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    Conference
    By on October 19, 2021
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    Bloody Big Drinks Summit offers five days of online business insights

    The Bloody Big Drinks Summit is a new online business forum, that runs between October 25 to October 29, created by Australia’s leading publishing company, Food & Beverage Media that is designed to give drinks industry professionals all over the world the chance to hear from top industry experts on how to help grow your business. It includes over 50 talks, presentations and industry debates covering beers, wines, spirits, retailing, production, marketing and digital innovation. Delegates can either watch the sessions live, or watch them on catch up in their own time. Here’s what you can expect from this breakthrough event. 

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    Tasting Tasting: Wine
    By on October 19, 2021
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    The name is Dorff… Mentzen Dorff: Justin Keay at the portfolio showcase

    The relationship between James Bond and Champagne Bollinger is a long-standing one that goes back to the original books by Ian Fleming. Although 007 drinks mainly spirits in new movie No Time To Die, Bollinger has appeared in 15 of the Bond films, a fact that Justin Keay could clearly not get out of his head when he attended the Mentzendorff autumn portfolio tasting. Apart from an overview of the sparkling and the fortified at the event, Keay recommends seven still wines that he thinks will cut the mustard in the on-trade this autumn. Spoiler alert: this feature includes MANY Bond references.

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    People
    By on October 18, 2021
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    How Vintner hopes to make buying wine online as easy as possible

    On the face of it there is not a massive difference between the new Vintner and old The Vintner business. Other than losing a ‘the’ along the way. But scratch below the surface and it is actually an entirely different company that has been transformed from a traditional on and off-trade wine supplier, to a full blown business to consumer e-commerce operator. Richard Siddle sits down with Julia Beran and Hamish Kirwan, who have made the move possible, about their plans to make wine easy for consumers to buy online.

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    Tasting Tasting: Wine
    By on October 18, 2021
    Dirty Dozen tasting

    Dirty Dozen the sequel: one of the must-attend tastings returns

    The Dirty Dozen are twelve small, specialist importers who see themselves as complementary to one another and not competition in what they offer the trade. It has been two years since we last saw Astrum, Carte Blanche, Clark Foyster, FortyFive10, H2Vin, Howard Ripley, Maltby & Greek, Swig, Wine Treasury, Ucopia and Yapp all together under one roof but here they were, back for another tasting of epic proportions. David Kermode, aka Mr Vinosaurus, was our man with the tasting glass.

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    Tasting: Spirit
    By on October 16, 2021
    St-Rémy

    Tasting new St-Rémy finished in Sauternes and dark rum casks

    Brandy finished in casks that have contained Sauternes and also dark Barbados rum, are the two latest additions to St-Rémy’s Cask Finish Collection which is an attempt to court the younger spirits drinker, but also to allow master blender Cécile Roudaut the opportunity to be creative and just a little daring, writes Victor Smart. So how do they taste and what do you pair them with?

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    People
    By on October 15, 2021
    Spicy aubergine is a great partner for Pinot Gris

    Raul Diaz’s Food & Wine Recipes: Pinot Gris and spiced aubergines

    If your mind is turning to Friday night and the weekend ahead well here’s some food and wine inspiration for you from Raul Diaz and his monthly wine and food recipe on The Buyer. This month he is turning his attention to Pinot Gris, this increasingly popular planted grape variety that Diaz believes is ideal for food pairing thanks to its “amazing honeyed personality with lush fruits and spicy accents”. HIs perfect choice to pair with Pinot Gris is a plate of spiced aubergine. Here’s how to pull it together.

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    Awards
    By on October 14, 2021
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    Entry countdown for standalone People’s Choice Spirits Awards

    The clock is ticking down for entries into what will be the first standalone People’s Choice Spirits Awards that is being run as an event its own right for the 2022 awards. Here Janet Harrison, founder of the People’s Choice Drinks Awards, explains the latest developments with both the spirits and wine competitions and the introduction of a new Independent Bar awards in partnership with Master of Malt.

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    Tasting: Wine
    By on October 14, 2021
    Spanish Garnacha Long Read

    Spanish Wine Academy taps into buzz around Spanish Garnacha

    For a variety of reasons Grenache has had a reputation of being a grape that’s only good as a blending partner – on its own it has traditionally been seen as a grape that makes high alcohol, structureless, fruit-forward wines, prone to oxidation. But how times have changed. Single-varietal Grenache could not be more on-trend as winemakers across the world use modern, more sympathetic winemaking styles that best suit the grape. A masterclass from the Spanish Wine Academy earlier this year, that focused on Spanish Garnacha, predicted even greater popularity for this category and to prove the point sampled seven very different styles of how winemakers in Spain are approaching the grape. Peter Dean reports.

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    People People: Producer
    By on October 13, 2021
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    Andrew Murray-Watson on what makes Brixton Gin different

    “Brixton is a million things to a million people. That’s what makes it special.” So says Andrew Murray-Watson and Calandra Smith, the partners and team behind Brixton’s very own gin brand. Appropriately named Brixton Gin. It is also a brave call to be the ones to try and encapsulate all that Brixton stands for in your own gin brand. But Murray-Watson is as well placed as anyone to give it a go having lived in Brixton since 2004 and started his own deli and drinks shop, Guzzl, in 2017. Here he talks to Richard Siddle about what why he thinks Brixton Gin truly captures the spirit of this unique part of London.

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    Tasting: Wine
    By on October 13, 2021
    Hatch Mansfield

    David Kermode sent to the Tower for Hatch Mansfield tasting

    Hatch Mansfield chairman Patrick McGrath MW describes the present challenges facing the drinks industry as a ‘shit show’. With stock stuck in ports all around the world, the climate affecting yields and more, it was impressive that the importer’s autumn showcase was a well-tempered affair full of blisteringly good wines. Held at the Tower of London, David Kermode, aka Mr Vinosaurus also managed to keep his cool at the tasting and picks a Top 10 of wines that really turned his head.

