Visit to Washington State

Geoffrey Dean takes a deep dive into the wines of Washington State

Fresh from his popular deep dives into the wines of Tasmania and New Zealand, The Buyer's roving reporter Geoffrey Dean travels to Washington State for a six day trip to discover how winemakers are faring in America's second biggest wine-producing state. There he discovers how a new generation of winemakers are pushing the envelope in terms of making wine from non-mainstream grape varieties and in new locations. Tasting extensively Dean comes up with a list of 22 wines to make note of – one for each winery he visited and tasted in the Evergreen State.

12th June 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

If you slipped this question into your local pub quiz, the chances are most people would be scratching their heads: What’s the biggest wine-producing state in America after California? Many would doubtless come up with Oregon, or New York State, or even Virginia. But the correct answer is Washington State in the north-west of the USA. It has 21 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) with 56,000 acres under vine, 1,050 wineries and 400 growers with 80-plus varietals grown. That all adds up to in excess of ten million cases of wine per annum.

Throw in one of America’s great cities in Seattle; one of its biggest waterways, the mighty Columbia River; and three national parks – Mt Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic – and you have all the ingredients for a wine tourism destination par excellence.

And that’s not forgetting one of America’s most powerful waterfalls, the Snoqualmie Falls, which are 100 feet taller than Niagara. The opening scenes of the iconic TV show, Twin Peaks, which achieved cult status in the 1990s and beyond, were shot there. It is a delightful stop-off en route from Seattle to the Yakima Valley AVA.

Terroir and climate

If Washington State’s wine industry can hardly be described as a hidden gem (being well-known to trade professionals) what is less clear is the primacy of its varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape, with Chardonnay and Riesling in second and third place, but ask producers in the state which varietal best suits its terroir, and you do not get unanimity of opinion.

Cabernet Sauvignon gets plenty of votes, but so do Merlot, Syrah and even Grenache. The above two white varietals are clear frontrunners for that colour, but we came across fine examples of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc on our six-day exploration of Washington State’s vineyards.

Washington Wine (aka WA Wine) is blessed with a special terroir that ticks all the boxes for winemaking. Its vineyards are largely situated between the 46th and 47th parallels – just south of Burgundy and just north of the northern Rhône. Two mountain ranges either side of Seattle – the Olympics and the Cascades – create a rain shadow effect that protects the Columbia Valley from wet weather systems. This results in a perfect climate for growing grapes in the warm and dry eastern part of the state, where annual rainfall is generally between 150-200mm. The Columbia River, America’s fourth largest, is the main source of irrigation.

The combination of a growing season that sees up to 17 hours of sunlight a day, and a very wide diurnal range that affords cool nights, delivers a lovely balance of slow-ripening, flavourful fruit and high levels of acidity. Soils have a volcanic foundation, with the largest lava flows ever documented forming a basalt bedrock ideal for viticulture. Epic floods in the last ice age from the ancient Lake Missoula inundated eastern and central Washington, bringing soils uniquely suited for growing grapes.

Bordeaux vs Rhône

And it is a long list of grapes that Washington grows well. So long, in fact, that the perceived wisdom of old that the state is best for red Bordeaux varietals and Riesling is a matter of debate amongst the wine community there. Take Rhône varietals for starters, as there is no doubt they are flourishing in Washington State. While Cabernet Sauvignon made up nearly half of the state’s crush for red wines in 2024 (83,701 tons), Syrah came in second with just over 16,000. Grenache and Mourvèdre formed 1,143 and 1,117 tons respectively.

“We think Washington does Rhône better than anyone in the US,” Daniel Burchardt, general manager of LATTA Wines, said on a visit to its tasting room in Woodinville, just north of Seattle. “We make five Syrahs here as it should be Washington’s grape. We want to showcase what we do best. We don’t want to be Napa, although we say thank you to it for putting the USA on the map.”

This view was endorsed by Brandon Moss, winemaker for Betz Family Winery, whose Syrah showed so well. “I love the Rhône varietals,” he told David Kermode, who travelled with us to film an episode for his podcast, The Drinking Hour.

“Our cool climate regions are going to work best for Syrah, while a lot of our warm-climate sites are going to work best for Grenache and Mourvèdre. We do have very sandy soils in Washington, which sets our Grenache apart as it tends to be lighter in colour, having tons of flavour and bright aromatics. It can be so pretty and red-fruited and just delicious. It takes all of our season to get Mourvèdre ripe, but it’s still light, savoury and fresh here. You can include some of those niche varieties like Counoise, Cinsault or Petite Syrah. We can grow all these well and we have a climate that really enhances these varietals’ characteristics.”

Moss conceded that he still found it difficult to pick a favourite varietal grown in Washington.

“I love Syrah but can’t ignore how well the Bordeaux varietals are doing now. So there’s no perfect answer for which grape fares best. We do too many things too well. But Syrah here comes in different styles – from bright, red-fruit peppery to more dark-fruited, more structured brooding Syrah. Then you’ll have non-fruit components like umami, nori and meat from the Rocks AVA.”

Blanketed in cobblestones and pebbles that were washed down from the Blue Mountains, this AVA, whose full name is ‘The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater’, gets compared with Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is a warmer micro-climate within the Walla Walla AVA, which is slightly cooler than the rest of the broader Columbia Valley. While half of the Walla Walla AVA’s vines stretch across the state border into Oregon, the Rocks AVA is entirely within Oregon.

“These soils came from lava flows 15 million years ago.” Ryan Pennington by basalt bedrock-face on Ferguson Vineyard

Don't forget the Merlot

For Ryan Pennington, chief operations officer at the venerable L’Ecole No 41 winery, Merlot is the top grape in Walla Walla.

“We think Washington is one of the best places in the world to grow Merlot,” he said. “It could be the state’s signature grape. It grows so well here, and gets perfectly ripe but not over-ripe. It maintains its structure, acidity and tension.” Merlot from L’Ecole’s Ferguson Vineyard went into its 2011 label of that name that won the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards’ best Bordeaux blend globally. Interestingly, 2011 was the very first vintage from the Ferguson Vineyard, L’Ecole’s crown-jewel 30-acre site at 1,450 feet, which was planted in 2008/9 to Bordeaux varietals.

The blow of discovering phylloxera in 2019 on the neighbouring Seven Hills Vineyard has not proved the major concern it might have been. Sadie Drury, a leading viticulturist who manages a number of estates, explained why.

“One block wasn't doing well, so we dug a hole and found phylloxera,” she recalled. “It proved to be widespread here but caused very little to no actual decline. But as we know we have it, we are now planting on American rootstock. Most blocks are really healthy and those we have removed had more to do with varietal demand, getting a variety in the right location or leafroll virus. There’s been very few that we’ve had to pull up because of phylloxera, which is pretty widespread throughout the state. It gets really cold here, so the aphids don’t move very far. We’ve not been using herbicides for 14 years, so we knew we would keep spreading it.”

Ferguson and Seven Hills

As two of Walla Walla, and indeed Washington’s, premier sites, Ferguson and Seven Hills make for fascinating viticulture.

“Here on Seven Hills, we have very deep fertile soils - 20 to 30 feet of wind-blown loess on top of the flood salts, which are significant on top of basalt,” Drury continued. “Plants can go deep. At Ferguson, there are thinner soils as wind has blown the topsoil away over a period of time, meaning plants are more stressed. There’s no granite native to this area, what’s here came from floods from western Montana. We need lots of frost fans, which we run one days in ten in spring. Historically, Walla Walla would have catastrophic cold weather events but thanks to global warming there’s not as much cold weather pressure as there used to be.”

Pennington revealed some remarkable figures. “These soils came from lava flows 15 million years ago,” he said. “There’s 10,000 feet of lava beneath us…it has sunk the earth and created a natural heat sink which has made agriculture possible. The basalt is highly fractured allowing vines to penetrate and find nutrients and water. High iron leads to iron rich clay, while pure calcium carbonate has been formed by organic material decomposing. So the soil chemistry is quite similar to Bordeaux and Burgundy. It’s not cheap to farm, so the wine’s not cheap. The yield is only two tons an acre up here – it’s a really cool place. In 2011 when we were picking ripe Cabernet, we got phenomenal acid, 3.0 pH, and around 10g/l of total acidity, mostly malic.

Red Mountain

Another leading AVA for Cabernet Sauvignon is Red Mountain, which has a total of 4,040 acres under vine. JJ Williams oversees 272 acres of vines at Kiona, whose original plantings in 1975 were made by his grandparents, who pioneered Red Mountain as a growing area.

“Red Mountain, like neighbouring Yakima Valley, is known for big, powerful concentrated red wine,” he declared. “We make our own wines but grow grapes for about 60 wineries. Red Mountain is actually a little brown hill in the middle of the desert. We get six inches of rain per year, with most falling out of our ripening periods. Within 10 miles of here, we have the convergence of the Columbia River, the Snake River and Yakima River, so ample resources thanks to one of the largest canal systems in the hemisphere.”

Williams grows as many as 20 different varietals.

“We wouldn’t grow them if we didn’t like them,” he mused. “We have primarily Cabernet, which pays the bills, but also Chenin Blanc, Sangiovese, Lemberger [aka Blaufrankisch] and Carménère as you don't want to get pigeon-holed. It’s OK to not have a definitive grape although Red Mountain could be the Cabernet region, Walla Walla the Syrah, Ancient Lakes the Riesling.”

“That’s OK – much in the same way that California has evolved from just being Cabernet. Washington is still a frontier – we have work to do in terms of building awareness. The wines are still somewhat hard to find. Having importers taking a chance on us is what we need, but I think people find that once it is in their glass, the wine is very compelling.”

