UK and Irish independent merchants wowed by Australian wine

Ten leading wine professionals from the UK and Ireland have been won over by Australian wine after an immersive ten-day trip hosted by Wine Australia.

From 2 October to 11 October, a group of nine buyers from UK and Ireland independent wine merchants, plus Drinks Retailing News’ Editor Martin Green, explored the diversity and innovation of Australian wine through a series of personalised tours, tastings, master classes and winemaker dinners.

Hosted by Wine Australia’s Emma Symington MW, the programme included Hunter Valley and Orange tastings in Sydney, visits to Canberra, Yarra Valley and King Valley, a Barossa and Clare Valley tasting at Yalumba, a trip to the Adelaide Hills and a day in McLaren Vale.

Guests discovered Mediterranean and alternative grape varieties, learnt more about the influence of cool climates, explored sub-regionality of Barossa, and met artisan and pioneering young guns like Mac Forbes and Lark Hill’s Chris Carpenter. The group was also taken on a guided tour of The Australian Wine Research Institute where they saw how research and development supports innovation in Australian wine and took part in a faults master class.

Alongside various wine themed activities, the visitors also participated in the Victorian Salami Festival at Dal Zotto, a Milawa Cheese tasting, toured Four Pillars Gin Distillery and enjoyed a hot air balloon experience over the King Valley.

Having explored a broad range of regions and tasted over 400 wines during the trip, feedback was extremely positive from guests who were impressed with the quality and diversity of wines. The group also valued the commercial opportunities that the trip presented, with many talking about new listings as a result of their visit.   

Ruth Yates, Managing Director and Buyer of Corks Out, said:

‘It was a fantastic trip, the best I’ve ever done, which is saying something as I’ve been on a few.  I’ve been to Australia three times now, but every time there’s something new to discover.

Australia forms a very big part of the Corks Out portfolio - it’s the biggest still wine category ahead of France - and I think it will continue to grow, there’s so much potential.

I was really impressed with the wines, particularly from the King Valley and Canberra, and I’m looking forward to working with some of the wineries that I encountered on the trip.’

Colin Thorne, Buyer at Vagabond Wines, said:

‘It was great to experience the diversity of Australia’s distinct regions and taste some really high quality wines. We import directly from Australia and I’ve now got a few new things I want to bring in.’

Simon Taylor, Managing Director and Buyer of Stone, Vine & Sun, said:

‘The trip has certainly enhanced my perception of Australian wine and I’m looking at bringing in some of the wines I was most impressed with. Highlights for me were fine, age-worthy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, cool climate Shiraz/Syrah and reds from Italian varieties.’

Phil Innes, Managing Director at Loki Wine, said:

‘The King Valley for me was the most surprising as I had very limited knowledge of the area, and upon leaving was really enthused by the genuine potential of the area for unique and premium wines. I’ll be looking closer at our Australian section and I hope to incorporate some of my discoveries into the range.’

Martin Green, Editor at Drinks Retailing News, said:

‘Every day was full of eye-opening experiences, magnificent food and great wine. It was definitely the best wine trip I’ve ever been on. It has given me a much better understanding of regional diversity, and it has also made me see how well-placed Australia is to compete at the higher price points in the UK market.’

Jennifer Lynch, General Manager of McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association, said:

‘Hosting the UK independent merchants provided a unique opportunity to showcase McLaren Vale’s generous hospitality and world-class food and wine offering to a highly influential and valuable trade sector. We hope our guests left with an ignited appreciation and love for our region – and we hope they share that with their colleagues and networks.’

Emma Symington MW, Wine Australia’s UK Events and Education Manager, said:

‘We were delighted to host the group of independent merchants and showcase Australia’s fine wine and food offering. It’s always a pleasure to see our guests making so many discoveries during trips like this, and I’m sure they’ll now share many more Aussie wines and stories with their customers and colleagues.’

Trip guests:

Phil Innes - Managing Director, Loki Wine

Colin Thorne - Buyer, Vagabond Wines

Stewart Travers - Senior Buyer, Cambridge Wine Merchants

Ruth Yates  - Managing Director and Buyer, Corks Out

Matthew Hennings - Managing Director, Hennings Wine Merchants

John Chapman - Operations Director, Oxford Wine Company

Simon Taylor - Managing Director and Buyer, Stone Vine & Sun

Gary O’Donovan - Managing Director, O’Donovan’s

Freddy Bulmer - Buyer, The Wine Society

Martin Green - Editor, Drinks Retailing News

Over the past few years, the independent wine sector has been flourishing in the UK. The number of stores is up: with 766 independent merchants in 2015 and 816 in 2016, further growth is expected in 2017. Total annual sales at independent merchants are in excess of £500 million and the market continues to grow. A recent Harpers Wine & Spirit survey revealed that 45% of independents in the UK are sourcing more wines direct, and 27% are members of a buying group.