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    Tasting: Wine
    By on October 12, 2021
    Cloudy Bay 2021

    How Cloudy Bay 2021 stacks up in its new era of winemaking

    Another year another new vintage – Cloudy Bay 2021 was launched in the UK yesterday, sadly by Zoom again, with technical director Jim White stepping in for winemaker Daniel Sorrell who has handled the previous run of releases. With newly-appointed senior winemaker Nikolai St George joining last September from 2021’s New Zealand winery of the year, Giesen Wines, there are clearly changes underway. How much of that is down to the new hierarchy is too soon to tell but White does reveal that Te Koko is undergoing an overhaul and the style of Cloudy Bay 2021 is different to the 2020. There is also the considerable issues of a 30% drop in yield and getting the wine onto a ship – anytime, anywhere would be nice. Peter Dean reports.

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    Insight
    By on October 11, 2021
    Robin Chin will be sharing his experience of building up drinks brands

    Aquilini’s Robert Chin on creating successful brands

    Ahead of this week’s One Step Beyond webinar on October 13 Richard Siddle talks to Robert Chin, chief executive of leading US and Canadian drinks company, Aquilini Beverage Group, about how, in just over two years, he has transformed it from being largely a bulk supplier of alcoholic drinks to a leading drinks brands producer in its own right with a number of fast growing lines across North America. Here he looks at what he thinks it takes to be a successful drinks brand.

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    Insight
    By on October 11, 2021
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    One Step Beyond Oct 13: What to expect from consumer webinar

    There is so much talk about the so-called changes that consumers have been through during the pandemic, but what are they in reality and how relevant are they for the drinks, retail and hospitality sectors? That is what the third in our series of One Step Beyond webinars, organised in partnership with Sophie Jump, will look to tackle with experts from the fields of consumers behaviour, innovation, technology as well as leading figures in the drinks industry. Here’s what to expect and how to sign up to the free webinar being held on October 13.

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    People People: Supplier
    By on October 11, 2021
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    C&B’s Maria Proshuta on how to sell wine to the on-trade

    You can have the highest scoring, most awarded wine list in the country, but if you don’t have the sales team with the skills to build relationships and understand which wines are best suited to which restaurants and bars then it’s going to gather dust in your warehouse. Here we talk to Maria Proshuta, part of the London on-trade sales team for Corney & Barrow, about the skills she thinks you need to sell wine to the on-trade.

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    Awards
    By on October 11, 2021
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    Last chance for London Drinks Competitions’ special pricing

    The clock is ticking for beers, wines and spirits producers to enter the 2022 London Drinks Competitions and take advantage of special pricing that ends on October 15. There will still be time to enter the competitions up to the end of February but at the full entry fee for each of the three awards. The London Wine, Beer, and Spirits competitions pride themselves on judging every product entered for its quality, price, value for money and what they look like with their packaging and design. Here’s how you can enter the 2022 awards.

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    Tasting: Wine
    By on October 9, 2021
    Cocchi Barolo Chinato tipo Esportazione

    Blast from the past: Cocchi’s 130th anniversary Barolo Chinato

    Found in Cocchi’s archives, the recipe for Cocchi Barolo Chinato tipo Esportazione was brought back to life in a limited edition to celebrate the great Italian company’s 130th anniversary. Such a special Barolo Chinato deserved a special send-off which it got at Hide in London’s Mayfair – mixologist Oskar Kinberg had devised a series of bespoke cocktails to celebrate Cocchi’s vermouths and Americano while chef Ollie Dabbous was at the controls in the kitchen – devising the menu and in particular a warm ‘acorn’ cake with smoked caramel and liqueur to pair with the Chinato. Victor Smart reports.

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    People
    By on October 8, 2021
    Otilia Romero de Condés head of World Bulk Wine Exhibition

    Otilia Romero de Condés on pivotal WBWE 2021

    There are no tyre kickers and time wasters at the World Bulk Wine Exhibition. This is not a trade show where you can merrily wander around and expect a producer to give you a taste of their full range. No, the WBWE is all about doing business. Samples are offered for buyers to taste that might result in orders of hundreds of thousands of litres of wine. As the show’s chief executive, Otilia Romero de Condés, says the WBWE has three main objectives for its delegates: business, networking and results. Here she explains what we can expect from this November’s show.

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    Tasting: Wine
    By on October 8, 2021
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    Many wine discoveries at Famille Helfrich’s Manchester tasting

    In just over 40 years Joseph Helfrich has turned Les Grands Chais de France from a 5,000 franc loan into one of the world’s most important wine producing groups – currently worth €1.14bn and accounting for over a fifth of all France’s wine exports. Famille Helfrich is the group’s exclusive on-trade and independent retail arm that is showing over 200 of its wines at two UK tastings. The London event is next Tuesday while the Manchester one just happened with Mike Turner suitably impressed with what was on offer – especially a wine from Gascogne that is £3.68 DPD.

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    People
    By on October 7, 2021
    Strategic thinker and sceptic. The two go hand in hand for Nick Morgan

    Nick Morgan: Everything You Need to Know About Whisky

    If you had a spare few hundred pounds and wanted to invest in some bottles of whisky then Nick Morgan is the man to call. With over 30 years experience of working in the whisky industry – the last 20 plus years at Diageo – he has now branched out on his own to offer his whisky, brand and strategic insights in a new consultancy role. He has also looked to capture his whisky know-how in a new book – simply called Everything You Need to Know About Whisky. Here he explains how it came together.

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