Returning to Olympia for its 39th showing this month, the London Wine Fair, the largest annual trade event for the UK wine industry, will see no fewer than 14,000 wines from 40 countries present at the three-day expo from 20-22 May.

(Photo: Anthony Upton/London Wine Fair)

This year sees a series of small but significant shifts, from more wineries attending from further afield, to a new focus on the ways brands can, and should, take a stand on today’s important issues.

Brexit Planning

There are always challenges with events such as these, but the London Wine Fair’s own tribulations are unique. Head of the fair, Hannah Tovey, has had to shepherd this year’s planning through two Brexit deadlines. The situation is so unusual, during our interview at the start of the month, we joke that we may need to call her back a week later just to make sure her answers are the same. “It’s either going to be the last day of the London Wine Fair or the end of the year,” she says.

Fortunately, at the time of writing, it looks like the latter, so at the moment “we’re assuming we’re not going to fall off the face of the earth”.

When the EU divorce deadline was scheduled for the first half of April, the immediate worries were about stock arriving for the three-day event, but now that a no-deal is off the cards for at least a few more months, Tovey’s second Brexit priority is managing the concerns of the exhibitors themselves. “It’s very difficult to plan your marketing activity when exchange-rate fluctuations are off the scale, and there’s so much uncertainty about how to transport wine across borders,” she says.

What is more telling still, she adds, is the lack of consensus about how to address these issues. “Some people are saying they’re not worried,” she says, but others, importers for example, have spent so much money on stockpiling they “have nothing left. It’s been very diverse, which makes it difficult to manage.” With so much dissonance in the wine industry, and so much at stake, Tovey’s team have made sure that exhibitors and their clients are able to talk about Brexit as much as necessary.

When the fair held its official launch party in February, it also hosted a roundtable with the Wine and Spirits Trade Association that was focused on businesses’ EU-related concerns. This, she says, meant they were able to get as much up-to-date information as possible in the run-up to the fair, while the event itself will open with a Brexit briefing session for the third consecutive year.

European presence

Although Tovey says that some “significant” exhibitors have had to pull out of London Wine Fair this year, the overall numbers haven’t been affected. The losses have been offset by new entrants, and, perhaps surprisingly, “the most notable growth has come from the European sector”. Indeed, this year’s event will see the launch of new pavillions focusing on European businesses, the largest of which is dedicated to wines from Greece. There will also be a large showing from ViniPortugal, with 34 producers, as well as a number of Basque wineries.

The organisers have also given even more space to Prosecco producers this year, with The Consorzio bringing a large group of producers to showcase the best of the northern Italian region. Old Favourites One of the most popular sections – Esoterica, which showcases the portfolios of niche and micro-importers – has been kept on, and its capacity bolstered

. A number of quirky products will be on show from boutique sellers. Returning after its LWF debut last year, English winery Black Chalk will unveil its second vintage, focusing on traditional method sparkling with a generous amount of Pinot Meunier in the blend. Another exhibition space set to return is Wines Unearthed, dedicated to discovery and finding exciting wines that have yet to be seen in the UK. This year, the space has been updated to also include a section devoted to organic wines.

Old Favourites

(Photo: Anthony Upton/London Wine Fair)

One of the most popular sections – Esoterica, which showcases the portfolios of niche and micro-importers – has been kept on, and its capacity bolstered. A number of quirky products will be on show from boutique sellers. Returning after its LWF debut last year, English winery Black Chalk will unveil its second vintage, focusing on traditional method sparkling with a generous amount of Pinot Meunier in the blend. Another exhibition space set to return is Wines Unearthed, dedicated to discovery and finding exciting wines that have yet to be seen in the UK. This year, the space has been updated to also include a section devoted to organic wines.

The Innovation Zone features a series of seminars and talks hosted by those driving innovation in all types of business, not just the drinks industry. Topics will range from how to build a tribe around your wine brand, to maximising your impact on social media. With a nod to the rising number of drinks companies putting their own weight behind topics such as gender equality to climate change, one talk, called So what do you stand for?, will examine how brands and companies are changing the way they work to stand out and make sure they are a business that can be trusted and cared about. Another stand back for more this year is Drinks Britannia, which acts as a one-stop shop for all UK producers of wine, beer and spirits.

This was introduced to the trade event last year as part of an effort to bring in more international visitors. Such was its success that it has now become a permanent fixture of the London Wine Fair. The event team researched their visitors from last year and found that buying British products was a priority not only for attendees but across the board. “We are a UK-based event, after all,” Tovey says, “so it makes sense to have this on offer.”

Local Focus

But while beer and cider certainly make up a huge part of the UK’s drinks market, the country also saw its best grape harvest to date last year. Tovey says that her team have monitored visitor feedback closely, alongside news and data from the industry at large, and decided that wines from England and Wales will be ones to watch for some time. “We have seen a steady growth reflective of the fact that British drinks are one of the only growing sectors in the wine industry.” A number of UK wineries are set to make an appearance this year, including new Hampshire sparkling producer Black Chalk, as well as Nyetimber, and Kentish winery Simpsons. Thanks to a bumper crop last year, Simpsons, which is taking up stand Y166 in the Esoterica zone, has produced four still wines, which will be poured alongside the first vintage of their Chalklands Classic Cuvée 2016, which was released in April, and two wines from their French estate, Domaine Sainte Rose. Nyetimber, meanwhile, is highlighting the new 2013 vintage of its Blanc de Blancs, as well as Cuvee Chérie, its refreshed demi-sec.