Like Walla Walla, the Columbia Gorge AVA is half in Washington State and half in Oregon (either side of the Columbia River). Three Washington wineries there have followed Kiona’s lead and planted varietals that were something of a surprise to find. Syncline’s Gruner Veltliner, Gamay and Grenache from 2024 impressed, as did its traditional method Blanc de Noirs, while COR Cellars’s Friulano showed well. Meanwhile, the wackily-named and spelt Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co in the town of Lyle produces an impressive range that included a delightful Mencía 2023 with firm but fine-grained tannins.

The drive through Columbia Gorge, and indeed alongside the Columbia River, revealed yet more spectacular scenery in a state where panoramic views seem to be round most corners. The imperious 11,249 feet Mount Hood, which is actually in Oregon, dominates the skyline as you head west, and is one of many stunning peaks for the wine tourist to admire. Mt Adams, even higher at 12,276 in the Cascade Range, is visible from Kiona, while Mt Rainier, at 14,410, is the second tallest in the contiguous United States. Three great mountains in a skyline where the sky really is the limit for great viticulture and wine-making.

Some wines that caught the eye

Two Vintners, Grenache Blanc 2024, Bouchey Vineyard, Yakima Valley AVA, 12.7% abv

A delightful Grenache Blanc with 10% Marsanne to add some mid-palate viscosity. 15% new oak adds structure. Owner-winemaker Morgan Lee has no UK representation.

Andrew Will, Cuvée Lucia Semillon 2024, Two Blondes Vineyard, Yakima Valley AVA, 13% abv

From nine-year old vines, this appealing Semillon was fermented in stainless steel using wild yeasts, and aged in neutral wood. Imported by Bancroft.

Latta Wines, Syrah 2021, Weathereye, Columbia Valley AVA, 14.1% abv

Co-fermented with 5% Viognier to give some florality, this high quality Syrah saw no racking until filtration and bottling. No new oak used, allowing full fruit expression. The winery buys in all its grapes, mainly from high elevation sites, and makes around 21,000 cases per annum. No current exports.

DeLille, Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Grand Ciel Estate Vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, 14% abv

Very high quality single varietal Cabernet, which has effortlessly absorbed 100% new oak, in which it was aged for 20 months. Winemaker Nick Bernstein has crafted a wine with consummate harmony and balance with beautifully integrated tannins. Dark red fruit and blackberry notes, along with minerality, tension and a long, complex finish. No UK representation.

Betz Family Winery, Clos de Betz Red Wine 2019, Columbia Valley AVA, 14.2% abv

Top-class Bordeaux blend with Merlot (60%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (19%) and Petit Verdot (21%). One of 13 wineries acquired by Ackley Brands, who own the acclaimed The Cove wine bar in Seattle where most of their labels can be tasted. Enotria imports some of their brands.

Cadence Bel Canto 2012, Cara Mia Vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, 14.4% abv

Ben Smith, a former Boeing engineer, quit his job there in 2000 to set up Cadence, whose first harvest was six years later. He crafted this fine Bordeaux blend (84% Cabernet Franc with the balance split between Merlot and Petit Verdot) that shows how well Washington reds can age. Elevage in 50% new French oak for 23 months with no filtration or fining. Glorious fruit with dusty tannins. Imported into the UK by Coast.

Pomum Cellars, Noris White Wine Blend 2024, Yakima Valley AVA, 13.5% abv

Aromas of pear and stone fruit with a lovely mineral finish and bright acidity on this blend of Sauvignon Blanc (62%) and Semillon (38%). Fermented in stainless steel and aged on fine lees for five months. The fruit was sourced from vines planted in 2008 in the organically-farmed Konnowac Vineyard, a native American name. Seeking UK distribution.

Two Mountain Winery, Riesling 2025, Copeland Vineyard, Rattlesnake Hills AVA, 12.7% abv

A good example of off-dry Riesling that is common in Washington to balance often shrill acidity. Grannysmith apple, lemon and pear notes. Fourth generation winemaker Matt Rawn has 60 hectares under vine, all on own roots, and is certified through Sustainable WA. His wines were previously exported to the UK, and he is seeking representation.

Dineen Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Yakima Valley AVA, 14.4% abv

Very floral single varietal Cabernet with aromas of mulberries and sandalwood. Silky tannins with notes of blackberries, black cherries and coffee. Very classy. Owner Marissa Dineen is looking for UK distribution.

Gilbert Cellars, TV Wine 2025, Yakima Valley AVA, 13% abv

Not a bottle but a 1.5l ‘astrapouch’ (a bag but not in-box). The initials ‘TV’ stand for Tempranillo (40%) and Verdelho (60%), which were co-fermented. Once opened, the wine lasts 60 days. 300 bags were produced as an experiment but have sold like hotcakes. An ideal quaffer for summer, best drunk chilled, although Gilbert Cellars don’t currently export any of their range.

Hedges Family Estate, ‘Descendants Liegeois Dupont’ Le Blanc 2019, Red Mountain AVA, 13.5% abv

An alluring blend of Marsanne (85%) and Viognier (15%) from Tom Hedges, with the label a nod to his French wife Anne-Marie. Full-bodied with some oily texture and richness, but also sufficient freshness for it to age. Jasmin, lemon curd and toasted almond notes. Wine & Earth in Guildford import Hedges' fine range.

Kiona, Chenin Blanc 2024, Columbia Valley AVA, 14% abv

From vines planted in 1976, 1979 and 1983, this underlines how Washington can make excellent Chenin Blanc. Some Viognier (8%) and a dash of Marsanne (2%) were added with fermentation in stainless steel before some of the blend was matured in concrete eggs with lees stirring. The pithiness and silky creamy texture stood out. Imported by Coast.

Valdemar Estates, Las Canteras Viognier 2024, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 13.1% abv

Top-class Viognier made by Portland native, Devyani Gupte, at the first non-American owned winery in Washington. CEO and co-owner Jesús Martínez Bujanda Mora, whose family have a 130-year old wine business in Rioja, says he fell in love with the Walla Walla wine community when first visiting in 2016. A year later, he bought the property and opened the facility in 2019 with 36 acres of vines planted. “We think Walla Walla can be the Old World in the New World,” he mused. Round, flinty and generous with lots of concentration and a lovely texture, this could be mistaken for a Condrieu. Berkmann Wine Cellars are the UK importers.

Seven Hills Winery, Pentad Red Wine 2023, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 15% abv

Very impressive flagship Bordeaux blend from one of the oldest wineries in Walla Walla. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) with Merlot (18), Malbec (10), Petit Verdot (9) and Carménère (3). Winemaker Bobby Richards employed 50% new oak for 20 months. Powerful yet harmonious with vibrant acidity counter-balancing firm tannins and 15% alcohol. Cigar box aromas with intense black fruit notes. Cellars Wines are importers.

Grosgrain, Grenache 2023, French Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley AVA, 13.8% abv

Owner-winemaker Matt Austin, a former Los Angeles tax attorney, works with as many as 20 varietals, with many being heat and drought-resistant ones. His UK distributor is Coast. This elegant Grenache has red berry fruits, dried herbs and gentle spice with soft tannins.

L’Ecole No 41, Ferguson Vineyard 2022, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 14.5% abv.

World-class Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (53%), Merlot (24), Cabernet Franc (14), Malbec (6) and Petit Verdot (3) from the acclaimed Ferguson Vineyard of this revered producer. Aromas of cassis, blackberry and crushed rock. Black fruit, graphite and black pepper notes with firm but fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Imported by Cellars Wines.

Echolands, Syrah 2023, Resurgent Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 13.6% abv

Established in 2018, this $27 million facility at 1600 feet has sensational views over the Blue Mountains. Around 14,000 cases produced per annum with no exports, although owner Doug Frost would like some. Single vineyard Syrah from a cool site upstream from the Rocks District AVA, making it lighter in body, brighter in acid and lower in alcohol. Earthy, forest-floor aromatics give way to complex tobacco and brambly fruit. 6% Viognier added.

The Walls Vineyards, Pášxa Grenache 2023, Rocks District AVA, 14% abv

Pášxa is the old native name for Walla Walla. This limited production (50 cases) of acclaimed Grenache comes from a single vineyard site, the Rockgarden Estate, on densely packed cobblestones. Savoury red and blue fruits, complex herbal notes and notable minerality with silky texture. The winery is owned by former Microsoft lawyer, Mike Martin, who left corporate life in 2014 to set it up. The Wine Society stocks some of his range.

Doubleback, Merlot 2023, Walla Walla Valley AVA, 14.5% abv

The Doubleback brand was launched in 2007 by former American footballer Drew Bledsoe and named because he had ‘doubled back’ to his home town of Walla Walla. Predominantly from the Schafer site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, this is super premium Merlot (with 9% Cabernet Franc) that is rich with generous red fruit and chalky tannins. Winemaker Josh McDaniels employed 65% new oak for 16 months. Imported into the UK by Sporting Wine Club.

Syncline, ‘Scintillation’ Blanc de Noirs 2018, Columbia Gorge AVA, 12.5% abv

Excellent traditional method bubbly made from 100% Pinot Noir, whose vines were planted in 1973 and are overlooked by Mt Hood. Five years on the lees with zero dosage. Owners James and Poppy Mantone aim to make 200 cases per annum of it. They are seeking UK representation.

Cor Cellars, ‘Ago’ Friulano 2024, Columbia Gorge AVA, 13% abv

The only Friulano in Washington State is made by Luke Bradford, who produces 5,000 cases a year from his vines in Lyle, a short drive from Syncline. Crisp with notes of melon and peach, it has fresh minerality and nice length. No UK representation.

Le Doubblé Troubblé (LDT) Wine Company, Chardonnay 2022, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge AVA, 14.1% abv

LDT, as it is known, sources fruit from five sites in Columbia Gorge and two in Willamette Valley, Oregon. This outstanding Chardonnay comes from the cool climate, high elevation Celilo Vineyard in Columbia Gorge. It saw 20% new oak, and has lovely balance and texture. McIntosh Forrence describes himself as a hands-off winemaker who loves old vines. He makes some good craft beer too. No current exports.

