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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The London Wine Competition looks to assess and reward wines based on how consumers judge them. What they look like, how much they cost and what they taste like. Now into its third year of competition the event has proven to be a new platform for producers all over the world to show their wines not just to the trade, but to use any medals and awards won to then promote their wines direct to their customers and consumers. If you want to take part in this year’s competition you can register before September 30 and save £30 on the entrance fee. Here’s how…