The importance of biodiversity in South Africa relates to the styles of wine we can produce and with the two oceans, altitude and cooler -climate sites for vineyards still being explored and coming on line, we have the opportunity to produce individual styles .”

It is perhaps this ongoing exploration of South Africa’s potential, of seeking out its cooler, more elevated sites, coupled with its emphasis on the sustainable, that will help carry this essentially very young wine -producing nation into the future. Chenin has clearly established itself as a fantastic calling card, ranging from fresh, zingy entry-level offerings to the complexity of wines from people such as Ken Forrester. Pinotage still divides, though some very good wines are made, and the quality of South Africa’s Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, Bordeaux-style red blends, and especially its growing roll-call of Rh ône varietal blends are increasingly impressive, as too is some of the Pinot Noir coming out of the Cape.

As Paul Cluver explained with reference to his excellent Pinot Noir : “I have a greater diversity of terroir on my farm than in the whole of Burgundy and we are only just beginning to understand the potential of the land”.

Finally, South Africa’s trump card, at least over the next year or so, will be a series of sporting events culminating in the World Cup 2010. The importance of this global event cannot be underestimated . As Jo Mason at WOSA points out, once a potential South African wine drinker has visited the Cape they are rarely less than hooked. It’s not just the beauty of the place, though that seriously helps. Many of the wineries themselves off er excellent cellar door restaurants and tasting rooms, and the well -organised wine routes in Stellenbosch and elsewhere are gearing up for a series of events to capitalise on what should be a bumper tourist year. And with everything still to play for, this melting pot of opportunities and exposure bodes very well for the future of its wines. ■

sustain this momentum beyond the current favourable boost given by the exchange rate.

“On the opportunities side, there is still a long way to go and we have to be careful not to pitch buyers simply on value o f an exchange rate that is currently favourable relative to the euro or dollar,” says Garreth Anderson at DGB. “What we must do is continue to emphasise the quality of the wines, which has consistently grown in the past 10 years, and ensure that this sells the m.”

Anderson reports that a recent Waitrose South African promotion including both Boschendal and Douglas Green wines worked very well , but like many rivals his focus is being drawn by both the independent and on-trade markets. He suggests that retailers have supported premium brands such as Boschendal well, but that in an age of rationalisation (read shrinking) ranges, future growth may well lie elsewhere. It is here that South Africa is most likely to consolidate its premium image into the future – and perhaps most engage with the type of customer whose purchase is more likely to be infl uenced by the messages of sustainability, diversity, empowerment, Fairtrade and so on that are beaming out of South Africa.

Ross Sleet of Kleine Zalze agrees, and despite the recent launch of Zalze, a brand currently in Waitrose with ambitions to become a truly global South African brand, he is adamant that independents and on-trade outlets are where the future lies for Kleine Zalze’s premium wines.

“There has traditionally been a chasm between Kumala and the top end, and an issue for South Africa has been to provide enough volume – 50,000 cases or more – of premium wines to fi ll the gap,” says Ross. “While there are an increasing number of wines doing this, the research of Wine Nation clearly showed that independents and on-trade outlets are where the big opportunities lie.”

A young industry Despite a history of 350 years of winemaking, in reality, says Sleet, the modern South African industry is really only a decade and a half old and thus has little of the baggage carried by its rivals elsewhere, especially in the Old World. His assertion is that the independent and on-trade sector is where South Africa can build long -standing relationships, incorporating both the message of quality in the bottle, but also best communicate the concept of Brand South Africa as built around its consumer-friendly messages, backed as they are by tourism to the UK’s favourite long -haul destination.

These are points reiterated by Hein Koegelenberg, chief executive of La Motte, which incorporates the high -end offering of La Motte with the 500,000 -case Leopard’s

SOUTH AFRICA IN FIGURES

Nielsen fi gures to December 27, 2008, show a remarkable 26.3% growth by value and 22% by volume in the off-trade and prediction from the trade — recession notwithstanding — are that strong growth will continue through this year.

South Africa claimed 9.3% of the market by the New Year, up from 7.8% at the end of 2007.

Below: Hein

Koegelenberg, chief

executive of La Motte,

stresses the importance

of biodiversity

‘‘We had to make a wine that was South African

www.zalze.co.za

_HAR_Kleine Zalze_HV.indd 1 07/04/2009 15:30

EASTERN EUROPE


Wine quality has never been better across Europe’s eastern end, as investment in vineyards, wineries and expertise bears fruit. Caroline Gilby MW takes a look at recent developments

Hungary – more than TokajPossibly the most European of the former eastern bloc nations, Hungary’s wine industry arguably has the broadest appeal to the UK . The country has established a reputation for great wines from Tokaj, and recently, it has added small, individual producers of high quality distinctive reds and whites as well as a growing number of competent big producers of good value whites and rosés. There’s an opportunity to discover these and fi nd out more with the largest Wines of Hungary Tasting on April 30 at Plaisterers’ Hall, London.

Nielsen data shows Hungary hovering just behind Portugal with 0.8% market share in the off-trade and an increase of 46% by volume in the year to December 27, 2008. Ken Mackay MW at Waitrose notes: “Sales of Hungarian white wines [principally Pinot Grigio] have grown strongly and look set to continue this year. Some of the Pinot Grigios can now really stand up to those from Italy on quality grounds, although the inherent diffi culties of getting UK consumers excited about Hungarian whites do remain.” He raises concerns about the proliferation in the marketplace of wines which are “too cynically presented in very Italianate branding and packaging”.