Geoffrey Dean was a guest of the Washington State Wine Commission

Sbarbatelle: Italy's lady winemakers

Inside Sbarbatelle: the Italian women-only wine association

Sbarbatelle is a non-profit association of women wine producers aged under 40 from all over Italy. It started in 2017 at a wine-tasting event in Monferrato, and, in a short time, has evolved into a significant movement bringing together over 200 young women wine producers from across Italy. Sbarbatelle is a community that champions innovation and represents a new generation of women, carrying forward the legacy of their territories with an innovative spirit. Geoffrey Dean met up with them at their first-ever UK event.

10th June 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

The movement started in Piemonte nine years ago when a group of young Italian women whose families had vineyards got together socially in Asti. It slowly grew in numbers every year until 2024 when it went national with the formation of an association named Sbarbatelle. A new body of women Italian winemakers was born, and last month, 17 of them came to London for their first overseas event, where they showed their wines to British buyers, media and educators.

A walk-around tasting of their wines during the day at Cornus was followed by drinks and dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant in Victoria. The event was the brainchild of the wine director there, Melania Battiston, herself an Italian, who had promoted Sbarbatelle’s first big get-together in Italy two years ago.

“This is the first event for us outside Italy, and it’s all thanks to Melania,” Marianna Velenosi, a board member of the association, said. “She gave us the opportunity to use Cornus for the tasting and have the dinner after. About half of us here tonight don’t have distribution in the UK, so we are searching for importers. I export our Velenosi wines to other countries all over Europe, but not here yet.”

Marianna is not the winemaker for her family’s winery but the strategic marketing manager. Most of the 110 members of the association are winemakers or viticulturists, but other trade professionals are welcome as long as they or their families own the winery and they are directly involved in the business. In addition, they must be under 40 to join. Once they reach 40, they must resign.

The Velenosi winery is in Ascoli Piceno in the Marche, and only two regions in Italy - Calabria and Molise - do not yet have members of Sbarbatelle (translated as 'saplings'). “There was a third region without a member until recently - Alto Adige - but a girl came up to our booth at VinItaly last month and joined up,” Velenosi revealed. Members all pay an annual subscription.

The association organises several workshops and masterclasses for members throughout the year, with its flagship event held in Piemonte every year over a mid-summer weekend. The 2026 festival will be on 21-22 June at Tenuta Marchese Alfieri in Asti, with over 200 wines from some 75 producers available for tasting. Tickets are available online.

Velenosi explained how the whole idea had kicked off. “Many early members were daughters of winemakers in Piemonte, and most knew each other through school or wine events. Most were the same age, and had the same interests. There were good vibes about sharing information, meeting up and going out together. We wanted to be together to share experiences, opinions and suggestions.”

Calabria Wines (Australia)

How diversity of Australian wine is the focus of Calabria Family Wines

The diversity of Australian wine was celebrated at this year’s London Wine Fair through the introduction of two new brands – Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. Both labels are part of the hugely successful Calabria Family Wines, the only exhibitor flying the Aussie flag at the fair, which showed its new wines alongside McWilliam’s wines amongst others. Geoffrey Dean caught up with the team and with Calabria's UK distributor, Brand Phoenix, to discover how it is focused on rock-solid and fruit-forward Australian wines that deliver week-in-week-out value for money.

2nd June 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

As the only stand flying the flag for ‘Category Australia’ at the London Wine Fair, it was gratifying that Calabria Family Wines reported huge interest in a couple of its new brands – Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. For these are wines with a difference, both coming in highly unusual, innovative bottles.

Bélena – a ‘take’ on Italy… from Australia

First, Bélena whose name is an ode to second generation Bill and Lena Calabria, a family of Italian descent which has been making wine in the Riverina since the 1940s. The Bélena brand features two wines from 2025 – a Pinot Grigio and a Rosé – that both come in a classy crystal-glass bottle. Meanwhile, the family’s Kings of Prohibition red and white range comes in the sort of wacky cylindrical bottle in which you might expect to find a rum or a whisky.

Both style of bottles are eye-catching packaging, and have been selling well in markets where they have already been released – Australia, the United States, Belgium, Holland and Poland.

Bélena - innovate packaging to attract younger consumers

The two Bélena SKUs were listed by Asda in early May. It was too early for any sales data at the time of writing but Darren Mackey, Calabria Family Wines’ commercial manager for UK and Europe, revealed that buyers who had tasted both at the stand were very positive.

“Several buyers and journalists commented on the fact that the Pinot Grigio had far more depth and complexity than other Pinot Grigios at a similar price," Mackey said.

“That’s a really nice endorsement that we’re on the right track. Asda seemed very excited and enthused about listing the brand. We’re hoping from that there’ll be a lot more eyeballs on the brand. Asda are big and go to every global wine show, and for them to choose Bélena is a real feather in the cap of the company, a real boost to confidence. Raising of brand awareness is what we’re looking for.”

Bringing back an honest Aussie approach to wine – Greg Wilkins, Brand Phoenix MD

Brand Phoenix, perhaps best-known for being the sole UK importers of leading South African brands First Cape and Leopard's Leap, has been building up its Australian and New Zealand brands.

“I feel that in Australia, the market in the last decade has slightly altered,” said Greg Wilkins, Brand Phoenix’s managing director. “Suppliers have been going down the reduced alcohol route, changing packaging quite dramatically, and really changing the relationship UK consumers have had with Australian wine.”

“So what we trying to do with Calabria, and in particular with McWilliam’s [recently bought by Calabria], is bring back that honest Aussie approach, which is wines that have not been altered in any way, that are rock-solid and fruit-forward, and deliver week-in-week-out at a great price. Bélena is Calabria’s take on ‘Italy from Australia’ if that makes sense.”

Putting quality first - Andrew Calabria, sales and marketing director, Calabria Family Wines

Andrew Calabria, sales and marketing director for the Calabria Family Wines Group, which produces 80 million bottles per annum and exports to 40 countries, had to shelve plans to come to the London Wine Fair due to flight difficulties from Australia, but spoke to The Buyer from his home town of Griffith.

“We are simple winemakers and don’t try and over-complicate it.,” he declared. “Our remit is to over-deliver on quality. The Bélena Rosé, made from Shiraz and Nero d’Avola, and the Bélena Pinot Grigio are perfect fits for barbecues in the UK summer. Both have done well in Australia since coming to market four years ago, with the Pinot Grigio the number one brand in AU$15-20 range.”

As for the innovative bottling for both Bélena and Kings of Prohibition, Calabria explained the rationale behind it.

“We’re an 80-year old business but six or seven years ago, we saw a shift and were very worried with the lack of young consumers coming to wine,” he continued. “We said, ‘let’s take a gamble and do something a little bit unique with the packaging.’ Dad supported it but was adamant quality must come first, and we’ve had great success here and in the US.”

Calabria’s father, Bill, who was awarded the Order of Australia for services to wine, was responsible for driving the business to ever more success after his own father founded it.

Kings of Prohibition – varietal-driven VFM

Calabria owns vineyards in Riverina and the Barossa Valley as well as sourcing fruit from across the region

A Kings of Prohibition shipment is due to reach British shores in early June. There are three mid-market labels, all of which showed well - the red blend 2024 (14% abv), Chardonnay 2025 (12.5%) and ‘Lucky Luciano’ Shiraz 2025 (13.5%). Calabria revealed the company has been able to blend cross-regional fruit from elsewhere in New South Wales to increase quality significantly, with some Chardonnay coming from cool-climate Tumbarumba, and Shiraz from Hilltops.

“I'm excited about the Kings of Prohibition range,” Mackey said. “People go crazy over it at consumer shows. I’ve got some commitments from wholesalers and independent retailers.”

Also shortly available on the British market will be some of the extensive McWilliam’s range after a lengthy absence. It used to be distributed by Gallo until they sold the company in 2014, before Calabria Family Wines acquired it in 2021. Next year, McWilliam's celebrates its 150th anniversary, with Calabria planning some commemorative releases, notably from their collection of very rare old tawny ports and other old fortifieds.

"McWilliam's used to be in distribution in the majority of all major retailers in the late 90s/2000s, and we aspire to regain their position as one of Australia's leading wine brands in the UK," added Mackey.

Targeting national UK distribution by year end: Darren Mackey commercial manager UK and Europe, Calabria Family Wines

Mackey revealed that Calabria, while already established in the UK on-trade, want to expand more into the off-trade.

“That’s where Brand Phoenix and Greg come in,” he declared. “A year ago we signed a distribution partnership with Greg that they are distributors for McWilliam’s, Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. There isn’t a time pressure to achieve specific sales within a certain time period, as we want to grow organically and with the right partners."

He added: "We do have big ambitions for the UK market but most importantly, we are in this for the long-haul and appreciate we have to be patient. That being said, we are working extremely hard to ensure we have national distribution on each of these brands by the end of 2026."

A tour of Tasmania's wineries

Geoffrey Dean takes an in-depth tour of Tasmania’s top wineries

Tasmania’s unique, cool, maritime climate and mix of soils makes it an ideal location for world-class sparkling and still wines using Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. As climate change starts to make its presence felt on mainland Australia so large-scale operations such as Penfolds and Hill-Smith Family Estates are also buying up land and sourcing grapes to follow freshness. Geoffrey Dean spent a week there and visited 17 wineries, looking at the island through the lens of an Australian wine expert and as a wine tourist.

15th May 2026by Geoffrey Dean

posted in People: Producer,People,

It is hard not to be seduced by Tasmania as a wine region after driving around it for a week. In that time, I covered 1400 kilometres and visited 17 wineries as well as one whisky distillery. That isn’t even half the number of wineries on the island, while there are several distilleries. The quality of ‘Tassie’ wines, and indeed that of its whisky, continues to reach new heights of excellence, with world-class examples of sparkling wines, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling seemingly around every corner of Australia’s most picture-perfect state.

