Harpers Events Guide 2019
A census in a rabbit warren, needle in a haystack – numerous similes come to mind when attempting to get to grips with 2019’s plethora of events. Concern over the looming prospect of Brexit hasn’t dampened the trade’s voracious appetite for putting on a grand show, and next year promises to be no exception.
But what’s new, you may ask? For a start, there’s a greater emphasis on moving the (sole) focus away from wine – the best wine lists in the UK now sparkle with renewed creativity, with less slavish favouritism shown to cliches such as Pinot Grigio and the like. Indeed, it was sommelier Christopher Cooper who noted: “The standard wine list is dead – boring lists and wine bibles are crap and don’t fly. Sommeliers need to be much more creative than they are at the moment and start delivering complete drinks lists.”
The response has been a phenomenal growth in the events that focus on gin, beer and sake, the last category continuing to steal a march in the London on-trade. However, on February 12, the Wines of Koshu trade tasting will emphasise Japan’s burgeoning grape wine industry.
“At this tasting, KOJ is aiming to highlight the amazing development of Koshu over the past years,” explains organiser Lynne Sherriff MW. “The winemakers have been working tirelessly, making improvements to vine cultivation (selecting sites, experimenting with different altitudes), yield control and both massal and clone selection with the challenges of the climate in mind.”
Harpers’ own Think Gin event on April 2 promises to be no less exciting, now being a regular fixture in the trade calendar for exploring this booming category.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZWG) marketing manager Chris Stroud promises that the 2019 trade tasting will be their best yet. There can be few retailers and buyers across the UK who don’t profit handsomely from the insatiable appetite for all things Kiwi, ensuring that their annual trade tasting is an essential part of the trade’s calendar.
“The coming year marks the 200-year anniversary of the first vines planted in New Zealand, so we will create a feature to showcase wines from Northland – the region where the vines were first planted – to celebrate how far the industry has come in a short space of time,” says Stroud. “For buyers, we will create an unsigned talent table where they can taste all the wines seeking distribution in one place.”
Stroud also underlines the point that New Zealand is the only country showing significant growth in both volume and value, according to Nielsen. Among the highlights are two self-pour tables – one on Chardonnay to showcase its versatility and regionality, while the other is called The Sommelier Sauvignon Selection – where sommeliers on the NZWG Sommelier Scholarship have selected their favourite expressions of Sauvignon Blanc.
But even if fate intervenes and the show is missed, New Zealand is bound to have a robust presence at London Wine Fair 2019. The Fair has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, with a welcome emphasis on Esoterica, the “show within a show”, which features the portfolios of niche importers.
“This will be enhanced with Esoterica+, a new area which has been designed for importers that have outgrown Esoterica, but remain niche players,” says Hannah Tovey, head of London Wine Fair. “Exhibitors who qualify will have access to purpose-built, fully equipped stands, adjacent to the table top layout.”
If first impressions really are everything, the 2019 events calendar is a buyer’s dream.
Burgundy en primeur tastings:
7 January
Lea & Sandeman Burgundy En Primeur Tasting
67 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES
Contact Lucy Marcuson at
lucy@leaandsandeman.co.uk
Lay & Wheeler 2017 Burgundy Range Tasting
Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close, London SE1 9DD
Contact Jack Merrylees at
jack.merrylees@majestic.co.uk
8 January
Charles Taylor Wines 2017 Burgundy Tasting
London (TBC)
Contact Sophie Scott-Clarke at sophie@charlestaylorwines.com
Flint Wines Burgundy En Primeur Tasting
One Whitehall Place, London SE11
Contact Mélanie Brandy at
melanie@flintwines.com
Fields, Morris & Verdin: Burgundy En Primeur Tasting
The Great Hall, One Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA
Contact Sophie McLean at fmvmarketing@fmv.co.uk
9 January
Liberty Wines Burgundy Portfolio Tasting
Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED
Contact Roxane Marty at
roxane.marty@libertywines.co.uk
Armit Wines Burgundy En Primeur Tasting
Ironmongers’ Hall, Shaftesbury Place, London EC2 8AA
Contact events@armitwines.co.uk
Jeroboams Burgundy En Primeur Tasting
The Caledonian Club, London
SW1X 7DR
Contact Astrid Lewis at
astrid@spritzmarketing.co.uk
10 January
Corney & Barrow Burgundy Tasting 2017 vintage
One Belgravia, 9 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia, London SW1X 7SH
Contact events@corneyandbarrow.com
H2Vin Burgundy 2017 En Primeur Tasting
London (TBC)
Contact Antoine Salley at
info@h2vin.co.uk
Bancroft Burgundy En Primeur Tasting
67 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES
Contact Nerea Sanz at
nsanz@bancroftwines.com
Generic trade tastings/distributor portfolio tastings:
15 January
Liberty Wines Annual Portfolio Tasting
Kia Oval, London SE11 5SS
Contact Roxane Marty at
roxane.marty@libertywines.co.uk
16 January
New Zealand Annual Trade Tasting London
Etc Venues County Hall,
Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PB
Contact Sarah Shepherd at
sarahs@nzwine.com
22 January
Australia Day Trade Tasting 2019