Looking East

Arabella Woodrow MW of Morrison s cautions: “Eastern Europe may be outside the euro zone, but the strength of the local currency against the pound can aff ect prices. Our Hungarian Pinot Grigio is now more expensive than our cheapest Italian one, though this has not depressed sales as much as it could have done.”

Nish Kotecha of Myliko says the company’s Hungarian sales were up 40% in 2008 and there is renewed interest from both the on and off -trades. He adds : “Hungary is out of the euro zone but the forint is still very strong and is linked to the euro, therefore the cost pressures are the same. However, Hungary still off ers great value and hence interest has improved.”

Bottle Green’s Sarah Thornton reveals the importer has seen sales of Hungarian wines increase by just over 50% in 2008, with key accounts such as Asda, Tesco, Somerfield and Sainsbury’s all performing noticeably better compared to 2007. She believes: “Hungary’s ability to produce quality wines at a better value compared to other European wine producers is unquestionably the key. The main strength is white wine and the general growth in the UK market of fragrant, crisp and fresh varietals has helped Hungary.”

For Hungary’s smaller producers, they have more presence than ever before with the arrival of specialist distributor Mephisto Wine Merchants as well as listings with Liberty, Astrum Wine Cellars, Great Western Wine , Richards Walford, Wines of Westhorpe and hungarianfoodandwine.com. Bruno Besa of Astrum says: “I still think there are great opportunities for quality Hungarian wines in the on-trade. Both our wineries are doing very well and we are listing the wines in some top restaurants and hotels, both in London and other parts of the country.”

Besa cautions: “Obviously, due to the current economic situation, every sector is suff ering and therefore you fi nd less people willing to experiment with wines that are still virtually non-existent in this market, apart from the sweet wines of Tokaj.”

Laszlo Hesley of Mephisto says his message is that Hungarian fi ne wine is no longer just about Tokaji. He believes indigenous grapes can be a useful gateway to sparking consumer interest. “Much to our surprise, indigenous single varieties such as Kékfrankos, Hárslevelú and Kadarka have been some of our best sellers.”

Sopron, Hungary, is a red

wine region, with Syrah

growing in prominence


▼

However, Robert Toszer of Butlers Wharf warns: “Customers happily go for indigenous varieties and internationally recogni sed grapes , but you have to have a trained and educated sommelier to explain the wines.”

Romania returnsRomania has hung onto just a tiny presence in the UK in recent times. Despite this Philip Cox of Recas is still optimistic about Romania’s prospects in the UK for the year ahead. He points out that currency problems in 2007 made it almost impossible to export to the UK, but now the exchange rate has improved by over 30% (to 4.3 RON to 1 euro), Romania is more attractive. “We expect to triple our sales this year through new listings,” says Cox. This includes a new rosé in Threshers and promotions for Pinot Grigio through the summer in Thresher and Nicolas. He also says the fact he is talking to Aldi and Tesco about Romania is, in itself, quite a positive change.

Nik Schritz, managing director of Reh Kendermann, adds: “We are currently supporting our existing multiple customers – Asda, the Co-op and Waitrose – with a programme of spring and summer promotions. The challenge now is to get retailers to look at new wines, as they are not openly looking for new listings.”

He adds: “While there is no specifi c interest in Romania

among many UK buyers, once tasted, our wines do not fail to impress.”

Dan Muntean of Halewood Romania is also expecting an increase in interest and reports doing good business with Direct Wines, including a new listing for Feteasca Regala. He is involved in plans to open a UK office for Romania this year and expects generic promotions to start from as early as April.

Bulgarian bluesBulgaria has just hosted its annual wine show Vinaria and the mood there was less than optimistic, even though wine quality is the best it has ever been, with new plantings coming on-stream and major investments in wineries showing in improved winemaking standards.

Nielsen data shows an increase of 14% by volume to December 27, 2008, in the UK off -trade, but this doesn’t match current perceptions by the two major suppliers.

Radoslav Radev, managing director of Vinimpex, points out that the UK is very difficult because of the weak pound. “We’ve just cancelled our own -label contract with Tesco because it w as looking for rock-bottom prices in sterling,” he says. “We saw an increase in turnover of 40% from 2007 to 2008, and gained new listings, but the crisis is now making buyers even more conservative.”

New dawn: Hungary’s

winemakers offer more

than just Tokaji

UK off-trade sales are

up 14% by volume for

Bulgaria’s wines

EASTERN EUROPE


Margo Todorov, of Domaine Boyar, says: “The lev is fixed to the euro, so prices agreed in sterling have depreciated considerably, hitting Bulgarian wine.” He adds: “We have not seen a noticeable increase of interest from the UK trade. I was expecting some kind of repetition of the early 1980s, when Bulgaria saw a dramatic increase in interest and sales. My only interpretation is that now, because of very fi erce competition and never -ending fi ght for market share, the accent is on the price rather than the value for money.”

Within Bulgaria, some believe it will see little eff ect because the country has faced worse crises – and people will always still drink. However, other sources have already picked up signs of a steep fall in commercial wine sales in multiple retailers in February – and even rakia sales have been hit as Bulgarians cut back on spending. Moldova’s mixed fortunesMoldova’s wine industry has already had to face some challenging times and its woes with Russia are continuing, with the fall in the ruble combined with a seriously over-valued Moldovan leu. There are concerns about cash fl ow due to unpaid bills for wines already shipped to Russian distributors.

