Fancy footwork

Beat fair fatigue and save your shoe leather with our whistle-stop tour of the London International Wine & Spirits Fair. By Robyn Lewis

LISWOOFWOOF, as the London International Wine and Spirits Fair is affectionately termed here at db Heights (that’s not the London Wine Fair, London Wine Trade Fair or “The Only Three Days Of The Year I End Up Craving Cheap Lager,” as it has also variously been referred to), could perhaps have been accused in the past of being a little lacking on the “spirits” element promised by its title. But no longer.  As the doors open on the 26th LIWSF, a record 25% of the show floor space will be dedicated to the distilled stuff. “A double measure,” says exhibition director James Murray proudly. “We have grown this feature partly in response to our visitor audience but also due to demand from producers in this constantly evolving sector.”

It is the central and South American producers who are dominating this section of the show, with tequilas and piscos all putting in an appearance. The director of the Anglo-Peruvian Trading Company, Carlos de Martis, explains his motivation behind exhibiting: “We want to create as much awareness as possible in the UK and Europe of the wines and piscos from Peru and, therefore, want to find new markets and companies that want to distribute our products.” There are also returning spirits exhibitors, with Gordon & MacPhail, Malcolm Cowen, First Ireland Spirits and Eaux de Vie all coming back for more – this will be the latter’s 15th year at the show. Why? “Well, we exhibit because we consider it is the best opportunity of the year to show the widest range of products to the most people,” says Neil Mathieson, Eaux de Vie’s managing director.

It is not just spirits producers who are hoping to get more out of the event this year than ever before, either. Champagne producers are gearing up to do some serious business in their first-ever generic stand at the show. Six of them, all based in the Vallée de la Marne, are joining forces to exhibit in a Champagne pavilion, which will be located within the France pavilion at H30.

Keeping with the prestige theme, Brintex, the show’s organiser, has signed up Cellar Door, the premium wine arm of Constellation Europe, to be the official partner of Club Elite this year. Club Elite provides about 1,000 wine and spirits buyers each year with full secretarial support in a relaxing business lounge. The new partnership means that members will be able to enjoy a glass of one of Cellar Door’s wines from its New World portfolio, while making use of the club’s business facilities. Robert Mondavi Cabernet and a Riesling from Leasingham in the Clare Valley will be among the wines on offer.

Then it’s back on the shop floor, in more ways than one: Brintex is expanding its retail initiative (called the Shop Floor Initiative), which is designed to encourage staff from the multiple sectors to develop their wine knowledge. “Four major retailers are now involved with this,” says Murray. “There’s Sainsbury’s, Thresher Group, Oddbins and Waitrose, who pioneered the activity with us two years ago.” Individual objectives are tailored for each group, so for some it’s a trail designed around pre-determined stands (as with the Thresher Group’s programme), for others it’s about encouraging staff to find lesser-known varietals and styles (as with Oddbins’).

“Initial entry to the show can be daunting, particularly if it is your first time,” says Oddbins’ PR manager Claudia Brown. “Working with the LIWSF will make a real difference by offering a more structured visit. We are not offering a compulsory trail for everyone to follow but a possible route for Oddbins employees to make the most of their time at the fair and for the exhibitors that have some interesting and unusual wines in show.”

Brintex is also keen to promote its showcase Top 100 Tasting, which will feature tasting pods from 10 countries and feature wines chosen by a panel of top UK wine writers. Sponsored by nomacorc, the Top 100 Tasting can be found adjacent to the Press Centre on Stand T72.

New friends
Whatever field you are in, an exhibition is nearly always the best opportunity you’ll have for making sure you remain at the cutting edge by keeping up with new product launches and newcomers to the industry. We are giving more extensive coverage of new product launches on pages 42 to 64 and for our pick of just a few of the new exhibitors (I have space limitations, after all) read on.

First up among the myriad newcomers are two new New Zealand producers on Stand H20. Maori wine producer Tohu Wines will be showing off its KONO wine for the first time, along with the award-winning Tohu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 05, Pinot Noir 04 and the Tohu Marlborough Chardonnay 05. Just a stone’s throw away, sharing the New Zealand generic stand, Riversleigh Estate will be participating at the fair for the first time, debuting both its Kotare and Bedford Road labels. Winemaker Fiona Turner and co-owners Geoffrey and Belinda Sprot will all be on hand to talk to on the stand.