For the wine tourist, it is nothing short of heaven. For, apart from its wines, you can savour great cuisine, spectacular hiking or cycling, stunning national parks, historic villages and a number of delightful wine estates to stay at. For anyone wanting a round of golf, there is the lure of Australia’s number one links course, Barnbougle, on the north coast.

Meadowbank

Where better to start than my first port of call, Meadowbank, whose Pinot Noir 2024 also happened to be the winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy last November. That is one of Australia’s most cherished prizes at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, being given to the best young red wine of one or two year's age. Making up a triumvirate of Tasmanian all-Australia champions were Tolpuddle Vineyard (their 2024 vintage being crowned Best Chardonnay) and Freycinet Vineyard (whose Radenti Vintage Rose 2017 won Best Sparkling trophy).

Meadowbank is situated at the top end of the Derwent River valley, some 40 miles north-west of Hobart. It is both a vineyard and a Merino sheep station, with owner/viticulturist Gerald Ellis having bought the property in 1976. He planted the Jimmy Watson-winning Pinot Noir vines in 1989 on a bedrock of sandstone over clay, with drip irrigation essential as he gets only 450mm of rain per year. Tastings are by appointment only, with visits from Hobart possible by flying boat, which lands on the river that runs through this scenic hillside property. Renowned vigneron Peter Dredge makes the wines.

Tolpuddle Vineyard

Tolpuddle Vineyard, was named after the Dorset village where some farm labourers, later dubbed the Tolpuddle Martyrs, were deported as convicts to Australia in the 1830s but eventually pardoned. It is arguably Tasmania’s best-known site. Planted in 1988 in the cool and dry Coal River Valley near Hobart, the 31-hectare vineyard is on a north-east facing slope on light silica soils over sandstone, providing perfect conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Since buying it in 2011, Martin Hill Smith MW and Adam Shaw have made a great site even better thanks to soil and clonal improvement, conversion to cane pruning and trellis modifications. Vineyard manager Carlos Souris employs as many as nine Chardonnay and ten Pinot Noir clones. Tasting of current and older vintages is by appointment from Friday till Monday at the new cellar door, which also serves delicious light lunches from top chef Sam Bray. Liberty Wines imports both labels.

Freycinet Vineyard

Adam Wadewitz at Tolpuddle, and Claudio Radenti, are two of Australia’s most accomplished winemakers. The latter has 16 hectares under vine at his Freycinet Vineyard on the picturesque east coast, including a 46-year old block of Pinot Noir vines on one of Australia’s steepest slopes - 42 degrees, close to the maximum gradient found in viticulture. Radenti, one of the most affable of characters, presides over an outstanding range (imported by the Wine Society) that is available for tasting at his welcoming cellar door. Open seven days a week, it is well worth a visit.

Devil’s Corner

So too is the nearby Devil’s Corner winery, whose cellar door offers not just sensational views to the Freycinet Peninsula and the Hazards mountain range but also serious culinary delights. Wallaby bolognese, with its lean meat, is a popular favourite that I enjoyed. ‘Fishers of Freycinet’ has an on-site stall selling Pacific oysters delivered fresh every morning as well as crayfish, scallops, calamari and mussels.

Another attraction is the opportunity to catch one of Freycinet Air’s helicopters that take off from Devil Corner’s front lawn and treat you to a glorious 20-minute flight over the rugged Freycinet National Park and peerless Wineglass Bay. You also get a great view of the Devil’s Corner Hazard’s Vineyard which, with 188 hectares under vine, is the biggest on the island, featuring six varietals. The Mt Baudin Chardonnay 2022 showed especially well, being made by Tamar Ridge winemaker, Tom Wallace, as both wineries are owned by Brown Brothers.

Tamar Ridge

The Tamar Ridge cellar door, which is near the town of Launceston in the north of Tasmania, is a must for any visitor. Perched high above the Tamar Valley beneath it, it has a superb range of sparkling and still wines. Most are imported by Enotria. The Rosevears Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 was a personal favourite, being made from the 115 clone. Right next door to the cellar door, Tamar Ridge owns a dozen individual apartments that offer the wine tourist very comfortable accommodation with eye-catching views over the Tamar River.

Ghost Rock Wines

An hour’s drive west of Tamar Ridge on the north coast is another winery that is a wonderful place to stay at - Ghost Rock Vineyard, 17km east of Devonport. You can rent its stylishly-furnished three-bedroom ‘Vineyard House’, which looks down over the vines to Bass Strait. The restaurant there, open seven days a week for lunches, serves exquisite cuisine that includes Tarkine oysters, gin-cured ocean trout, chargrilled octopus and coal-fired venison.

Ghost Rock’s impressive range, which is made by Californian Sierra Blair and imported into the UK by The Vinorium, features some top-end Pinot Noir, with 14 clones of it grown on several single vineyard sites. Some fine Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc is produced from amongst the most westerly vines on Tasmania. The further west you are in Tasmania the more rain you get, with 800mm per annum typically at Ghost Rock.

House of Arras

Some 90km east of Ghost Rock at Piper’s River can be found the House of Arras winery, widely viewed as home to Australia’s finest sparkling wines. Celebrated vigneron Ed Carr is certainly the country’s most-awarded sparkling winemaker. The cellar door, which is open seven days a week in summer, has 10am and 2pm tutored tastings with a walk through the vineyards included. Some older vintages may be opened. Tirage is generally four to seven years, although the 2006 Late Disgorged EJ Carr, which won the chairman’s trophy at the 2024 Champagne & Sparkling Wines World Championship in London, spent 16 years on the lees. Arras takes fruit from as many as 13 sites from seven different sub-regions across Tasmania in its quest for the best grapes.

Stefano Lubiana

Another outstanding traditional method producer, Stefano Lubiana, is located just outside Hobart in Granton on the banks of the Derwent River. It is also Tasmania’s first biodynamically-certified winery. Steve Lubiana, who is originally from South Australia, moved to Tasmania in 1990 to fulfil his dream of making top sparkling wines and Pinot Noir. He has succeeded in both aims, also crafting fine Chardonnay and Pinot Gris with son Marco. His Prestige 2011, a 50:50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which spent 12 years on the lees, was declared ‘best Aussie sparkling’ in Australia’s leading wine guide, while his La Roccia Pinot Noir 2022 won American critic James Suckling’s citation for Australian wine of 2024. Both are available for tasting from Wednesday till Sunday at the well-appointed cellar.

Chatto Wines

Of comparable quality are the Pinot Noirs of Jim Chatto, who grows nothing but that varietal on his 1.5h plot south-west of Hobart overlooking Glaziers Bay. It is one of the most idyllic vineyards, possessing a warm microclimate in one of the coolest parts of the island. Tastings are by appointment only, but highly recommended for the beautiful drive through the Huon Valley, Jim’s radiant positivity and, of course, his premium range of seven Pinot Noir labels (imported into the UK by Liberty Wines).

Sailor Seeks Horse

Next door to Chatto can be found another excellent Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay) producer by the catchy name of Sailor Seeks Horse. Owner-winemaker Paul Lipscombe, an Englishman who left his marketing job in London twenty years ago aged 29 to study oenology, married an Aussie and moved to Tasmania in 2010 where he bought an eight-hectare vineyard that was derelict with very poor ancient soils. Replanting 75% of it, he gets low yields of 2-3 tons per hectare, but the wines absolutely sing, with savouriness, salinity and minerality their hallmarks. In keeping with the winery’s wacky name (dreamt up by Lipscombe in a pub), his ‘cellar door’ is not a building but the back of his ‘ute’ (utility vehicle) from which tastings are done. He’s even enticed the finance director of Apple there.

Stargazer Wines

Another top quality boutique producer is Stargazer, whose newly opened cellar door has dramatic 180-degree views down towards Tea Tree and the pretty village of Richmond beyond. Talented New Zealander Samantha Connew, who also makes the wines at the Pressing Matters winery, fashions a much-lauded range of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that is imported by Enotria. She also buys in Shiraz from the Brinktop winery that constitutes 75% of an alluring 2024 label (25% Pinot) that is named ‘Kura' after the Maori word for ‘scarlet.’

Brinktop

Brinktop, which lies 10km south-east of Richmond, is a boutique eight-hectare estate that not only produces high quality fruit but also has a very comfortable two-bedroom cottage that can be rented. Owners Todd Goebbel, a Canadian, and his Australian wife, Gill Christian, are a charming couple, who act as winemaker and viticulturist respectively. Their Killara Pinot Noir 2024 showed very well, with Chatto buying some of the fruit for it for one of his own labels. Giant Steps, the Yarra Valley producer, and Stargazer also take some of Brinktop’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Riversdale Estate

Situated, like Brinktop, in the Coal River Valley is the premium winery of Riversdale Estate. With 46 hectares under vine, it is the biggest privately-owned estate in Tasmania, having been bought in 1980 by Ian Roberts before he married joint-owner Wendy. Its location is second to none, being the only vineyard planted by the Pittwater waterfront, into which the Coal River flows. As such, it benefits from a maritime climate.

Fittingly, given the presence of a giant observatory next door, some wines are named after constellations. These include the excellent Centaurus Pinot Noir 2023, made from a selection of the best barrels, and the Musca Syrah 2021, which won best-wine-of-show at the 2023 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge (the first time a producer had done so back-to-back).

Riversdale Estate's Roberts Cottage

Riversdale is much more than a winery, with the Roberts farming 450 Border Leicester and Merino sheep. Lamb from them is used in the onsite French bistro as well as the nearby Richmond Arms & Crown Inn, a good place to eat. The estate has one of the largest olive groves in Tasmania, and also has four delightful French provincial-style cottages to stay in, with sweeping views down to the Pittwater. The striking cellar door does too, with the full Riversdale range available for tasting seven days a week. Two-hour winery tours can be made by appointment. The range is imported by VINVM Ltd.