In marked contrast, the few UK importers of Moldovan wine are optimistic. Anne Forrest, a buyer with Direct Wines, says: “I was in Moldova about two weeks ago and the quality of the wine absolutely blew me away … I came back very impressed overall.” She admits that there are concerns due to the Russian market situation, but believes these can be handled with careful advance planning and collaboration.

Vadim Chobanu, founder of Exquisite Wines, has recently added Purcari to his portfolio alongside Cricova, though admits: “It’s defi nitely not the best time to start a new venture, but much better than the IT industry.”

“I am targeting everyone at the same time – restaurants, supermarkets, independent wine merchants, chain wine merchants, online retailers, but as you can imagine nearly all the doors are closed.” He reports good results where restaurants have taken on his Moldovan wines; its Cabernet 2005 and Chardonnay 2005 are very food friendly.

Other cornersSlovenia continues to make quiet progress and is planning some joint activities between big and small wineries this year at LIWF. Mark Hughes of the Real Wine Company imports the exciting new Verus range and reports that business is surprisingly brisk. Vlado Sodin, owner of latevintage.com, notes: “We are very pleased with the progress some Slovenian winemakers are achieving.”

The tiny enclave of Kosovo has also gained its first major UK listing. “Kosovo [launched on March 18] is a parcel of premium Vranac I have bought from Stonecastle, for our Mediterranean Wine Showcase ,” says Waitrose’s Mackay.

As for the rest of the wine world, the UK looks set to be a challenge for eastern European producers. There may be opportunities but these will depend on being able to off er serious value for money, if not out-and-out cheapness, and providing points of diff erence that can add excitement and variety to an increasingly standardised retail off er from the rest of the world. ■

‘‘We are very pleased with the progress of Slovenia’s wine

Moldova: suffering from

cash fl ow but wine quality

will “blow you away”

WINE STARTED HERE

WINES OF GEORGIAin association with

Harpers Wine & Spirit

Invite you to a selectedGEORGIAN TASTING

on the28th April

10-30am to 4-30pmat the

Royal Horticultural Halls -Conference Centre

80 Vincent Square | London | SW1P 2PE

Attending producers:

Telliany ValleyTbilvino

Telavi Wine CellarOrovela

Chateau MukhraniKakhuri

Kindzmaraulis MaraniBargrationiSarajishviliWineman

All members of the trade welcome

Trentino Wine is delighted to invite you to attend a unique tasting of eight specially selected wines from the acclaimed wine producing region.

The Masterclass Theatre

LIWF at ExCeL

www.londonwinefair.com

Tuesday 12 May, 20091.45pm - 2.45pm

Hosted by Susie Barrie, one of the

UK’s leading wine journalists and TV

broadcasters, this tasting will reveal the

diversity of TRENTODOC and Teroldego

Rotaliano.

Book your FREE ticket now to avoid disappointment.

Tel: 020 7193 0505 or

Email: [email protected]

_HAR_Trentino_HV.indd 1 30/3/09 10:08:17

TOP 50 INDIES


Harpers Wine & Spirit will herald a new era for independent retailers with the formation of the sector’s fi rst dedicated club. Claire Hu reveals how it will work

Top 50 kicks off

Independent drinks merchants are among the country’s most innovative and exciting retailers. In these hard times, they are well placed to re-ignite consumer passion about wine and spirits because of

the level of personalised service they can off er. And they certainly seem to be bucking the downward trend, judging by a Discover the Origin survey which found 80% had seen sales rise in the past year.

Despite this, the sector rarely seems to get the recognition and support it deserves. In a bid to change that Harpers Wine & Spirit is this week launching the Top 50 Indies club – the fi rst dedicated networking club for the UK’s leading independent drinks retailers.

The aim is to recognise the work of independents by creating exclusive networking opportunities and events where members can learn from each other and business experts, as well as tap into dedicated research about this illusive sector. These events will feature high-profile speakers who will impart useful information about how

indies can make more money from their businesses. There will also be tastings and fun events, all aimed at creating a relaxed community forum for members.

The indie’s equivalent of a Michelin award, members will receive point of sale material they can use in their stores.

So, how will it work and more importantly how can you get involved?

CriteriaThe members of the Top 50 will be chosen through nomination, and by a panel of industry experts who will assess merchants according to the quality of their product range, service and reputation. The panel will have expertise in the independent sector and will include agents, generic g r o u p s , c o n s u l t a n t s ,

i m p o r te r s , s u p p l i e r s , sommeliers and wine writers.

Members will also be drawn from winners of the International Wine Challenge

competition and other independently-assessed sources.

The club will be re-assessed on an annual basis to ensure the newest talent within the independent sector is being recognised.

To qualify to join the club, members must be retailers with at least 75% of their turnover from alcohol; be independently owned and primarily store-based (no more than 10 outlets) and a retail business. They must be fully committed to attending events and getting involved in the Top 50 Indies club.

EventsThe club will be unveiled at the London International Wine Fair in May. Seminar sessions, networking lunches, tastings and fun activities – all free to members – will take place throughout the year and culminate with a closing event in 2010 to honour and recognise the class of 2009. Editorial coverage in the magazine and on the website will feature the Top 50 Indies project and the stories of members.

SponsorsPartners in the Top 50 Indies will gain access to this highly-performing and growing sector, with the opportunity to build relationships with the best independent operators, profile their brands and gain valuable insight into the market.