Staying with the Kiwis, but this time on The Cellaret’s stand (S14), Maven Wines will be showing off its first vintage and Ausfield its fourth. There’s also a chance to taste Wilhelmus Estate 2002 – the flagship prize-winning Bordeaux blend from Barossa producer Haan Wines – and other first-time appearances on this stand. Elsewhere, there’s a dedicated stand (E28) for the Argentinian brand Argento for the first time. The brand used to stand under the wings of Bibendum but, having set up the Argento Wine Company in the UK to look after the brand, it will now be standing alone. Amelia Nolan, general manager of the new company, will be on hand to talk about future plans and there’ll be a chance to taste wines from the entire portfolio, including the Argento, Argento Reserva and Malambo ranges. “We are delighted to have a bigger and better presence than ever at the most important industry show of the year,” Nolan commented.

Away from the New World, Cave de Tain will be providing a “fresh look at the Rhône Valley” on its stand (I92). “We

are not a négociant and fully own all our vineyards,” says Julie Campos, managing director. “We have tried to make our ranges more attractive, more modern and more seductive through completely new packaging.” The results will be available to see and taste on the stand throughout the show. There’s also a portfolio launch from Crush Wines, a new agency, situated on Stand R42. Among the wines on offer there’s the intriguingly titled Gorilla range from southern Italy, Les Yeux from Argentina and the Indigo Trading Company’s super-premium wines from South Africa.

Should old acquaintance be forgot?
Despite all the new arrivals LIWSF has to offer, we shouldn’t ignore our old friends, least of all one that has a birthday to celebrate. Jacob’s Creek, arguably one of the wine world’s biggest brand success, is turning 30 this year, and brand owner Pernod Ricard is promising several launches and previews for the brand on its new double-decker stand at D50.

The show will be a showcase for the new Jacob’s Creek Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and other brand firsts – including the new super-premium Heritage range. Pernod Ricard will also be exclusively revealing to the trade a new consumer PR activity that will focus on Jacob Creek’s winemaker Phil Laffer, who will be at the show on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18. Plus there’s activity from Pernod’s other brands as well – a new rosé cava in the shape of Gran Campo Cava Rosé will be launched, for example and Montana will also be celebrating 30 years of the first commercial Sauvignon Blanc plantings in New Zealand.

Another familiar face at the show will be Black Tower, on the Reh Kendermann stand (L20), which will be joined by fellow German brand Kendermanns; and a new Australian Merlot is set to join sister brand The Bend in the River. If all the coffee and cake breaks have got out of hand, there’s also the chance to try the Weight Watchers wine range here, which will be showing off its figure in a brand-new label design and new long screwcaps.

Thierry’s Wine Services pavilion with encourage you to go up a level in 2006, with the addition of a second floor to its stand (Q20–Q30), which will also see the launch of the premium-level Cape Grace range from South Africa. Thierry’s will also be celebrating the success of its Spanish El Prado brand. Meanwhile, H&H Bancroft will be showing off a new stand design at F70 and a wider selection of wines than ever before – highlights include new products from Argentina, a new Chablis producer and a new label from New Zealand’s Wild South Cairnbrae. Great Western Wines will be over 50% larger this year, doubling its floor space in order to reflect its increased portfolio. There’ll be new agencies from Australia, South Africa, Italy and Argentina. “The LIWSF is one of the key opportunities in the trade calendar for us to catch up with our existing customers and also to make new contacts, hence we took the decision to double our investment this year,” explains managing director Philip Addis.

Bibendum will have an equally action-packed stand at D30, where they have confirmed the number of producers attending has increased from last year. There’ll be a wall of wine to highlight the breadth of the portfolio, and areas devoted to innovation, design and training, which are key focuses for the business, they say. HwCg, meanwhile, has gone a bit risqué with its promise of Victoria’s Secrets on its stand (S30). Happily (or sadly, depending on your point of view), it isn’t underwear-clad models that are being shown off at the two-tier pavilion but the newly acquired Roberts Estate winery from Australia’s Victoria state. A newly repackaged Barramundi range will also be on show, along with new wines from the premium Evans & Tate Margaret River portfolio. We are also extremely pleased to note – given ExCel’s consistently lamentable sandwich offering – the return of the Mentzendorff Seafood Restaurant. Located at the east end of the show, next to the on-trade tasting zone, this year the eaterie will host a daily guest sommelier. The Mentzendorff stand (G7) will feature the new Grand Année Rosé 1999 from Champagne Bollinger and the new Champagne Ayala packaging, nestled in among the rest of the portfolio.

The Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) will also be providing some gastric relief on its stand (A10–A20), where the “Oasis in the Desert” is returning. There’ll be such gastronomic delights as lamb cutlets, baked with a fresh thyme and rosemary herbed crust; roast monkfish salad with grilled peppers, and Portuguese custard tarts (not with the monkfish, obviously), along with carefully selected Douro wines and Ports on offer.