Sullivans Cove

Very close to Riversdale is the Sullivans Cove distillery, which is Australia’s most awarded whisky producer. In 2014, it was the first distillery outside Scotland and Japan to be classified the world’s best single malt at the World Whiskies Awards, and the first to win the world’s best single cask twice (in 2018 and 2019). Head distiller Heather Tillott was adjudged distillery manager of the year in 2024. “It was nice recognition, but we don’t do it for the awards,” she told me. “Whether we are going to copy Scotch is something I often get asked. I like to perceive it through the lense of of our premium wine casks. We do some finishing but focus on full maturation in cask.” Her casks include Bourbon, Australian tawny port, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other still wine barrels. The distillery is open seven days a week for tours.

The Sullivans Cove 25-year old whisky is available at the excellent Restaurant Maria on the Brook Street pier in Hobart. Apart from its lovely views out over the capital’s harbour and delicious Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, it has an extensive wine list from both Tasmania and Latin countries alike as well as Tassie ciders, beers and spirits.

Moorilla Estate

Finally, no trip to Tasmania would be complete without a visit to Moorilla Estate, the island’s second oldest winery, which is located in Hobart on an isthmus projecting out into the Derwent River. The combination of winery and restaurant, and beneath, the underground Mona Museum with its ancient and contemporary art, makes for a rewarding half-day visit. Canadian winemaker Conor van der Rees crafts a worthy range, notable for its sparklings and red/white blends.\

Domaine A

The cellar door and museum are open Thursday till Sunday, as is another leading Coal River Valley estate, Domaine A, where van der Rees is also winemaker. It produces Tasmania’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon, which ripens thanks to its unusually warm microclimate. Once thought too cool climate for certain black grapes, Tasmania has benefited from global warming, and arguably now has the best conditions for grape-growing in Australia thanks to its wide diurnal range. It is also the country’s premier wine tourism destination.

Taittinger & the 2026 World Cup

Taittinger on its special relationship with the 2026 FIFA World Cup™

As the world readies itself for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ this summer, for Champagne Taittinger this biggest event in footballing history has extra special significance. This year’s World Cup will be the fourth one for which Taittinger has been FIFA’s sole Champagne house partner – a relationship which has helped change its perception from being traditional to audacious, and which has been a step change for the house in terms of size. Geoffrey Dean travelled to Paris to hear from Vitalie and Clovis Taittinger as they launched the 350,000 limited edition special label bottles.

7th May 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

Ahead of the football World Cup of 2014 in Brazil, FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, decided it wanted a leading Champagne house to become one of its partners for the event. So they approached a cousin of the Taittinger family, who happened to be working in the world of sports marketing, to see if Taittinger might be interested. It was and Champagne Taittinger has remained a partner of FIFA for every World Cup since, with 350,000 limited edition special label bottles about to be released for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.

The tournament, which starts in early June and runs until the middle of July, will be the biggest event in footballing history, with 48 nations taking part across three host countries – Mexico, the United States and Canada. There will also be three host countries for the 2030 World Cup – Morocco, Portugal and Spain – where Taittinger has already announced it will also be a partner with FIFA for that event, as well as the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

"So we have to go back to the basics, and to understand we are human, we need emotion," Vitalie Taittinger, president and CEO of Champagne Taittinger, Paris, April 2026.

Significant allocation

In Paris last week, Taittinger formally launched the limited edition release, with both Vitalie Taittinger, the company’s president and CEO, and her brother Clovis Taittinger, the general manager, being present. Vitalie revealed that Hatch Mansfield, Taittinger’s UK importer, would receive a significant allocation of the product which is available from late April.

“Taittinger is a serious Champagne house,” Vitalie announced in the hallowed gardens of the Saint James hotel in central Paris. “All year we are dreamers. It started for us with my father, who thought one day he could re-buy our Champagne company, and finally he managed to do it. We have to build teams, excellency, vineyards - we have to be the major actor in everything.”

Vitalie went on to explain the significance of partnering with FIFA, both internally and externally.

“When Clovis came one day with this partnership with FIFA, it was the beginning of a new page at Taittinger. We were the first Champagne house partner at FIFA. For Taittinger, it has been a step, a jump in terms of size, image and perception. They used to see us as quite traditional, but this partnership told something different to everyone. It was important to tell everyone we were competitors, that we were audacious, and to make people dream. The teams in the export countries - they build this brand with much more energy and to take it to new places.”

The Taittinger family’s love of football goes back generations.

“My grandfather Jean Taittinger was mayor of Reims for almost 20 years, where there was a fantastic football team,” Vitalie recalled. “He and my father attended their home matches. Our passion for football started there with Clovis, my sister Clemence and I going to a lot of matches. We learnt that football is, most of all, the team. You have an energy to this sport which is fantastic; you have a possibility of dreams which is fantastic, and you have a joy which is present at every match.”

Not about politics

“For us, it is not a question of politics. This wine is what it is because of the passion of countries for Champagne. It is important for us to show that Champagne is for all the countries and to show the link is about love, friendship and to create joy.”

Both Vitalie and Clovis will be going to North America for some of the World Cup matches. Clovis will be there for a month and will attend as many as ten games. The motivation, however, runs far deeper than the sport.

“This is much more than a football partnership,” Vitalie continued, “The USA is very important for Champagne as they helped us a lot to refurbish Reims after the Second World War. Thanks to them, we have a roof on the cathedral, a wonderful hospital for children and many many places in Reims that are proving the link. For all those reasons, we love America, and we will always fight with America to help them and to share adventures with them.”

Clovis likewise sought to explain the company’s rationale behind its partner status with FIFA.

“A partnership like this obliges you to go beyond your natural playground and out of the box,” he mused. “It’s something you have to force yourself to do. The challenge is part of life – sometimes you can sit quietly in your seat, but at Taittinger we like to participate in the banquet of life. Life is a football game, and as an official partner, we are a player.”

“We are FIFA' s only French company, their only wine producer. I am a big football fan. When I was young, my wish was to see France win a World Cup before I die. We’ve done that twice, and are becoming more a winning nation. When I was young, it was impossible. The magic of sport is the unpredictability, and that’s the magic of life too.”

The last word should go to Vitalie, who radiates undiluted positivity.

“This World Cup will be a big family platform of joy," she concluded. “We need that more than everything else today because the world is too complex. So we have to go back to the basics, and to understand we are human, we need emotion, we need to be close to each other and we need to continue to have those things with other countries.”

“I am committed to culture as I am convinced that through it we find ourselves, and I think this is the only way to be able to bring people together without thinking about politics. We are here to have a good life, to enjoy. It’s important that being a Champagne company, we are able to give this input.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ special label of Taittinger will be available in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose, independent drinks retailers and selected on-trade.

Champagne Taittinger is sold and distributed in the UK through Hatch Mansfield which is a commercial partner of The Buyer.

New Zealand Visit Jan/Feb 2026

Geoffrey Dean’s magical mystery tour of New Zealand wineries

First stop on a recent road tour around some of New Zealand’s key winemaking regions is Central Otago where Santana Minerals’ goldmine is throwing a shadow over this beautiful wine region. “The mining plans are ruinous for the region,” actor and Two Paddocks owner Sam Neill tells Dean. It’s a mini wine odyssey this, which sees Dean also discover some surprising truths about Central Otago Pinot from Felton Road’s Blair Walter, visit Kinross, Grey Ridge and Monte Christo then head up to North Canterbury and Marlborough to see Black Estate and Georges Road Wines (where we discover that as much as 25% of the fruit grown in Marlborough for this current vintage will not even be vinified) and then on to Waheke Island to catch up with Man O War and Cable Bay.

5th April 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

While Central Otago continues to be the source of many of New Zealand’s finest wines as well as the country’s premier destination for wine tourism, a huge shadow hangs over it. As much as 30% of its vineyards are either certified organic or in conversion, but this laudable exercise in sustainable viticulture is being threatened by the real possibility that an enormous new goldmine near Cromwell will be given the go-ahead towards the end of this year. “Vineyards will all be affected if not displaced,” says Gibbston Valley winemaker, Christopher Keys.

Proposed by the Australian mining company, Santana Minerals, who estimate that £2 billion worth of gold deposits lie untapped, the so-called Bendigo-Ophir mine in the Dunstan Range would comprise an open pit of 1000m by 850m, with three smaller satellite pits and a tailings dam. Santana will hear if it can proceed in late October, following the appointment of a specialist panel in late February to assess the merits of the project.

“The mine would be massive as they are talking of moving an entire mountain to excavate the top of a hill,” Christopher Keys said. “There would be explosions into the earth with extraction of gold through huge cyanide tanks. With that blast comes dust, and with that comes arsenic. It’s quite alarming when you look at the potential disasters against the gain, which is minuscule for the government in terms of royalties, which will only happen once they start making money - in a long time."

"The worry is that Santana creates a catastrophic environment where there’s seepage through the water system, and that will bleed into groundwater, and into one of New Zealand’s major rivers with disastrous results.”

Such is the concern of Central Otago wineries that a dozen of them, including Two Paddocks, owned by the actor Sam Neill, staged a ‘Wine not Mine’ event in February to raise funds to cover expert consultancy fees and legal costs in the campaign against Santana’s application.

Two Paddocks

“I beat Jancis in a blind tasting of several wines.” Sam Neill and Geoffrey Dean (l-r)

“The mining plans are ruinous for the region,” Neill said. “A growing community of ordinary, hard-working people are joining together to fight a very large, very powerful, very well-funded Australian mining company.”