This is a challenging year for the drinks market, but indies offer some of the most decent profit margins around for suppliers and agencies. The Top 50 Indies will provide valuable access to merchants for companies hoping to set up new distribution.

There will be valuable PR and marketing opportunities through Harpers Wine & Spirit’s editorial coverage of the club. To learn about diff erent packages available, contact Freddie Linfi eld on freddie.linfi [email protected] or call 01293 867 601.

How to get involvedHarpers Wine & Spirit is inviting nominations for the Top 50 Indies club. If you have a favourite shop that you think should be recognised, get in touch and tell us why. We want to know about the staff, the level of service and knowledge, the product range and any promotions or activities the store runs to keep interest high. Self-nominations are also accepted. Email [email protected] with as much detail as possible and a contact telephone number. Alternatively there will be nomination forms available at the Harpers Wine & Spirit stand at the LIWF. The deadline for entries is Monday, May 18. ■

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THE BUSINESS


believes in South Africa, but thinks the entry-level option is defi nitely not the way ahead. “South Africa must not be cheap and cheerful; it has so much more to offer than that.”

Nor is he a huge fan of Wines of South Africa’s biodiversity strat-egy. “I’m not sure that fl owers sell wine. For the mainstream wine drinker, it is too elitist, but if you criticise, you must have an alterna-tive: I think we should concentrate on the people.”

Going it aloneIn 2002, Fontannaz started Origin Wine. Origin is not a producer of wine as such; it describes itself as a “specialist in wine sourcing and supply chain management”, and is involved in activities such as packaging and label design, and it also handles bulk wine supply, bottling, and blending. A real coup came about when Kumala, the big-gest South African brand in the UK, came knocking, and asked Origin to supply 1.5 million cases of wine a year.

“We understood volume; the volume was no problem,” says Fontannaz, who adds that his com-pany now sources more than double this amount for Constellation, Kumala’s owner.

But while Origin continues to source wine for clients, its biggest challenge was yet to come. In 2005, the Fairhills project was created, as a joint venture with Du Toitskloof Winery in the Breede River Valley, in the Worcester region.

All 22 farms of Du Toitskloof are Fairtrade accredited, and around 10 million litres of Fairtrade-eligible

In just four years, Fairhills has become the largest Fairtrade wine operation in the world. Stuart Peskett meets the man behind it, Origin Wine’s Bernard Fontannaz

Origin Wine

www.harpers.co.uk

Considering that he began making wine in his native Switzerland aged just 14, the

career path of Bernard Fontannaz is hardly surprising. As manag-ing director of Origin Wine , he is not only in control of the biggest Fairtrade wine project in the world – Fairhills – but has also taken on the challenge of sorting out the Stormhoek fi asco; Origin took over Orbital Wines in 2008.

Looking every inch the inter-national businessman, he talks quickly and openly, in his thick S w i s s ( Fr e n c h s i d e ) a c c e n t . Refreshingly, he doesn’t get bogged down in commercial jargon, and is happy talking about all aspects of his work – in fact, what really comes across is how thankful Fontannaz is to be working in the wine business.

He was inspired by an exchange visit to New Zealand in his early twenties, following a degree in agri-cultural economics. After that, in 1992, Fontannaz was hired by South African firm Savisa, the company behind the African Terroir wine brand. He stayed for a decade.

“In South Africa, exports really got going in 1993, so we [wine com-panies] were all at the same level. It was good timing,” he says. In those 10 years, Fontannaz helped achieve the first organic grape farming in South Africa and initiated a social uplift programme called Winds of Change – an early sign of things to come.

Having spent nearly 20 years in the Cape, Fontannaz clearly

The state of Origin

Fontannaz: “It’s not a job – we’re

not working!”


wine is produced from the 900 ha of vines.

One advantage Fontannaz has is that Fairtrade produce – be it wine, coffee, or chocolate – is firmly in the minds of consumers, and has an incredibly positive perception. The Fairtrade logo has strong recogni-tion, and more importantly, has virtually no negative connotations – unlike organic wine, for instance, which often surprises those wine drinkers who expect wine to be a natural product in the fi rst place.

Fontannaz understands the key element of Fairtrade, that it is not about handouts; rather, it is based around developing the skills and opportunities for local workers.

“A lot of brands are trying to cre-ate a story, but with us, the story is there, it’s happening,” he says. “Fairtrade is about a business with a social dimension. Flashing some money around does not help; it’s all about creating a business that is sustainable. Let’s not forget that it is a business – it’s not a charity – but if more people were doing it, we would be in a better society.”

A fair trade The Fairhills project now has 750 permanent employees, and Fontannaz has extended it to two more countries: Argentina and Chile. He admits he is “lucky” UK retailer, the Co-op, has been an ardent supporter, but with the Fairtrade logo so entrenched, it’s not surprising that sales of Fairtrade wine are growing by 27% year on year.

The Argentin ian project, in Mendoza, is a joint venture between Mendoza Vineyards, B o d e g a s y V i ñ e d o s d e Marañon and its farm w o r k e r c o m m u n i t y, while the Chilean ven-ture, based in the Curicó Valley, came about with the support of a number of producers who used to work at the Los Robles co-operative.

“We wanted that trio of Fairtrade countries,” says Fontannaz. “We are the leader in Fairtrade; we are the only company to off er the three countries

under one label, so we have a strong USP. It’s like buying a car: if you buy a Fairtrade wine, you have a guaran-tee about how the wine is made.’

