Jackie Fast, Author at The Buyer

By Justin Keay on September 22, 2019

Justin Keay: Why ‘you really had to be there’ at the Wine GB tasting 2019

As he waits for his Irish passport application to be considered, and works on his Australian accent, a Brexit-battered Justin Keay crawled out from under his sofa to visit the Wine GB tasting last week. At first scoffing on how we can promote ourselves as ‘Unapologetically British’ Keay spent the day at the tasting and came round to the belief that this was a watershed tasting – that the breadth and depth of English and Welsh wine had never before been showing so strongly. Keay picks out six wineries that he thought stood out particularly well at the tasting and gives his reasons why, as well as giving special mention to the other wines that he felt were just starting to bring back some British pride to his deflated self.

Posted In: Black Chalk, Bolney, english wine, Greyfriars, Harrow&Hope, Hattingley, Justin Keay, Langham, Simpsons, slider, wine gb

People People: On-Trade

By Richard Siddle on September 22, 2019

Long Read

Core’s Richelle van Gemert comes out top in WOSA’s Sommelier Cup

Last time Richelle van Gemert travelled to South Africa it was with a group of fellow sommeliers in the search for good food, great wine and to discover for themselves what the fuss is all about South African wines. She has this weekend come out top in the latest Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup competition that has been taking place this week in Cape Wine. Having won the UK competition she was there to represent the country against other finalists from around the world. Here we look back on this interview we ran in the summer where she explains what she was most looking forward to returning to South Africa and taking part in the Sommelier Cup.

Posted In: slider, sommelier, sommelier competition, wine, wine event, wine tasting, wines of south africa

Tasting: Wine

By Peter Dean on September 21, 2019

How Tyrell’s teamed up with Yalumba to launch The Caley 2014 in style

The Caley is only into its third vintage but with the launch of The Caley 2014, Yalumba is proving that it justifies rubbing shoulders with Grange and the other new super-premium Aussie blends that have recently taken the stage. To launch the wine, Yalumba boss Robert Hill Smith drafted in pal Bruce Tyrell, booked a Royal Family hangout, shipped over a load of new and old beauties – including a Maurice O’Shea Hermitage 1942, amongst many others. Jancis Robinson MW, Steven Spurrier, Matthew Jukes and our man at the table Roger Jones were suitably wowed. Warning – this feature contains a fair degree of smugness.

Posted In: 4 Acres Shiraz 2006, australia, Bruce Tyrrell, Octavius, Robert Hill-Smith, roger jones, slider, The Caley, The Caley 2014, The Virgilius, Tyrell’s, Tyrrell's Vat 47, Yalumba

Insight

By Richard Siddle on September 20, 2019

How Wine Paris has become the ‘go to’ event for wine buyers

Considering the world of winemaking has a gravitational pull towards France it’s a wonder that Paris has not been seen as the ideal host for wine events and exhibitions. OK, it does not make wine itself, but it is one of the most important and influential markets and who does not like the opportunity to go to Paris? It was therefore no surprise that when Wine Paris was launched earlier this year it was an immediate success. The time has come to start to prepare for the second Wine Paris that takes place in February 2020 with an even bigger focus on organic and environmental wines. Here’s what to expect.

Posted In: VINISUD, wine, wine event, wine exhibition, wine paris

Conference Insight

By Richard Siddle on September 19, 2019

One Step Beyond: The Buyer helps launch new consumer & tech event

Arguably the biggest achilles heel of the drinks industry, and particularly the complex category of wine, is keeping on top of consumer trends, changes in behaviour and the power of the new technologies that are driving them. Today The Buyer is linking up with the Wine & Spirit Trade Association and Jump Start to launch a new conference that will focus on the disruptive and essential trends, innovations and technology that the drinks industry needs to be on top of for future sales, marketing, branding and communications. The 2020 – One Step Beyond conference will look to provide a platform for trends and technology experts outside the industry to share their insights with key decision makers across beers, wines and spirits. The event, which takes place in March 2020, will also give drinks businesses, retailers, and on-trade operators of all sizes practical steps and ideas they can introduce in their own businesses. Here’s what to expect.