Renowned artist Grahame Sydney spoke of how the ‘madness’ of an open-cast gold mine would cause ‘irreparable harm to the breathtaking, mystical, pristine and ever-changing landscapes of Central Otago.’ Tribal Maori councils are pointing to potential treaty settlement breaches by the mine.

A committed disciple of organic farming, Neill, whose labels are imported into the UK by Haynes, Hanson & Clark, once had the the most southerly vineyard in the world (his ‘Last Chance’ Pinot Noir site) at 45 degrees 15’. There are now plantings south of that in both Argentina and Chile. As charming as he is famous, New Zealand’s best-known actor is also an accomplished taster, as Jancis Robinson MW discovered when seated next to him at a dinner hosted by Stephen Fry. “I beat her in a blind tasting of several wines,” he chuckled. “She must have had an off day.”

Two of Jancis’ fellow MWs, the married podcasters Peter Richards and Susie Barrie, were so taken, during a January visit to New Zealand, by the Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2023 (a blend of four single vineyard sites) that they adjudged it the best red in their NZ Wines of the Year 2026, awarding it 98 points. It was made up of 45% The Fusilier (Bannockburn), 30% First Paddock (Gibbston), 23% Last Chance (Alexandra) and 2% Redbank (Clyde).

“That was immensely gratifying as that’s never happened before,” Neill sighed, referencing how his single vineyard labels normally attract the higher marks. “I’m humble about it and couldn’t be more delighted.”

Felton Road

“Our viticulture continues to get better every year." Felton Road's winemaker Blair Walter.

Neill’s Fusilier site lies right next door to Felton Road, which is one of four producers in Central Otago to be certified biodynamic, along with Rippon, Quartz Reef and Burn Cottage. Blair Walter, who has been making the wine at Felton Road since its first vintage in 1997, pointed to stylistic changes in his winery’s iconic labels.

“Something that we’re pleased to see now is that the tannin is a much greater feature of the wines,” he mused. “In the early days, they were much more fruit-forward, rounder, and very pleasant, likeable wines but perhaps lacking the definition and seriousness of great Pinot Noir. I believe now that with ageing vines, we’re seeing greater depth and complexity.”

“Our viticulture continues to get better every year but winemaking-wise there’s been no significant changes apart from not punching down as much as we used to. We discovered, surprisingly, that the less we punch down the more evident and apparent the tannin would become. All we were extracting was fruit matter and sweetness that was masking tannin. So I believe there’s a very fine line how to get the perfect extraction.”

Walter led the campaign to get Bannockburn officially recognised as the first GI (geographical indication) of Central Otago. Gibbston, to the west, is currently applying to become the second at the behest of the Gibbston Valley and Kinross wineries. Apart from having New Zealand’s largest wine ‘cave’ and Central Otago’s oldest vineyards, the former is also home to the Gibbston Valley Lodge, whose 24 luxury villas overlook the estate’s vineyards. For luxury accommodation in the vines, they are hard to beat.

More in Central Orago

Offering rustic cottage stays, meanwhile, is Kinross, a few kilometres east of Gibbston Valley. The estate has 14 nicely-furnished cottages, all within easy walk of the cellar door and excellent restaurant, where British chef Pete Franklin prepares tasty lunches. Apart from their own impressive range, Kinross acts as a cellar door for four other leading Central producers who are not open to the public: Valli, Hawkshead, High Garden Vineyard and Wild Irishman.

Given the big distances between producers in Central Otago, other welcoming wineries to stay at are two very good options in Alexandra (56km south-east of Kinross). The first is Grey Ridge, a delightful boutique estate, where Paul and Sue Keast have a B&B studio cottage with panoramic views over their four hectares of Pinot Noir and the Dunstan Range. The pair makes a popular white Pinot Noir as well as a distinguished reserve red.

Just down the road from Grey Ridge in Clyde can be found the Monte Christo winery, which has top-end accommodation in the form of three luxury cottages. It is also the birthplace of Central Otago wine, having been established in 1864 by a Frenchman named Jean Désirée Féraud, who was enticed to New Zealand by the gold rush. Most of the stone in the cellar door building is original, while the new state-of-the-art winery buildings were only completed in March 2025. Nicholas Paris MW is managing director and co-owner of an organically-certified estate that is producing outstanding wines and looking for a UK distributor.

North Canterbury and Marlborough

At the other end of South Island in North Canterbury, Black Estate not only makes an excellent range of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but also offers first-rate accommodation. The attractive ground floor studio apartment by the winery opens out onto the biodynamically-farmed vineyards. Lea & Sandeman imports the compelling Black Estate Omihi Pinot Noir and Chardonnay labels that highly regarded winemaker, Nicholas Brown, crafts from single vineyard sites.

Another Waipara Valley outfit, Georges Road Wines, is a boutique producer with a difference. Established in 2015, it has its own wine pod by the vines where you can stay the night. Expect to be escorted to it by owner-winemaker Kirk Bray’s friendly winery dog, Pepper. Luxury bedding and breakfast are provided along with barbecue facilities, and the pièce de résistance – a hot tub under the stars. With minimal light pollution locally, the Southern Cross and other constellations glimmer above you if it is a clear night. Within striking distance of Georges Road, whose Syrah is a speciality, are a posse of other premium producers including Pegasus Bay, Pyramid Valley, Bell Hill and Greystones.

From Waipara it is a three-hour drive to Blenheim and the many Marlborough wineries and growers around it. Some of the latter are facing worrying times with oversupply of Sauvignon Blanc a major issue in the face of falling demand. According to James MacDonald, the head winemaker at Hunter’s Wines, as much as 25% of the fruit grown in Marlborough for this current vintage will not even be vinified.

Hunter’s, the only Marlborough vineyard established in the 1970s to be owned by its original family, remains a major success story. “Demand has been good for us - we’ve managed to sell all our stock,” MacDonald said. “The 12-hectare Waihopai Vineyard we bought recently to give us more Pinot Noir fruit for our sparkling wines has made us the largest producer of that grape in New Zealand with 100 tons per annum approximately. Pinot took a lot longer to understand how to grow in Marlborough. All our Pinot is on clay now as opposed to alluvial gravels. We have ten clones, a very good spread.”

Waiheke Island

Like Hunter’s, whose vineyards are all accredited by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), the Man O’War winery on Waiheke Island, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, employs sustainable, minimal-intervention practices. The proprietors, the Spencer family, owns the eastern third of the island – some 4,500 acres, of which 150 are under vine, with 5,000 sheep and 1,000 head of cattle grazing the remainder.

Man O’War also has 12 acres of vines on the neighbouring islet of Ponui, which is especially good for red varietals. The wide geographical spread of the 76 vineyard blocks, many planted on steep slopes, means specific grape varieties can be matched to unique soil compositions, which include clay, loam and volcanic ash.

Duncan McTavish, Man O’War’s winemaker since 2008, allows what is a distinct, natural terroir to express itself in the wines. “Nearly all our wines enjoy salt and oceanic influences,” he said. “Our Valhalla Chardonnay, for example, gets mineral salty notes on Pacific-facing vineyards. The soil type is unique to Man O’War - you can taste the Pacific Ocean, which makes up 90% of our boundary. We are in a warm area but have cool climate vineyards with low PHs, so we’re very lucky with the acid profile.”

Gratifyingly, global warming has had no impact on Waiheke, with McTavish hailing the last two vintages as the best seen on the island. “2024 was amazing but 2025 was the all-time greatest vintage,” he purred. The outstanding Man O’War range, which includes the northern Rhone-style Dreadnought Syrah and the Bordeaux blend Ironclad labels, are imported into the UK by The Drinks Club, the London-based on-trade specialist.

At the western end of Waiheke Island, meanwhile, can be found the Cable Bay winery, whose five hectares are accredited by SWNZ. Its Five Hills 2020, a 70/30 Merlot/Malbec blend, showed particularly well, as did its Waiheke Blanc 2025 (70% Viognier, 30% Marsanne). “This white blend is our destination wine,” winemaker Ashton Hendriks said. “We want people to say this is a taste of Waiheke.”

Cable Bay labels are imported into the UK by Decorum Vintners. The beautiful estate, which has scenic views towards Auckland from its cellar door, offers very comfortable accommodation in a cottage close to the vines. If flying internationally into or out of Auckland, this is a great place to spend your first or last nights in New Zealand.

A snapshot of a few of the south island wines tasted

CENTRAL OTAGO

Burn Cottage, ‘Burn Cottage Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2022 (UK importers: VINVM Ltd)

The Cromwell producer has established quite a reputation, farming biodynamically across its three vineyards with ten Pinot clones. Bright florals and dark cherry fruit complements earthy, flinty mineral tones and darker savoury characters.

Felton Road, Cornish Point 2024 Pinot Noir (Liberty Wines)

Certified organic since 2007, Felton Road has 34 hectares under vine (75% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay and 5% Riesling) with their Cornish Point site the warmest and first to be harvested. Firmer tannins than other parcels with lots of intensity in what winemaker Blair Walter describes as a ‘very, very high quality vintage’ (the best along with 2023, 2019, 2015, 2014 & 2012).

Gibbston Valley, China Terrace Pinot Noir 2024 (Hard to Find Wines, Bridgnorth)

From their Bendigo site at 320m, this 25-year old low density block (clones 777 and 667) on loess, clay and schist produces a supremely elegant wine with fine-grained tannins. The oak (20%) is beautifully integrated, while gun smoke and clove-like complexity assail the palate.

Kahiwi, Cuvee Stella, Mount Pisa Vineyard 2021 (Raeburn Fine Wines & Farr Vintners)

A relatively new winery that was set up by Scotsman Mike Wolfenden (ex-Felton Road) and Kiwi wife Olivia Ross (ex-Burn Cottage). This was their first vintage and a highly promising one. They only grow Pinot Noir on their five hectares under vine on a windy hillside estate at 270-320m (Kahiwi translates from Maori as ‘ridge of a hill’). This label was produced from clay and loam soils, with five clones used (with Abel the majority).