Fontannaz’s next big move was to acquire Orbital Wines, after the firm went into administration at the beginning of 2008. Its collapse was a shock to the UK wine trade, but Origin was quick to move in and acquire not only Stormhoek, but also the (then) Aussie brand Camden Park, as well as California’s Walker’s Pass.

Fontannaz claims that there was no hard pursuit, and that the acqui-sition “happened by accident”, even though Origin had always done the bottling for Stormhoek. “The good news was that when we bought it, its perception was directly dis-proportionate to how much it was selling. Now it is selling fi ve times as much as when we bought it. The retailers convinced us to do it. One retailer told me that Stormhoek could be one of the biggest brands in South Africa. We now have half a million cases – in the space of 10 months.”

A new Stormhoek label, the Siren, arrives in the UK this spring. The wines, a Shiraz/Viognier and a Sauvignon/Viognier/Riesling will retail for £9.

Fontannez believes Camden Park is an “even stronger pros-pect” than Stormhoek. The first thing he did with the brand was to change its country of origin,

from Australia to Argentina. Fontannaz has high hopes for Argentina, and firmly believes that the country’s wine industry is set for big things. “Not only have we improved the quality of

the product, but Argentina has tremendous potential that

remains untapped,” he says. “I’ve always thought that Argentina is a sleep-ing giant. It was not an opportunistic move.”

Life’s passion Fontannaz is proud of his roots, and is keen to convince people about the merits of Swiss wine – price has been the main barrier to progress in the UK, as well as the fact that

www.harpers.co.uk

the Swiss drink a lot of it them-selves. “We have a lot of indigenous grape varieties that you wouldn’t have heard of. I’ve just discovered this variety called Païen [ Swiss synonym for Traminer]. It tastes just like pineapple, with beautiful aromatic fruit, and not too grassy. You see, wine is a discovery!”

His passion for wine is obvious; Fontannaz describes his career as “a lifestyle”, and has little time for people who suggest otherwise. “It’s not a job – we’re not working! I love what I do. Every day you have a diff erent wine, a diff erent experi-ence. If you can make a living out of it, even better.”

The economic woes don’t appear to faze him. “ This will be a challeng-ing year; it will be survival of the fi ttest. But because of our structure, and because of our position, I’m confi dent about what we’re doing and where we’re going.” ■

BERNARD FONTANNAZ CV

2002–present: MD, Origin Wine, Stellenbosch, South Africa

1992–2002: MD, Savisa/African Terroir, Paarl, South Africa

1991: Semester study at Parmerston University, New Zealand

1988: Winemaking course Ecole Oenologie Federale Changins/Switzerland

Growth signs: Origin Wine is in

the renowned Stellenbosch

THE BUSINESS


Whil e the first quarter of 2009 has seen much of the hospitality industry

look somewhat down in the mouth, there has been some good cheer around the country, none more so than at Northcote, the Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms in Lancashire.

Craig Bancroft, co-owner of Northcote (formerly known as Northcote Manor) and chef Nigel Haworth, have every reason to celebrate. Not only did 2008 mark Bancroft’s 25th year at the Victorian property, it also saw the duo pick up a clutch of awards including the UK’s best restaurant in the Harden’s Guide, a third gas-tropub, the Clog and Billycock, was opened and an exciting £3 million extension and refurbishment of Northcote was set in motion.

“Everyone else is giving bad

news,” declares Bancroft after a busy 70-cover lunch. “We thought we’d give some good news.”

In spite of the credit crisis, Bancroft and Haworth are going ahead with their fi ve-year plan for Northcote and its group companies (their pub company, Ribble Valley Inns, and corporate hospitality arm for Blackburn Rovers, Northcote at the Rovers). “There’s absolutely no point in stopping your strategy as long as you can keep a handle on it,” adds Bancroft.

Plans for the flagship include a refurbishment of the existing rooms, extensions to the guest lounge and dining room plus 14 new bedrooms. The overhaul will bring Haworth and Bancroft closer to their stated goal: a second Michelin star.

If the investment in the property is what is underpinning the plans,

lar list with wines on at thousands of pounds. There’s no market for it. Instead, we’ve created a list that we think is incredibly interesting and covers all aspects of world-wine producing nations.”

Intricate listAs a broad brush description that’s probably accurate but it does little justice to the eccentricities of the 500-strong list. Think 11 Portugese whites (“in itself bizarrely interest-ing”), seven pages of half bottles, and what Bancroft hopes will be the country’s best dessert list.

For all Northcote’s straight-laced looks, there’s an element of “daftness” – in Bancroft parlance – about proceedings. “I fi nd London sommeliers so staid! People think I’ve lost my marbles when I put the

There’s no talk of recession, only growth and preparing for the upturn at the Michelin-starred Northcote. Hilary Armstrong meets the men behind its success

Northcote

www.harpers.co.uk

it’s Northcote’s enhanced food and beverage off er that’s driving them. The last year has seen an increase in covers and spend per head. Bancroft puts the impressive £8-a-head increase in wine spend down to switching from pairing its popu-lar gourmet menu with a half bottle per couple per course to a glass per course.

Each glass of wine is priced separately – for example, Massaya Rosé 2007 from Lebanon (£7.60) or Qupé Chardonnay Viognier (£11.50) – so diners can opt in or opt out at any stage. Ninety per cent of customers take up a full gourmet menu package (currently £42.15 for wine and £50 for fi ve courses).

