You are gearing up for your annual portfolio tasting next week and you have something very different in mind - what can people expect?
This year marks an exciting milestone. We are focused of making the national trade and press tasting more accessible, insightful, and bigger than before. As the sector has grown so has this tasting, resulting in us outgrowing Battersea Arts Centre in just two years.
8 Northumberland Avenue in central London is the new venue for WineGB's annual trade and press tasting
We are now thrilled to be hosting the event across two beautiful floors at the elegant 8 Northumberland Avenue, just moments from Trafalgar Square. It’s a fitting setting for what promises to be our most dynamic and diverse tasting yet. We have also moved to Monday making it easier for the on-trade to visit.
Does that also give you the opportunity to open up the tasting to more members and producers?
We have 80 producers exhibiting, key WineGB supporters, and already 20% more guests registered than ever before.
What other aspects can people look forward at the tasting?
In addition to our a central themed focus tables, this year we have introduced focused seminars and a Riedel masterclass. We have thought carefully about how to give our visitors the best insight possible and exhibitor tables will be mapped and grouped geographically, encouraging a natural experiential journey through our home nation wine regions and all that they offer.
Jackson Family Wines' Charlile Holland will be sharing his thoughts on terroir in a special masterclass at the WineGB tasting
The new seminars will support the themed tasting tables with Charlie Holland of Jackson Family Wines addressing Taste the Terroir and Melania Battison will examine the Rise of the Reds.
There will also be a dedicated masterclass from Riedel who has partnered with Hundred Hills to showcase the perfect glass for our native sparkling wines.
We will also announce the results of our search to find 10 new English Wine Ambassadors from the on- and off-trade, the winner of the WineGB photography competition and the recipient of the Vintners’ UK Wine Apprentice Scheme.
Where do you think Wine GB and the industry is going into your tasting this year in terms of performance and opportunity?
As an industry body we are transforming, and so is the sector. Despite all of the economic and political challenges we remain resilient and growing. So many UK consumers have yet to hear the story of our wines, let alone having tasted them, so there is still a big market to grow and a high-quality product to share. Compared to many mature alcohol categories and the wider hospitality sector who are having greater struggles, we have much to be optimistic about.
What do the annual sales and performance look like?
UK domestic wine sales are bucking the broader trends for alcohol. We have grown our sales overall by 3% and 10% for stills.
Why are you particularly pleased with those specific results?
Given the challenges of 2024 our growth is something to bring reassurance. It came against a backdrop of low business and consumer confidence, a fall hospitality numbers and terrible weather that meant that depressed the numbers of people who would have visited a vineyard.
All of these factors are particularly significant for prestige products in which consumers will celebrate and treat themselves. While there are still economic difficulties, we can capitalise as conditions improve with WineGB’s profiling of the sector and the increasing investment into businesses that we continue to see.
Where do you see the upcoming and current challenges? What are you doing to over come them?
Nicola Bates has worked hard to set out a clear strategy for the English and Welsh wine industry and what support it needs from the government in her time as chief executive of WineGB
It is the mission of WineGB to address these three main challenges:
* How does the sector make wine. We are on the borders of production as a cool climate wine region, and our weather is variable. It shows in our yields which remain third to half of our European counterparts. The costs as a new sector are larger as setup and distribution are occurring now. Ensuring that our members have access to information about sustainable production and support to find people who want to join and then stay in a rural sector is essential. As well as our peer sharing through our Forum and face to face with our regions, we have invested in the team to ensure that we answer our members questions, and provide them guidance, support and toolkits to help. We also have expert supporters who are committed to sharing their expertise with our membership to give them an advantage.
* How does the sector market wine. We are growing our sales, and while there is always a lag with the nature of our wines, we need to ensure that sales track production. Being able to promote the category and get cut through is key as the association promoting wines and to support the brands own marketing. For instance, this year’s English Wine Week may have led to the largest footfall to vineyards seen, and this was supported by our biggest socials and media presence yet.
* How can we ensure the reputation of English and Welsh wine to protect and promote our members interests. Industries are won and lost on reputations. We tell the story to Government and the media. Through our reports, campaigns and engagement we are ensuring that they see our value. The challenge we currently face is turning good will into tangible deliverables.
In the time you have been chief executive what has surprised and pleased you the most about the sector and its potential?
The bang for the buck that the sector creates is remarkable. As an insurgent sector people are more aware and excited by us than many other larger industries.
Broadly are three types of people who set up in English and Welsh wine; farmers who are diversifying, sector professionals and second careerists who have specialist professional skills that are highly sought after.
What brings them into our sector is a passionate for the product and a belief in the opportunity. It shines through. With this broad base of diverse expertise as a collective we gain substantially. The energy and expectations are rightly high, and through our sharing networks we are well placed to help channel this energy.
You are looking for increased government support - what could it do most to help the sector?
WineGB's tasting next week will have over 80 producers taking part
We simply want to be able to compete on level playing field. It’s especially essential as a new sector competing against established, in some cases centuries old, competitors from old markets.
We face a swathe of particularly punishing political choices that hit producers’ bottom line. Before a bottle is sold, we are impacted by the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, the roll out of Extended Producer Responsibility fees, and increases in alcohol duty.
Our rate of duty is the third highest in the world and the largest for a sector with a domestic market. Coupled with this has been changes to Agricultural Inheritance Relief and Business Property Relief. This is exacerbated by cut-backs in government.
Three immediate actions that would help:
Growing English wine tourism is a key part of WineGB's strategy
- Introduce a Wine Tourism Relief – support multi-skilled jobs in the countryside.
- Improve grants for equipment, education, R&D and marketing – most of the support grants that were available have disappeared which is a disadvantage for us against European counterparts and New World American, Australian, South African and other wines.
- Protect our terms and aid consumer choices – only classify British Wine as wine coming from British grapes. Don’t create barriers that prevent our wines getting onto the shelf.
What do you see as your biggest professional target and goal for the year?
During 2024 we spent the year listening to members to understand their priorities for WineGB. My priorities are theirs. WineGB is here to help the sector make and market our wines.
We have committed to setting us up for success by the end of the year to address the challenges that the sector faces. We are a good way along delivering for them this year.
On the sales and marketing side our national trade and press tasting is a pivotal part of the programme, which benefits from our new branding, our category wide campaign ‘Create New Traditions – Drink English and Welsh Wine’ and deeper thought into the stories we are telling.
Our new website helps consumers, the trade and the industry to understand our sector better and for the membership to see more of our work through our new Knowledge Hub.
* WineGB tasting takes place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BY on September 8 between 11am and 5.30pm. Click here to register.