Posted In: drinks conference, Jump Start, slider, spirits, the buyer, wine, WSTA

Tasting: Wine

By Kate Hawkings on September 19, 2019

Berkmann’s Bristol ‘Wine Lab’ was an experiment worth taking

The crusty old farts in red trousers are a dying breed, argues Kate Hawkings, who welcomes the smart, engaging wine merchants who have replaced them and are keen to interact in the wine marketplace with different formats, new style events and who are even, God forbid, willing to take a wine tasting down the M4 to Bristol. Such was the case with Berkmann’s ‘Wine Lab’ event which had innovative themes to mix up the styles of wine, keep everyone on their toes and look at well known labels with an entirely new perspective. There was a much sought-after Tignanello-vertical masterclass in which Hawkings learned that our PM is a big fan, although he wasn’t there – he seemed to have a little bit of business elsewhere.

Posted In: berkmann, bristol, kate hawkings, regional tastings

Insight

By Richard Siddle on September 18, 2019

How seriously should we be taking the rise of wines in a can?

The canned wine market has been jumping up and down on the fringes of the mainstream wine market for some time. Never really getting the attention it thinks it deserves. But now with a combination of consumers and the drinks industry alike looking again at what packaging formats they want, and a step change in the quality of wine being put in a can then it looks like this could become a new category that all channels of the wine market are going to have to take seriously.

Posted In: canned wine, wine, wine in cans, wine packaging, winemaking

Opinion

By David Kermode on September 18, 2019

David Kermode’s Top 10 from Austria’s 2019 1er Erste Lagen

The seventh 1er Cru, or Erste Lagen, tasting of Austria’s finest wines took place earlier this month, as part of an overall drive to get a proper appellation system working in the country. Journalists such as our very own David Kermode travel to Grafenegg Castle, in Austria’s Danube Valley, to sample the new vintage releases and award scores from a giant ‘silent’ tasting that helps classify the wines as 1er Cru. This year there were more wines from the newly-expanded Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (ÖTW) whose chairman Michael Moosbrugger gave Kermode some insight into how the association’s expansion is progressing as well as an on-the-ground assessment of the 2018 vintage – one that Kermode selects 10 of the best from.

Posted In: Austria, David Kermode, Erste Lagen, Österreichische Traditionsweingüter, ÖTW

Insight

By Richard Siddle on September 17, 2019

Bellavita Expo: doing what it can for Italian & Mediterranean wines

Anyone lucky enough to have chosen Italy for their summer holiday this year has probably come back home thwarted and frustrated that you can’t re-create the quality of the food and wine you can find in every nook and cranny of the country. Which is where Bellavita Expo comes. A trade show dedicated to showcasing the best importers in the UK of the finest Italian produce and wines that can make those holiday dreams come true back here in the UK. It’s a show that started life in London, but is now hosted in 10 countries around the world. Here’s what you can expect from this November’s show.

Posted In: bellavita, italian wine, Italy, sommeliers, wine, wine event

Tasting: Wine

By Peter Dean on September 17, 2019

How Wakefield entered the luxury game with The Legacy

Australia has traditionally had a dearth of premium and super-premium wines, Penfolds Grange being the exception to the rule. Now a whole clutch of estates are releasing top dollar cuvees destined for the luxury end of the market. Clare Valley winery Taylors – known as Wakefield in the UK – was always inspired by the 1966 vintage of Mouton-Rothschild when it established 50 years ago. Now, to celebrate that landmark anniversary the winery is launching Wakefield The Legacy, a $1000 wine, launched in London last night by Wakefield’s Neil Hadley MW. Peter Dean got a ringside seat.

Posted In: australia, Neil Hadley MW, Peter Dean, premium wine, Taylor’s, The Legacy, Wakefield

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