“We’re still championing half bottles greatly, but we were getting more restricted as fewer vintners are producing them. The decision to go to glasses has been fantastic for staff because we’re all learning more, ” says Bancroft.

And if that one glass is a Nuits-St-Georges, Clos des Forêts 2003 from Domaine de l’Arlot at £14.80? All the better.

The bulk of the list remains in the £18 to £70 bracket, with little over £200. The margin is 70% on wines under £20, after which point prices are calculated on a sliding scale. Over £50, it’s a £50 cash mark up. While the wine spend hovers at around £27 a head at dinner, £12.50 a head at lunch, Bancroft’s “got his feet on the ground” about upping the per bottle spend much further.

“We’ve given up on having a stel-

Northernexposure

Bancroft: teamwork is key to building up Northcote’s success


Willi Opitz Beerenauslese with foie g ras but I’m fed up with ‘Would sir like some Sauternes with his foie gras?’ No I don’t! I want something that sets me on fi re!”

Tackling wine at Northcote is a team effort. Not only is Bancroft assisted day-to-day by head som-melier Neil Alexander and his assistant, he also has a trio of experts to call upon, namely Julian Kaye of the Wright Wine Company in Skipton, Miles Corish of Bowland Forest Vintners and consultant Nick Adams, MW.

The whole crew gets together at a bi-monthly forum for a day of tasting. “I’m a great believer that you should have a good working partnership with your wine sup-plier,” insists Bancroft.

“Dealing with 25 different sup-

pliers used to drive me insane, so I committed to working with the Wright Wine Company 17 years ago and asked Bob Wright if he would work with me to grow his business. If I want a Bâtard Montrachet from Lefl aive, they’ll fi nd it. I’ll pay a little bit more but I don’t have to source it, to cellar it, and they’ll deliver seven days if I need them to.”

Of Corish , from whom he takes 30-40 wines, Bancroft observes, “he’s a particularly good character in terms of being right up there at the cutting edge of it. He knows where it’s at.”

Refi ning the listThis year, the aim is to refine the wine selection country-by-coun-try. A small thing – re-jigging the list into regional subheadings

www.harpers.co.uk

(meaning the wines are no longer in ascending price order) – has encouraged guests to choose wine according to their taste rather than their wallet. Spain, South Africa and Bancroft’s beloved Portugal (“I’m in love with it. The reds are sensa-tional”) are selling well, in a decline in New Zealand and Australian wines (“Our guests are ‘ Aussie-d out’. They’re growing up.”)

Bancroft has also given the bar list an overhaul, introducing more premium gins, vodka and whiskies, all with tasting notes, an innovation that Bancroft calls “attractive win-dow dressing” yet is responsible for brisk sales of £17 a glass George T Stagg Bourbon – not to be sniffed at.

Bancroft is confident that the Northcote approach is the right

one for these tough times. “There’s always enough market for your hotel, but maybe not enough mar-ket for everybody’s hotel,” Bancroft says.

“Chef and I have been through three of these bloody recessions. We made mistakes in the past – cutting staff, closing, all sorts – but when the market turns this time, which it inevitably will, we’ll be sitting in exactly the right posi-tion while everybody else playing catch-up.”

■ Northcote, Northcote Road, Langho, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB6 8BE, 01254 240555, visit northcote.com

Stately pile: around £3 million is

earmarked for Northcote’s refurb


HIGHSYour fi rst break in the drinks industry?In 1992 I was working for the Music Industry Research Organization; I’d had enough of the sector and was appointed advertising manager on Wine Magazine.

What have been your high points to date ?There have been a few; launching Whisky Magazine in 1998, then Quercus Communications in 2004 and Number One Drinks Company in 2007.

Most important people who have helped you along the way?I worked for Damian Riley-Smith for 13 years; he taught me a lot about publishing and events. The late Michael Jackson was an inspiration. I recall, with enormous fondness, late -night conversations in Hammersmith, Tokyo, New York, Skye and at Glenrothes, discussing the relative merits of rugby union and league, jazz saxophonists and our eastern European roots. He was very generous with his time and I still miss him. If Michael was

a surrogate father, then Charlie MacLean is my favourite uncle; always ready with a story, a dram and with a reassuring whiff of tweed and cigarettes about him . Finally, Dave Broom has been a great friend for many years and remains my first point of call if – as often happens – I need professional help.

Proudest achievement? In September 2007 I had never sold a bottle of anything. We now have an established, profitable, self-funded business, with distribution in 12 countries. On the Quercus

HIGHS & LOWS

www.harpers.co.uk

Marcin Miller, owner, Number One Drinks Company

side, I still get a buzz when any of my clients get good coverage. Outside work it has to be my wife and children – corny but true.

LOWSWhat challenges have you faced along the way ?The only real challenge was dealing with the fear of leaving a publishing director’s salary to leap into the abyss of self-employment.

Lowest point?A recent duty -free booze cruise for 2,500 Swedes was a bit of an eye-opener. It was carnage –reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno. The cruise line had decided this would be the perfect environment for a whisky festival – held on the car deck. I took the pragmatic approach and decided to join in .

Outstanding ambitions ?Embarrassing but true : I have yet to visit an Irish whiskey distillery.

