People have come to expect exciting things from the Wines Unearthed section of the London Wine Fair, but they don't quite realize what goes on behind the scenes to make it happen. The sheer amount of help and support offered for each individual product is impressive and feels “personal.” There is a kind of joy in this.
This is the eighth year that award-winning couple, Judy Kendrick and Ana Sofía de Oliveira, have curated this section of the exhibition, and it is arguably one of the main reasons to visit the exhibition. This year, it hosts more than 40 exhibitors from 13 different countries, carefully coordinated by the founders and organizers.
Discover Wine: Bringing together producers and importers
The preparation takes place before the event itself and begins with WU's comprehensive 120+ page roadmap, detailing everything from how the UK market generally works, including what we drink in the UK and where to buy, through to very practical help with calculating prices Including customs duties and taxes. Nothing is left to chance or assumption, especially since English is usually not the first language of the producers who come.
“The roadmap is sent out before the fair so producers can arrange meetings with buyers and interested parties,” says Judy Kendrick, formerly a wine importer and creator of SITT tastings and Esoterica. “Although WU is an iconic part of the London Wine Show, exhibitors cannot fully rely on buyers attending to taste their wines on event days.”
It is this practicality and personal compromise that sets this concept apart from other forms of beverage marketing and support and is very rare in the beverage trade.
Custom conference
In fact, much of the activity at the London Wine Show happens before the event, with even an invaluable daily conference held the day before the show starts, designed to give exhibiting producers an insight into how the UK wine industry works. Followed by a winemakers networking dinner, held this year at The Brackenbury Wine Rooms.
The aim of this pre-exhibition session is for exhibitors to meet each other and for the roadmap to be brought to life – not line by line, but via a range of helpful speakers offering their valuable time and expertise to help those trying to find distribution in the UK.
Ana Sofía de Oliveira and Judy Kendrick look forward to taking the Wines Unearthed concept to more trade fairs and events around the world
Kendrick opened the 2024 conference by giving keynotes on the changes to UK legislation since last year, in particular highlighting variable duty rates and, as a result, how producers should think about low alcohol wines in order to take advantage of lower duty rates below 11.5. . %abv.
Via video link, Alistair Morrell, founder of Cider is Wine, provided an informative session on how to sell to the UK wine market. It was, in essence, about developing a targeted approach to potential UK buyers and importers. While producers are always reminded to develop their unique selling propositions, Morrell said it is even more important now, due to intense competition and rising costs.
Producers were asked to question why they wanted to enter the UK market and to refine their strategic objective. “Ask yourself, is this the right time to do it and how and where do you plan to expand?”
He explained that the current move was towards more drinking and entertaining at home as consumers prefer to pamper themselves with better quality of wine, rather than always going out. This obviously has to do with which importer or distributor to target and how to focus your brand. Marketing and communications.
He also urged the audience to think more about the experiential nature of selling wine and the message behind the label. “People love a good story with a glass in their hand.”
He sums this up by emphasizing the necessity of good networking, something that fits perfectly with the ethos of Wines Unearthed – educating, supporting and making personal introductions every step of the way.
Independent point of view
Daniel Isley from Theater of Wine was able to talk about how to target the independent wine merchant sector
Daniel Elsley from Theater of Wine gave a presentation on how to 'win friends and influence the independent sector' after 22 years in the wine industry, and his experience was valuable and relevant to the audience. Appropriately for Sunday, Daniel took to the stage to deliver something of a sermon and with great confidence – perhaps not surprising given that he was originally an actor, then switched to the wine business in 2002. Direct, opinionated in a positive way and in a huge way, he has used his time wisely to offer some… Great advice in the time he has.
His main message, not unlike Morell's, was about strategy. Who should producers work with and what is realistic and controllable for a winery to produce. His view was that small independents preferred to work with smaller, authentic importers who shared the same values. That producers should not be tempted to oversell may seem obvious, but for those entering the UK market for the first time, it is sage advice.
Keeping things simple was also a big theme of his presentation with messages he would print on T-shirts such as, “Make less wine, make better wine,” or “The cheaper the bottle, the more money you should spend on the label.” ', to 'Don't have too many ranges.' My favorites were 'Stay away from high alcohol' and 'No more heavy bottles'.
It really couldn't be clearer. He also warned against misleading messages about natural wine and had a thing or two to say about those who “faint at the altar of the earth.” We were all impressed – a great performance that deserves to be seen again.
Maximize social media
Sarah Turner of Beyond Wines says it's essential to have a personal connection with your target buyers and customers
Sarah Turner, marketing director at import company Beyond Wines, gave us a quick tour of 'how you can reach buyers and opinion leaders via social media – even if you're a small to medium-sized winery'. She encouraged producers to be bold. Take the lead even on low-budget campaigns and “ask for forgiveness, rather than permission.”
Its main message was to encourage conversations and humanize brands. Turner said she tries to be on a first-name basis with buyers and generally sends via video or voice message, rather than email or text. It seems to be this personal approach that makes a difference in their business.
“Being kind and being social is completely free and achievable even for the smallest producers who have no or low budgets,” she stressed.
In terms of consumer awareness, they tend to prefer selling lifestyle and creating memories through wine moments. She said the best marketing ideas come from studying consumers, not your competitors — a powerful message that resonated with the audience.
networks
Producers then have the opportunity to network and have a winemaker's dinner in the evening. All WU exhibitors are encouraged to purchase a ticket (at cost), bring a bottle of each of their wines and pour them to other producers, while enjoying a three-course meal. It's a great opportunity to get to know each other before the first day of the wine fair, but also to share stories and best practice ideas.
Andreas Frank from Weixelbaum Winery at the networking dinner
Elisabeth Finkbeiner of Fürstlich Castell´sches Domänenamt was showcasing her wines at the London Wine Fair for the first time
There were two Austrian producers, Andreas Frank from the Weixelbaum winery, Kamptal, who was present at the fair to try to find contacts in the premium trade, and Elisabeth Finkbeiner from Fürstlich Castell´sches Domänenamt, who were there for the first time. While Andrei Rozomovsky of the Alpamanta estate in Mendoza, Argentina was at Wines Unearthed for the third time – once in London and earlier this year at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris – he was looking for a new importer.
“While I love going to larger wine shows, WU offers some great vistas and buyers come to this part of the show looking for something different,” Rozomowski said. The UK is still a very important market for these producers and he loves it. The approach Kendrick and Oliveira take is to be very generous with their time and connections.
The dinner really sums up what the Wines Unearthed concept is all about even before the hard work on the exhibition begins. It is no surprise that the organizers of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris have rebooked Wines Unearthed as a key part of the 2025 fair.
“Earlier this year, we took 43 producers to Paris from 19 different countries and we had great success,” said Ana Sofía de Oliveira, a wine seller for more than 20 years and founder of the wine agency representing Wines of Portugal. At the Paris show, producers must seek distribution in at least three of the countries from which the majority of visitors come, and this is clearly indicated online and in all promotional materials.
Both Kendrick and Oliveira have plans to expand their concept to other parts of the world, including Miami and Singapore. The framework is in place and the idea is inherently “transferable”. All success to them. This very specific type of support is greatly appreciated by all the producers who come to be part of the event as well as visitors who are looking to expand their portfolio with new and exciting wines. Exact global expansion means organizers have more valuable connections to share with their network – but then there are a lot of hands to hold!
* To learn more about Wines Unearthed, visit their website here.