Business means Business

(Photo: Anthony Upton/London Wine Fair)

One of the most talked-about changes to the event this year is that some visitors will have to pay for tickets this year. Non-exhibiting visitors to the London Wine Fair will have to pay for entry, as organisers crack down on people using the trade show to make deals even though they haven’t taken exhibitor stands. Last year Patrick McGrath MW, the managing director of Hatch Mansfield, told db that the high number of people such as wholesalers using the fair to range includes Hokusai’s The Great Wave DO Aconcagua Sauvignon Blanc, Mondrian’s Composition II Mendoza Malbec and Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss Brut from Italy – with plans for more wines and paintings in the pipeline. When it comes to Italian producers, distributor Mondial is presenting 30 new-entry wineries to on-trade buyers.

Many wines Mondial will bring are new to the UK market, such as Giusti Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG , Mazzola Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Superiore Sangvineto and Tenuta Bastonaca Cerasuolo di Vittoria. New exhibitors are also flocking to London from lesser-known winegrowing regions. This year, Chinese importer Panda is exhibiting at the London Wine Fair for the first time. Founded by sales and marketing veteran Michael Sun and his wife, Meiyu Li, head sommelier and wine director at the Park Hyatt Beijing, Panda’s wineries span northern and eastern parts of China, including the central northern Shanxi region, Hebei province to its east, and Fangshan region in the suburban south west of Beijing.

Digital First

Last year the organisers paved the way for digital innovation by trialling a London Wine Fair app, which allows visitors and exhibitors to find the types of producers or talks they are looking for, and coordinates with a smartphone’s calendar to help showgoers keep track of the events and masterclasses they want to attend. While a daily newspaper will also be distributed throughout Olympia, this year the app is coming back with yet more features to make the visitor experience as smooth as possible. “We had limited expectations last year because it was a trial,” Tovey says, “but a lot of smaller producers used it and filled their diaries.” She adds that around 600 meetings were aranged through the app before the 2018 event; a huge success considering how some pockets of the wine trade are known for their slow adoption of new tech. The app, which Tovey recommends people download a couple of weeks before the event, allows exhibitors to contact any one of the 21,000 registered visitors for a meeting, and they can accept or decline. The app then syncs these appointments with a user’s own Google calendar app, “so you don’t have to keep swapping between apps and everything is a lot simpler”.

Events to look out for

Saké Masterclass

Monday 20 May, 12:30pm

The UK’s interest in saké has been brewing for some time, particularly in the on-trade. On Monday 20 May, Rie Yoshitake, Japan Culinary Academy director, UK-based saké brewer Tony Mitchell and WSET saké educator Natuski Kikuya will take visitors through a crash course in the aroma, complexity and ageing of the Japanese rice wine.

 

A conversation with Oz Clarke

Monday 20 May, 2pm

Having recently published his latest book, Red & White, An Unquenchable Thirst for Wine, one of the show’s most anticipated talks is set to be: A conversation with Oz Clarke. Friend and colleague Charles Metcalfe will take on the role of interrogator as he elicits some of Oz’s best wine stories from his broadcasting career. After the talk, Clarke be on hand for a book singning. Another signing will take place on Tuesday 21 May in the gallery area.

 

The new WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines (Education Zone)

Tuesday 21 May, 2:30pm WSET is launching a completely revamped level 4 Diploma in wines this August. This information session, led by WSET programme manager Russell Dent, and reserved for candidates looking to hear about what’s new and how they can benefit, will provide a first look at the new Diploma course structure.

 

The Drinks Business Awards

Tuesday 21 May, 4pm

Now in its 17th year, The Drinks Business Awards are among the most authoritative, internationally respected badges of honour in the drinks industry. With gongs highlighting everything from superb packaging to outstanding marketing campaigns, this is a chance for companies to be recognised for their hard work in front of some of the most influential movers and shakers in the industry.

 

Introduction to WSET’s new Level 3 Award in Spirits (Education Zone)

Wednesday 22 May, 1pm

The Level 4 Diploma course isn’t the only thing changing this year. WSET has launched a Level 3 course for those wishing to advance their knowledge of spirits. Liam Scandrett, WSET’s spirits business development manager, will tell prospective students about rum appreciation. During the tasting, Scandrett will show visitors how distillery production choices affect the style, aroma, flavour and quality of rums in varying age categories.

 

Going it alone – launching your own bar or venue

Wednesday 22 May, 2pm

Xavier Rousset MS, co-owner of hospitality members club Trade, will join M restaurants’ Martin Williams, Richard Bigg of Camino and Big Chill fame, and Bancone restaurateur Jason Myers in a discussion aimed at the London Wine Fair’s budding entrepreneurial guests. The experts will give a run-down of their best advice and the pitfalls to avoid when you’re starting out with your own bar or venue.