■ Fancy sharing your career HIGHS

& LOWS with us? If so, we would like

to hear from you. Please send your

details to richard.siddle@william-

reed.co.uk

Gilles Bogaert

Gilles Bogaert

has been

appointed by

Pernod Ricard

as deputy

managing director in charge of

fi nance, replacing Emmanuel

Babeau who decided to leave

the group. Bogaert will assume

his new role on July 1. He will

join the group management

team around Pierre P ring uet,

chief executive offi cer, and

comprising three other deputy

managing directors, Thierry

B illot ( brands), Michel B ord

( distribution network) and

Bruno R ain ( human resources).

Sergio Hormaz ábal

Leading Chilean

producer Viña

Ventisquero is

expanding its

winemaking

team with the addition of

Sergio Hormazábal, who will

concentrate primarily on the

red wines in the company’s

Queulat and Reserve ranges.

Hormazábal joins Viña

Ventisquero after seven years

a t Viña William Fèvre in the

Maipo Alto region.

Joshua Greene

Editor and

publisher of US

Wine & Spirits

magazine since

1986 , Joshua

Greene is the International

Wine Challenge’s new guest

chairman for the 2009

awards. Greene has travelled

extensively through the wine

regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy,

Portugal, Italy, Spain, Australia

and Chile, as well as all the

major regions of the U S. As part

of the magazine’s education

program, he teaches classes on

California wine, Bordeaux, port

and a range of wine-related

subjects to students at Harvard

Business School .

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK AT … BOTTLE GREEN?

Best contact for new jobs:

Richard Hitchcock

Company philosophy : To be

the number one partner for UK

retailers and overseas producers

in France, Spain, Italy, Hungary,

Chile and Australia. To achieve

this in a highly professional and

honest, creative and fun way.

Are you looking to recruit in

2009 ? At the moment we are

at full compl ement .

What kind of benefi ts do you

have? We offer the Bottle Green

“10 Benefi ts” scheme which

includes: an additional day

off and a bottle of wine on your

birthday; free fruit in the offi ce

and entry to social club events .

What training do you offer

staff? Our staff development

scheme is extensive and is

based around both individual

and business needs. We want

people to be stretched to help

the business succeed, but also to

create a feelgood factor around

personal development. Everyone

in the company has at least one

of the WSET qualifi cations, most

have the Higher, and we have two

people studying for the Diploma.

THE BUSINESSCAREERS

We also believe strongly in

external skills training and

internal coaching to ensure we

are always ahead .

What advice would you give

people looking to work for a

wine agency? We always look

for people who have, (or have

the potential to have) the

right combination of wine

and FMCG business skills.

They must also have the desire

to succeed and the right work

ethic, professionalism and

rounded personality to dovetail

with our team.

From Sauternes to Sonoma

The world’s wines and spiritsare coming to London

The London International Wine Fair is unique.

Nowhere else will you discover and taste the same incredible

range of old and new world wines from around 1,300

producers from every corner of the globe.

As a visitor, you’ll discover many wines, meet their makers

and find new suppliers to help your business. In addition,

explore the world’s only dedicated spirits trade event – Distil –

taking place at the same time and place.

And while you’re there, you can also enjoy hearing what the

experts have to say at some of the thirty specialist seminars,

tutored tastings and debates.

So why not increase your knowledge as well as your profits,

just visit www.londonwinefair.com or www.distil-london.com

to register for your free visitor badge.

If you’re serious about wine and spirits, look no further than

the London International Wine Fair and Distil.

They’re great for business.

THE BUSINESS


Katherine Ward AIWS, commercial executive, Thierry’sSeveral months after completing my BA honours degree in European studies and French at Coventry University, I stumbled across a fantastic -sounding job with a wine company which required French speakers. Of course, I jumped at the chance and haven’t looked back since.

My thirst for wine was fuelled after taking the WEST Higher Certifi cate (now the Advanced), as well as participating in numerous tastings at Thierry’s.

Several years later I decided I wanted to study wine and spirits in more depth and decided to embark upon the Diploma course . Thierry’s w as very supportive and fully funded my course and exams .

The Diploma experience was tough, but very rewarding. The lectures were intense, but very interesting and enjoyable. I tasted wines that I would never normally have had access to and met some great people both in and out of

the trade and gained a wealth of knowledge from each lecture and tasting. I studied very hard for three years and passed with merit .

My wine knowledge has improved greatly, but the Diploma has also given me much more confi dence in wine and in experimenting more. In my role at Thierry’s, it has enabled me to move from a logistics -focused role to that of an experienced commercial executive . I fi nd the extra knowledge helps me when talking to customers and

WSET

www.harpers.co.uk

buyers . I get involved in tasting and assessing wines with the buying team and I also take an active role in leading tastings at work and helping colleagues who are studying for their Higher Certifi cate.

My passion for wine also extends to my holidays as I take regular trips to my favourite wine region, the Loire, to visit the fantastic chateaux and taste the amazing wines . Next on my wish list is Alsace and, after that , South Africa, Chile and Argentina.

How the WSET helped me

Nicolla Greaves AIWS, Institute of Wines & Spirits co-ordinatorUnfortunately, tequila has a reputation of being a bit of a bad boy when it comes to the world of drinks . For many people, their fi rst experience is downing it quickly followed by a sour lemon and a sour face.

If this is your only experience of tequila then you have probably only tasted a low-quality silver tequila which is unaged, but there are a number of diff erent styles and quality levels which you may fi nd more appealing to your palate.