Kinross, Waitaki Valley Pinot Gris 2025 (no UK representation but wines available online)

The majority of Kinross’ vines are in Gibbston, but the fruit for this barrel-fermented Pinot Gris comes from North Otago near Oamaru on the coast. Baked pear notes with a hint of ginger and spice while 5g/l residual sugar gives some texture.

Monte Christo, Chardonnay 2023 (no UK representation but wines available online)

Winemaker Karl Coombes, formerly of Valli, has crafted a glorious Chardonnay from five clones (548, 15, 6, Mendoza and a ‘mystery’ one). He put it through 85% malolactic fermentation, giving it some richness to offset its zippy acidity (pH3.3). Lovely citrus and ripe white peach fruit notes. No new oak used.

Peregrine, Pinot Noir 2022 (Liberty Wines)

Nadine Cross, winemaker at Peregrine since 2010, gets around 500 tons of fruit from 40 organically-farmed hectares under vine to vinify, and does a great job. Six clones go into this seductive, silky Pinot with fruit blended from Gibbston, Bannockburn and Pisa.

Quartz Reef, Anna Von Tirol Pinot Noir 2022 (seeking UK distribution)

Few would dispute Rudi Bauer’s status as the doyen of Central Otago winemakers. The Austrian came to New Zealand in his twenties and has never left, setting up Quartz Reef in 1996 as a founding partner. Biodynamically-farmed fruit from the most eastern ‘royal’ block 12 in the Bendigo vineyards. Close planting of 8,000 vines per hectare on glacial-derived soils. Flinty minerality with alluring red and blue fruit as well as creamy texture. A standout with capacity to age.

Rippon, ‘Rippon’ Pinot Noir 2016 (Lea & Sandeman)

Perfumed and seductive, this leaps out of the glass with an array of heady aromas including red cherries, herbs and warm spices. Concentrated yet fine-boned with talc-like tannins, it has the structure and freshness to age even further, irresistible though it is now. Nick Mills is a fourth-generation winemaker of this iconic Lake Wanaka winery.

NORTH CANTERBURY

Black Estate, Home Chenin Blanc 2023 (Lea & Sandeman)

Named after Russell Black, who planted the original vines in 1999, the estate is now owned by the Naish family, whose son-in-law Nicholas Brown makes the wines. From a half-hectare block planted in 2011 from clones 220 and 880, this underlines the potential of Chenin Blanc in New Zealand. Rich with lots of concentration.

Pegasus Bay, Estate Riesling 2025 (New Generation Wines)

A benchmark off-dry Kiwi Riesling with 24g/l of residual sugar that counter-balances the rasping acidity. A touch of botrytis (8%) adds extra complexity and phenolic structure to a well-balanced wine with hints of honey and ginger spice. “We could sell a lot more than we produce,” sales manager Ed Donaldson said, adding Tesco take this.

Pyramid Valley, 'Field of Fire' Chardonnay, 2023 (Hallgarten)

Perfect terroir for Chardonnay with limestone and clay soils and a permanent cooling effect from the neighbouring mountains or nearby ocean. Huw Kinch, a highly capable winemaker, employs 100% malolactic fermentation as well as 28% new oak and some concrete for elevage. Fabulous concentration and intensity.

MARLBOROUGH

Hans Herzog, Blaufrankisch 2021(Caviste)

On his organically-farmed 11.5 hectares in one of the hotter sites in Marlborough, Austrian-born Hans Herzog grows as many as 28 different varietals. His refined Blaufrankisch thrives on sandy, gravelly soils, showing notes of blueberries, black cherries and a hint of dark chocolate with silky tannins. The UK is his no 1 export market.

Hunter’s, MiruMiru Marlborough Brut NV (Jeroboams)

Named after the Maori word for ‘bubbles’, this highly drinkable sparkling wine (50% Chardonnay, 40 Pinot Noir, 10 Pinot Meunier) spent 18 months on the lees and has a dosage of 8g/l. Hunter’s make around 8,000 cases per year of it, with Laithwaites, a long-term partner, stocking it.

Isabel Estate, Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2025, Wairau 2024 (Bancroft Wines)

Some of Marlborough’s oldest vines on original rootstocks, dating back to the 1980s, can be found at Isabel. A touch of old oak (15%) is employed for fermentation by winemaker Jeremy McKenzie to give some texture. Passionfruit notes are apparent in this refined Sauvignon, which has hints of minerality and salinity.

Armit Spring Portfolio Tasting 2026

Brett Fleming on growing Armit’s business in spite of the government

It’s the lack of business experience in the current government that is one of the bugbears of Armit Wines managing director Brett Fleming. Launching the distributor’s trade tasting in London last week, he explains to Geoffrey Dean the many uphill struggles that he and his team are having to endure as they attempt to grow the business. But there’s plenty to be excited about too. Armit has a new portfolio manager in Svet Manolev, the company is actively expanding its restaurant business and the trade tasting attracted a record number of trade buyers. Agency-wise Armit has had licence to add five new Italian producers to its portfolio (following the departure of Querciabella) along with taking on board Weingut Bernhard Ott and Domaine Philippe Bouzereau. Dean got the story and picks some of the standout wines.

17th March 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

Brett Fleming, Armit Wine’s managing director, was born and raised in New Zealand, and retains his Kiwi lilt, but he is ‘one of us’ now. Having applied for and been granted a British passport, his commitment to his adopted country is implacable.

The wine industry needs constantly to make its voice heard to government, and Fleming did not miss the opportunity at the start of the Armit annual portfolio trade tasting on March 10, to launch a withering attack on it. At the same time, however, he was full of optimism that Armit can increase its on-trade business after a record turnout of more than 500 buyers for the tasting at London’s One Great George Street.

"Unfortunately we’re all in the same boat now of being victims of a government that has absolutely no idea about the policies they’re making,” says Brett Fleming, Armit Wines managing director

“Whatever sort of channel you manage within the industry this government are absolutely not dialled in to supporting you,” he declared. “They say they are, their rhetoric is all about pro-business but their actions are very much the opposite. It’s tangible the damage they are now doing – look at all the pubs closing.”

“You’ve got a government that has got no business acumen inside it at all. I’m not getting political but none of the people in the Labour government have had any business experience. Unfortunately we’re all in the same boat now of being victims of a government that has absolutely no idea about the policies they’re making.”

“Look at the minimum wage – I’m all for people being fairly paid but it’s now dawning on Labour that it’s been a disaster because we can’t afford to employ people who’ve got no experience and pay them a wage that would otherwise have gone to someone who does. It’s too much risk. They’re just not listening. So it’s challenging; we have a backdrop where you’re not being supported by the government and you’ve got to be creative.”

Opportunity for growth

“Having said that, I’m a believer that the glass is always half-full, so we’re very much a business that is focussed on aspects of our channel management. The on-trade is an area where we see opportunity despite the challenges it is facing. I think there is a clear opportunity specifically for Armit because we’re under-indexed in the on-trade. We don’t have as many customers as many of our competitors, so therefore there’s opportunity for growth.”

The private client channel has always been very important for Armit, but the exodus from the UK of much of the high net worth community since Labour’s election win has impacted sales significantly. Nevertheless, 250 private clients attended their own tasting that followed on straight after the trade one finished.

The on-trade and, in particular, restaurants, is where Fleming’s main hopes for growth lie. He praised Svet Manolev, who succeeded Nicolas Clerc MS as portfolio director in November, for increasing Armit’s normal registration numbers for its annual tasting from 320 to 600. Manolev, the first Bulgarian to become a Master Sommelier, was recruited from Berkmann, and has extensive experience of fine-dining roles at the likes of 67 Pall Mall and COYA Mayfair.

Fleming paid tribute to Clerc, who worked at Armit for seven years. “You can’t replace someone like Nicolas,” he sighed. “I miss him daily but Svet thankfully applied and, within two months of him joining, it was clear we had a talent we hadn’t had before in terms of understanding the on-trade, and what we needed to do to be more attractive to restaurateurs. Much of why we’ve got more people here today than we’ve ever had is down to Svet. Our focus is very much on building the on-trade. It isn’t a destination - more a journey. We’re nowhere near what we want to achieve through the on-trade. Svet’s role is very much to accelerate that growth and enjoy further success with the producers.”

New producer signings

Armit’s Italian weighting (23 of its 49 producers being Italian) remains central to its historic strategy, but two new signings, Domaine Philippe Bouzereau from Burgundy, and Weingut Bernhard Ott from Austria, have excited Fleming. He admitted he was both ‘sad and hurt’ that Querciabella had left Armit last year when the previous owner sold the business, but added that it meant the importer could now make other signings from Chianti (the agreement with Querciabella having been that they would be Armit’s only Chianti producer). To discover more about Armit’s five new Italian producers click here.

Philippe Bouzereau, ten of whose 25 organically-farmed hectares are in Meursault, has filled a notable hole in the Armit portfolio, which lacked a Meursault estate previously. “We’re delighted we now have a Meursault,” Fleming confessed. “We’re lucky to have landed Bouzereau – a lot of that is down to Hannah Mckay, our Burgundy brand ambassador, and also to Svet. It was a big gap we had and I’m delighted we managed to fill it. It remains to be seen if the trade pick it up but I have every confidence they will.”

