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Spotlight falls on London’s first bulk wine show

Spotlight falls on London’s first bulk wine show

With the smallest global wine harvest since the early 1960s there is going to be even more pressure on buyers, importers, distributors and retailers to be able to source wines in 2018. Which is arguably good timing for the first exhibition and conference dedicated to bulk wine to be held in the UK. Registration is now open for the inaugural European version of the International Bulk Wine & Sprits Show that will be opening its doors in London between February 26-27. Here’s what to expect.

Richard Siddle
5th January 2018by Richard Siddle
posted in Insight,

Whether you are well versed in the machinations of the bulk wine and spirits industry or not February’s International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show gives the UK drinks industry the opportunity to assess, analyse and learn more about this increasingly important part of the market for the first time.

Conviviality, Broadland Wineries, Lanchester Wines, Kingsland Drinks, Copestick Murray, Off Piste Wines and Morrisons are just some of the major businesses that will be sharing their insights and thoughts on the growing bulk wine and spirits sector at the dedicated IBWSS show taking place in the UK for the first time between February 26-7.

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The IBWSS San Francisco event was the first of its kind for the US bulk wine sector

London’s Royal Horticultural Halls is normally where buyers and producers meet to taste and talk about bottled wine, but for these two days in February the discussions will be very much more about hectolitres and flexitanks than parcels and cases of wine. For some the bulk wine market has always been a fundamental part of how they do business. Wine producers themselves will often ship large volumes of wine between themselves to make up for gaps in their production or to take advantage of large orders that a producer can’t supply on their own.

But it is to the end consumer that bulk wine has really made a difference in recent years where the pressure is even more on hitting ultra competitive price points. The demand for varietal-driven wines, that can be sourced from anywhere in the world, also means bulk wine has become so much more relevant where wine supplies can be switched from country to country depending on currency exchange rates and size of harvests than sourcing a particular style of wine from a set region.

Relevant and timely

With global supplies of wine are record low it makes next month’s exhibition and conference potentially even more relevant and important than even six months. ago. The event is being hosted by US drinks networking, events and marketing consultancy business, the Beverage Trade Network in what will be its first show in Europe, following a successful launch IBWSS in San Francisco last autumn.

Its London show will include both a full conference programme and an exhibition featuring wineries, breweries and distilleries from around the world looking to offer private label solutions, bulk wine and spirits, and contract bottling services. The theme of the event is “Your Gateway to Bulk and Private Label”.

Registration is now open to visitors with a particular focus on buyers and representatives from all channels of the drinks, retail and hospitality industries. Particularly those looking to source bulk wine and spirits and meet private label suppliers.

Strong line up

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Lanchester Wines’ Mark Roberts will be one of the leading trade figures sharing his insights into bulk wine

Speakers lined up to take part in the two-day conference include Clive Donaldson, wine sourcing manager at Morrisons, who will give his personal insights in to what bulk wine increasingly means for supermarket buyers. Joining him will be Paul Schaafsma, the ex-Acccolade Wines chief who is now heading up bottling and branded wine business, Broadland Wineries. Other key figures include Neil Anderson at Kingsland Drinks, Clem Yates MW at Off Piste Wines, Robin Copestick of Copestick Murray, Mark Roberts at Lanchester Wines and Denys Hornabrook from the online bulk wine trading site, VINEX.

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Beverage Trade Network’s Sid Patel and organiser of the IBWSS

Sid Patel, chief executive of the Beverage Trade Network, said the reason why he wanted to host the event in London is that despite competition from around the world, the global industry is still dictated to by what trends are happening in the UK. “No show offers buyers a greater opportunity to meet producers and suppliers who offer private label solutions and bulk wine and spirits products,” he stressed.

The UK is also, he added, a central hub for the international bulk wine and spirits industry and has some of the world’s most cutting edge bottling facilities. there.

To find out more about the event and the full conference programme then go to them main IBWSS website: www.ibwsshowuk.com.

When and where:

  • 26 & 27 February, 2018, The Royal Horticultural Halls, London, UK
  • Register here.

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