Why not try a premium silver tequila such as Sauza

Tres Generaciones or perhaps a Re posado or Añejo, which has been aged in oak for several months or years . These are best served in cocktails or sipped. Yes sipping not downing . Now let’s clear a few things up:

• Contrary to Dom Jol y’s Happy Hour, tequila is not made from a cactus but rather the blue agave plant, a member of the lil y family and related to the amaryllis • Tequila is a mezcal spirit which has a denominated area of production . Mezcal produced outside cannot be called tequila • The blue agave plant takes, on average, eight years to grow before it can be harvested and turned into tequila.

Give tequila a second chance, it deserves it. Such a long growing period illustrates huge investment of time and money into the spirit.

Myth busting — tequila

If you missed us at ProWein , you can always catch up with the WSET team at these events:

■ April 28 -29 SLTN, Glasgow

■ May 12 -14 LIWF – on stand M72 where we will be running the following 30-minute Diploma Level blind tasting:• Varietal tasting test , with David Wrigley AIWS, MW • Quality level tasting test, with Michael Buriak AIWS• Sparkling tasting test , with Gareth Lawrence AIWS• Sweet wines tasting test , with Ant ony Moss AIWS and David Hunter AIWS

We will also be running spirits tastings on our stand at Distil• White spirits blind tasting – how to diff erentiate between them• Vodka – is it all about the mar-keting? Vodkas will be tasted blind and put in order of price• Golden and dark spirits blind tasting• Information will also be availa-ble on our new Level 1 Foundation Course in Spirits

■ May 21Wines of Chile tasting, Leeds

If you would like to know more , visit wset global.com.

WSET on the road

Katherine Ward found the WSET Diploma experience “very rewarding”

Greaves: give tequila a chance

CLASSIFIED

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CLASSIFIED

RECRUITMENT

RECRUITMENT

1 What is the drinks trade’s

category management

advice programme for

independent retailers?

a) Bluesky

b) Blueprint

c) Bluetouch

2 Who is the new guest

chairman of the International

Wine Competition for 2009?

a) Benny Green

b) Joshua Green

c) Hughie Green

3 What percentage of

turnover does Champagne

take up at Majestic?

a) 20%

b) 25%

c) 10%

4 How much did sales of

Prosecco and sparkling wine

go up by in the fi rst nine

months of 2008?

a) 25%

b) 32%

c) 37%

5 Which wine, according to

Tim Atkin MW, is Spain’s

King Juan Carlos’s

favourite tipple?

a) Vega Sicilia

b) Vega Sardinia

c) Vega Ribera

6 Which Australian wine

variety’s authenticity has

been questioned this week?

a) Cabernet Sauvignon

b) Albari ño

c) Savagnin Blanc

QUIZZICAL

All the reaction to the Budget 2009Gavin Quinney reports from on the ground in BordeauxWhat to see at this year’s DistilUK buyers on the hottest Italian varietiesFresh hope for English spirits

THE NEXT ISSUE

SHURELY NOT ...HEARD ANYTHING ON THE GRAPEVINE? EMAIL: [email protected]

AMAZING RE PHRASEWe may not have Countdown’s new boy Jeff Stelling on our books, but we can boast Richard Napier, author of the homage to the anagram, Gonad’s Roar, available in all good bookshops (and no doubt some poor ones too).

This week he takes the big guns on with Jancis Robinson

MW and our very own chief of chiefs, Andrew Reed. Napier, I think you would agree, has a rather astute way of looking at them in a different light.

Here you go:Conjoins brainsJancis Robinson warns of the danger of over-indulgence.Master red red wine Mr Andrew Reed, Harpers’

guru, practises his favourite UB40 karaoke tune.Knob scrutinyNicky Burston of World Wine Agencies checks the handle on the wine case.

To nominate someone for Amazing Rephrase please email [email protected].■ My Gonads Roar is available from bookshops at £9.99.

Answers:1 b ) Blueprint. 2 b) Joshua Green. 3 a) 20%. 4 c) 37%. 5 a) Vega Sicilia. 6 b) Albariño.

If you are fed up being tanked at pool down the local every week then those clever people at First Drinks may have come up with a canny alternative next time you fancy a bit of nine-ball action.

First Drinks is currently touring the country with a rather peculiar looking pool table – triangular to be exact.

It is, of course, a shameless plug for one of its brands and a tie in with Grant’s new strapline, Try a Diff erent Angle.

Grant’s breaks from tradition

Pair crack the Cuvée CrunchTalk about thinking on your feet, or in this case your wallet. Robert and Kim Cripps of the Domaine du Poujol in the Languedoc have made a wine for the times – the Cuvée Crunch.

Aware of the falling pound, the pair have created a recession-proof blend from their 2006 and 2008 Cuvées of declassifi ed Coteaux du Languedoc. A wine they say should retail for over £10 is now £5.99 through Duncan Murray Wines.

It follows on from the recent promotion which saw the off er of a triangular-shaped glass that came around 170,000 bottles of Grant’s.

The triangular pool table may send the purists rushing to the nearest snooker hall, but it is certainly bound to create a stir when it turns up in bars and pubs across the country.

It may not make you any better at pool but it off ers a whole diff erent way to lose!

Be afraid …very afraidHardly a move that will get more people back into pubs, but you might want to mark your card for the release of Haunted London Pubs on May 4.

The book reveals where to fi nd – or avoid them . You can, for example, hear the hooves of Dick Turpin’s Black Bess in the Spaniard Inn in Hampstead .

Written by David Brandon and Alan Brooke it is available from History Press. You will need a drink to read it.

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hws april 17 cover - wordpress.com · indian wine market and fiona sims rails against shoddy wine...

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