Of course, the IVDP isn’t the only generic body at the fair, which counts about 33 countries in total occupying stands in some way this year. Chile will again be one of the biggest presences at the fair, with its two islands, this year with a striking new design (S50–S60). There’ll be a special tasting of the Trophy and gold-medal winners from the third Annual Wines of Chile Awards each day 10am–4pm and on the Tuesday there’ll be the opportunity to try some Chilean beer and empanadas on the stand from 4.30pm. Over in South Africa, there’ll be more than 40 wineries showing off their wares this year, also on two islands (L40 and L50). Wines of South Africa will be introducing four themed taste zones – high-altitude wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Shiraz – each with 12 wines, and there’ll be plenty of producers and winemakers to chat to.

Wines of Germany, meanwhile, will be concentrating on Riesling, with the introduction of the Riesling Room on K40. Germany has run a series of Riesling tastings at the show for the past few years, and this year the decision was made to take that a step further, confirms Nicky Forrest, director at Wines of Germany in the UK. “The stand is a real destination for Riesling fans,” she says. “We wanted to provide an exclusive space in which to sample the top wines from one of the greatest Riesling-producing nations in the world.” The stand will also be the location for the International Riesling Review on the Tuesday and Wednesday of the show (for more details, see pages 66-70).

France is promising to be even more prominent than usual, with more than 160 companies showcasing their wines over the three days. The ever-popular Côtes du Rhône and Vin de Pays Top 100 stands will be at H40/1 and I40/1 respectively.

There’s also the umbrella French Wines stand (H70/2), which is teaming up with db to reveal some exciting new research, and there’ll be a generic tasting of up to 40 rosé wines. Loire Valley Reds will be on H50/2; Corsica on I60/1; South of France (encompassing AC Languedoc, AC Roussillon and Vins de Pays d’Oc) will be at stands I40/2 and I50/1); South West Wines on H40/2 and Bergerac on H60/2.

On the other side of the world, New Zealand Winegrowers will be targeting the on-trade on its stand (H20) during the fair. There’ll be the results of the On-Trade Survey Competition (the writer of the best survey wins a trip to New Zealand next year) and the Central Otago Pinot Noir Association will be exhibiting for the first time as part of the generic stand. Other generics exhibiting include Australia (F30), Italy (B70–A50), Spain (P60–N40) and the US (T30).  db May 2006

being there

Show opening times:
16th May 9.30am–6pm
17th May 9.30am–6pm
18th May 9.30am–5.30pm

Information on accommodation and transport links to ExCel can be found
at either www.londonwinefair.com
or www.excel-london.co.uk

extra-curricular exertions
As if walking, talking, tasting and time-wasting weren’t enough to wear out a visitor, there’s also the after-show shenanigans to be getting on with. Lamentably, Western Wines isn’t putting on its annual bash this year (though, if my inebriated state and consequent hangover from previous years are anything to go by, this will be something to be thankful for on Thursday morning), but there’s still more than enough to be getting on with. First on my list-of-reasons-I-will-be-hung-over-on-the-Thursday is the Benevolent Buddies bash, in conjunction with Camden Park and the drinks business. For a mere £60 a head (all proceeds go to “charideeee”, folks), we’ve been promised a London double-decker bus from ExCel to the location (Tate Modern), the finest steak and chips – “not a mincing canapé in sight” – followed by British cheeses, and there’s blackjack, crap, roulette and sounds from SandraD and Mr Twirly. Tables of up to 10 can be purchased from Eleanorperry@thebenevolent.org.uk. There’s also the FGL Wine Estates party on the same night, from 7pm until late at Deep Blue at The Bridge (invitation only). We’ve been promised a night of “international flavour, cuisine and culture”, along with some booze, we hope.

Before all that, however, Tuesday sees the second LIWSF launch party, sponsored by Cube Communications at The Fox Bar, by the entrance to ExCel. There’ll be a live band and “themed interactive entertainment”. I say! Invitations will be sent out by e-mail, we are promised. Jackson Wine Estates is also offering an opportunity to let your hair down on the Tuesday after hours with a West Coast barbecue, including Californian food and wine,

a jazz band, a funky DJ and dancing (again, invite only).

The biggest event of all, however, is taking place on the Wednesday lunchtime in Waterfront Rooms 15 & 16, as we announce the 2006 winners of the drinks business awards. Always a popular event, it’s access by invitation only and numbers are strictly limited. There’ll be Champagne for the winners and even more Champagne for the losers.  db May 2006