Victoria House, London, WC1A 2PJ
Contact Kirsty Savory at
uk@wineaustralia.com
29 January
Hallgarten & Novum Wines Annual Tasting
One Marylebone, London NW1 4AQ
Contact Chris Porter at
tasting@hnwines.co.uk
Australia Day Trade Tasting Edinburgh 2019
Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ
Contact Kirsty Savory at
uk@wineaustralia.com
MMD Portfolio Tasting
8 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BY
Contact Kate Lofthouse at
kate.lofthouse@mmdltd.co.uk
Harpers Think Rum
Smith & Wollensky, Adelphi Building, 1-11 John Adams Street, London WC2N 6HT
Contact Stuart Sadler at
stuart.sadler@agilemedia.co.uk
31 January
Louis Latour Agencies Annual Tasting
OXO2, London SE1 9PH
Contact Rebecca Fraser at
enquiries@louislatour.co.uk
Generic trade tastings/distributor portfolio tastings:
5 February
Enotria & Coe Annual Portfolio Tasting
TBC
Contact EJ Bailey at
ej.bailey@enotriacoe.com
Ellis Wines Portfolio Tasting 2019 (repeated on 6 February)
The Vintners’ Hall, London EC4V 3BG
Contact Lou Wishart at
lwishart@ellis-wines.co.uk
6 February
Davy’s Wine Merchants Annual Portfolio Tasting 2019
Royal Overseas League, Park Place, London SW1A 1LR
Contact Lucy Hunter at
rsvp@davy.co.uk
11 February
Gonzalez Byass Portfolio Tasting
OXO2, London SE1 9PH
Contact Emma Jones at
events@gbuk.es
12 February
Berkmann Portfolio Tasting (repeated on 13 February)
The Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD
Contact Serena Gasparini at
events@berkmann.co.uk
Bancroft Wines Portfolio Tasting
The Dutch Centre, 7 Austin Friars, London, EC2N 2HA
Contact Nerea Sanz at
nsanz@bancroftwines.com
Wines of Koshu trade tasting
67 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES
Contact Caroline Tanner at
caroline.tanner@thisisphipps.com
19 February
Fells Annual Portfolio Tasting
IET Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL
Contact Mark Symonds at
ms@fells.co.uk
Alliance Wine Spring Portfolio Tasting
China Exchange,
London W1D 6JA
Contact James Mackenzie at james.mackenzie@alliancewine.com
20 February
Wines of Portugal Annual Tasting
The Lindley Hall, Elverton Street, London SW1P 2QW
Contact anna@cubecom.co.uk
25 February
SITT Spring (The Specialist Importers Trade Tasting)
The Principal Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
27 February
Flint Wines Portfolio Tasting
TBC
Contact Mélanie Brandy at
melanie@flintwines.com
SITT Spring (The Specialist Importers Trade Tasting)
London TBC
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
International Trade Events:
10-12 February
Wine Paris
Porte de Versailles, Paris, France
Contact Anne Burchett at
annecburchett@blueyonder.co.uk
5-7 March
Climate Change Leadership - Solutions for the Wine Industry
Porto, Portugal
Contact: info@climatechange.pt
Generic trade tastings/distributor portfolio tastings:
6 March
Roberson portfolio tastings
Foyle’s 6th Floor, London WC2H 0DT
Contact Marion Adam at
marion.adam@robersonwine.com
7 March
Wines From SPain Annual Tasting 2019
SKy Garden, London
Contact Celine Bouteiller at
celine@bouteiller.co.uk
14 March
Mentzendorff Tasting 2019
1 Great George St, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA
Contact Rebecca Herbert at
rebecca@mentzendorff.co.uk
16 March
Think France
Central London
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
International Trade Events:
17-19 March
Prowein 2019
The Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre, D-40474 Düsseldorf, Germany
Contact Christiane Schorn at SchornC@messe-duesseldorf.de
Generic trade tastings/ distributor portfolio tastings:
2 April
Annual Champagne & Sparkling Wine Trade & Press Tasting
One Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA
Contact Eve Walkey at
eve@glassofbubbly.com
Think Gin
Central London (TBC)
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
16 April
The Big Fortified Tasting
Church House, London
SW1P 3NZ
Contact Alex Bridgeman at
alex@thebft.co.uk
25 April
M&S Spring Press Tasting
Waterside House,
35 North Wharf Road,
London W2 1NW
Contact m&s@thisisphipps.com
International Trade Events:
7-10 April
Vinitaly
Veronafiere, 8 Viale del Lavoro, Verona, Italy
Contact Giardini Marta at
giardini@veronafiere.it
Generic trade tastings/distributor portfolio tastings:
2 May
Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés
London (TBC)
Contact Sue Glasgow at
sue@spearcommunications.co.uk
15-16 May
Waitrose spring wine tasting
TBC
Contact Bethan Davies at
bethan.davies@waitrose.co.uk
20-22 May
London Wine Fair
Olympia, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX
Contact Paul Young at
p.young@londonwinefair.com
International Trade Events:
13-16 May
Vinexpo
Parc des Expositions, Bordeaux
Contact info@vinexpo.com
Conferences/Trade tastings:
9 September
SITT Autumn (The Specialist Importers Trade Tasting)
London TBC
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
11 September
SITT Autumn (The Specialist Importers Trade Tasting)
Manchester TBC
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
18 September
WSTA Annual Conference 2018
The Royal Institution of Great Britain, London W1S 4BS
Contact Jessica Norman at
jessica@wsta.co.uk
24 September
Think Whisky
Central London (TBC)
Contact Lee Sharkey at
lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk
Generic trade tastings/distributor portfolio tastings:
9-10 October
Waitrose autumn press tasting
TBC
Contact Bethan Davies at
bethan.davies@waitrose.co.uk
15 October
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux
TBC
Contact Sue Glasgow at
sue@spearcommunications.co.uk
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