Darren Willis: ‘Looking Back, Forging Ahead’

By Harpers Editorial team

Published: 04 September, 2026

The owner of Bristol-based indie merchant Grape & Grind talks about the excitement of discovering new wines (especially in central and eastern Europe), upgrading his online business and the familiar pressures of geopolitics.

How has business been for you in the first half of 2026 and how do things compare to where you were last year?

We’re pretty much exactly where we were last year at this point. We started well then faltered in March when Trump started his nonsense with Iran. Since then April was good and May was down a bit and June was level with last year.

What are you most proud of achieving this year in terms of driving the business forward?

We’ve changed our ePos this year and it’s a big upgrade in all areas. We really need to drive more business online and this should really help that.

What have been the biggest challenges so far this year and how have you sought to circumvent those?

I think the main one is that many people are feeling the effects of everything being very expensive. Wine etc isn’t immune to that so we’ve continued to look for good quality interesting wines at fair prices. It’s more challenging than ever to find those.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, what do you have in the pipeline?

Big focus for us on the website, and alongside that some help with social media. I’m not really that engaged with it but obviously the business needs to be.

What significant or emerging trends are you seeing in the drinks’ world that are likely to have an impact on the future nature of trade?

We’re really enjoying discovering and sharing with our customer wines from Greece, Macedonia, the Balkans, Hungary, etc. Quality is high and the prices fair for the quality levels – new regions and varieties to discuss and taste, it’s all pretty exciting. Also light chillable reds are almost all year round now, which is great, and there is a lot more choice and there are more open minds to non-Provence rose.

From government, consumers, or the trade itself, what change(s) would you most like to see to help your business and others to thrive?

Goverment needs to sort out the duty fiasco and reduce duty overall – they won’t do this. Consumers just need to continue to be curious and interested in what we do, and the trade needs to continue to provide us with great wines.

What fills you with joy and optimism about the drinks world?

I enjoy most drinks but nothing comes close to wine. I’ve been in the industry for 26 years and just today I tasted a new variety called Grk from Korcula in Croatia. It was sensational and excited me as much as tasting ‘classic’ wines in my early years.

Quick fire questions…

Burgundy or Bordeaux?

Burgundy

Germany or Greece?

Greece

Pet nat or prosecco?

Can I say neither?

A bottle or by the glass?

Bottle

Whisky, rum, gin or tequila/mezcal (for sipping)?

Whisky

Go to cocktail?