Certainly, the six Bouzereau labels showed why his wines are so highly regarded. Three 2023 whites (two Chardonnays from Meursault and an Aligoté from Côte Chalonnaise) all showed superbly, while three Pinots (a Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2023, an Auxey Duresses 1er Cru 2023 and a Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot) were similarly benchmark. RRPs varied from £31-£8

Bernhard Ott represents another outstanding addition to Armit’s stable, and it was no surprise his was one of the busier tables. The Austrian producer, who has two thirds of his biodynamically-farmed 50 hectares in Wagram and the rest in Kamptal, grows only Grüner Veltliner. Why no other varietals? I asked him. “It just works,” he smiled. It does more than that. These are superb wines – pure, mineral and spicy with white pepper notes that are characteristic of the varietal. The three 2024s (Am Berg, Fass 4 and Der Ott) were well-priced at £20-£35 RRP, and the complex three single vineyard labels from 2023 £51-£64 RRP. Ott, who teamed up with Armit only six months ago, revealed he was selling three times more through them than through his previous importer. To discover more about the wines of Bernhard Ott click here.

“Svet and I get 10-15 emails a day from suppliers wanting Armit to represent them,” Fleming revealed. “Our problem is finding producers that fit the vision of Armit – family-owned or iconic, or will become iconic we think. Bernhard got in touch with us, saying he was looking for a distributor that would add real value to his business. I confess I hadn’t had their wines for quite a long time, but I was blown away by them. I couldn’t get over how good these wines are – they are exceptional.”

Challenging preconceptions

“We are a relationship-led business, not a transactional one. If you don't have a relationship with the supplier, we are just another importer, another distributor. Armit needs to be more than that. We need to add value to everybody that comes into the portfolio, and we need to be able to give the customer – in this case the on-trade – reason to buy from Armit. And a producer like Ott ticks all those boxes. And he’s not Italian, which is the key as Armit isn’t just about Italy, it’s about great producers from anywhere in the world.”

Another perception about Armit that Fleming is keen to modify is that they are only a premium importer.

“Armit has a reputation, and rightly so, for being an iconic importer of more premium wines,” he continued. “As a consequence, as a (trade) buyer, you wouldn’t necessarily think of Armit. I want to challenge that because we have very, very good entry level producers who happen to be extraordinarily good quality. One of the challenges we face is illustrating not that we have absolute entry-point but the £15-20 duty paid bottle. Yes we have our Sassicaias, Lafleur and Leflaive but we also have a huge number of producers that can compete with anybody in quality and price. So how do we communicate that? Well one way is to get the higher numbers of today to come along, taste and discover it for themselves.”

Five wines that caught the eye

Bodega Alegre Valgañón, Rioja, Carra Santo Domingo 2023

Ex-engineer Oscar Allegre turned to wine-making in his late 20s and founded this estate 12 years ago with wife Eva Valgañón. This harmonious field blend that has around 50% Garnacha and 30% Viura came from 100-year old vines in the coolest and freshest part of Rioja, in the shadow of the Obarenes Mountains. “We try to make a wine that shows off our land,” said Oscar, who matures the wine in mainly older French oak.

Château Latour, Pauillac de Latour 2018

This beguiling third label of the Medoc first growth is made from organically-farmed young vines that are under ten years old. A higher amount of Merlot (32%) in the blend than the top two labels gives it a softer feel, but there is still plenty of structure from 30% new oak. An ideal wine for restaurants. RRP £80.

Domaine Vicomte de Noüe Marinič, Marinič Tejca 2eme Cru 2022

A Slovenian Chardonnay from the Brda region close to the Italian border that could so easily be a premier cru Burgundy, but with a RRP £64.45. Exceptional terroir with mineral-rich clay-limestone soils and schist rock are the key. Fresh and elegant with notes of lemon and nectarine. Drink this and you will think you are in Puligny.

Elena Walch, Alto Adige, Pinot Noir Riserva ‘Aton’ 2018

Elena Walch became the Italian mountain region’s first female winemaker and has achieved international acclaim. Her ‘Aton’ Pinot (RRP £148) comes from 75-year old vines at 600m in the Castel Ringberg vineyard. Produced only in exceptional years, it is something of an Alpine icon. The bouquet is highly expressive, with red cherry and redcurrants to the fore. Aged in oak (30% new) for 12 months and then in bottle for three years before release, it is a graceful wine of poise, depth and impressive length.

Mendel Unus, Mendoza 2023

A prestigious Argentine blend from the revered Luján de Cuyo producer. Predominantly Malbec (65%) from a vineyard planted in 1925 in Perdriel, with some Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) from a neighbouring site giving cedar nuance. A dollop of Petit Verdot (10%) adds colour and freshness to a complex wine that has beautifully integrated tannins.

Matthew Clark Spring Tasting

How Matthew Clark is ensuring that quality wines are On The List

As the UK's largest drinks wholesaler with over 4,000 lines, Matthew Clark finds listening to customers' needs a key part of its business. This was plainly evident at the company's spring portfolio tasting where particular lines had been developed after receiving feedback – zero alcohol wines in half bottles, to take one example. Dubbed On the List, this was Matthew Clark's first wine-only tasting in a long while and was full of a number of exciting wines which Geoffrey Dean discovered for The Buyer, and heard the backstory on from the company's head of wine development and on-trade ambassador, Nick Zalinski.

12th March 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

“Crisp rosés for sunnier days, sparkling stars for celebratory moments, trendsetting pours that make your list stand out; not forgetting those sustainable sips and premium picks for when only the best will do.” So read the jaunty trailer from Matthew Clark’s marketing team ahead of their Spring Portfolio Tasting for the on-trade at Boxhall City in Liverpool Street on what was the first weekday of March.

With over 300 Old and New World wines, from what the drinks distributor describes as ‘our globetrotting range’, there was certainly plenty to satisfy the varied requirements of the two hundred or so on-trade representatives that descended on Liverpool Street.

Nick Zalinski, Matthew Clark’s head of wine development and on-trade ambassador who has worked in two spells for the company for a total of 28 years, was present throughout to offer his enthusiastic input.

“We’ve been in business for over 200 years, and are here to support the on-trade,” he declared. “My role is to help customers sell better wine and more wine in what is a challenging market but where there are still lots of opportunities.”

“It’s our first wine-only tasting for some time. We’ve tended to combine wine and the rest of the beverage categories because our customers can kill two birds with one stone. But I think the wine category still has such great potential. We’ve had some years of on-trade wine decline but it’s still a really important category and we wanted to give our customers the chance to come in and find the right ranges and right tweaks.”

“This is the normal time of year when our customers will review their lists, so we’ve listened to them and said, ‘Right we’re gonna do a really wine-focussed tasting at the best time for them.’ So as they see new products coming through and the 2026 prices, they can make informed choices, and amend their list as they see fit."

Talking to customers, it was clear they had come from all over the country. “The guest list is pretty impressive,” Zalinski continued. “The interesting thing about the Matthew Clark customer base is that it’s very broad, and we’re very proud to say we supply wines to the likes of Wetherspoons and Mitchells & Butlers. They have all sorts of brands from accessible ones to quite premium ones. We can supply those commercial branded wines that appeal to a less wine-engaged consumer as well as that middle ground and the fine dining markets. Here today, we’ve got Marriott Hotels, the Hilton group, five-star properties like the Ritz as well as some regional brewers and pub operators that have a really decent wine and food offer.”

With demand riding high for English sparkling wines, it was no surprise to hear from the Hatch Mansfield stand that all their samples of Domaine Evremond had run out well before the end of the tasting. Matthew Clark is the route to market for the on-trade for Hatch, allowing the Berkshire-based agency to focus on the off-trade. Having attended the ceremonial inaugural planting of the Kent estate’s vines in May 2017, I was especially interested to taste the first release of Domaine Evremond, named the Classic Cuvée, Edition 1. It lived up to expectations, with its persistent mousse, vivacious acidity, generous but elegant fruit, autolytic notes and mineral intensity. Comprised of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, it spent three years on the lees before being bottled in 2021 and disgorged in August 2024. The Classic Cuvée, Edition 2 is due for release later this spring.

“We manage the distribution of Domaine Evremond carefully with Hatch Mansfield as it’s proving really popular in the premium market,” Zalinski revealed. “We see real growth in English sparkling wines, particularly in the hotel channel. Overall, sparkling wine is growing its share of total wine consumption, with Prosecco still a go-to, Champagne strong and other sub-regional sparklings doing well.” Graham Beck, for example, the South African Robertson-based MCC producer, offers very good quality at a competitive price point.

The Hatch stand’s impressive French stable also included Taittinger, the co-owners of Domaine Evremond, and Louis Jadot, which had five labels for tasting. Matthew Clark’s relationship with the Beaune negociant stretches back 75 years, while they have been working with Champagne Bouché Père & Fils for over 35 years. Fourth generation owner Nicolas Bouché, who has made the wines since 2010, was present with a pair of NVs that showed very well - his Cuvée Réserve and Rosé. Each spent four years on the lees, with dosage of 8g/l and 10g/l respectively. With 30 hectares under vine over 11 villages and 74 parcels, production is limited to 180,000 bottles per annum, half of which are exported. The UK is Bouché's number one overseas market.

For customers wanting a Crémant, there was an excellent one from the highly regarded Alsace biodynamic producer Emile Beyer, whose wife Valérie was on hand to show it. Named Cuvée Emile-Victor, it spent two years on the lees, had 2g/l dosage and was 50% Pinot Blanc, 45% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir. Emile Beyer’s Les Prémices Riesling 2023 and Eguisheim Pinot Noir 2020 also impressed, with the latter grape faring well in Alsace under global warming.

“Consumers are finally starting to understand what Alsace is,” Zalinski mused. “Particularly in fine-dining, and even in that middle market, we are starting to see more Alsace wines being listed. They’re always great value for money. That’s something we’re proud of – we aim to deliver amazing value for money or price points.”

Zalinski picked out a couple of entry-level Languedoc wines that did just that – a Marsanne-Viognier blend and a Malbec from a concern called Rare Vineyards, which is part of LGI Wines, the Carcassonne-based exporter. Both labels are made under the Pays d’Oc designation.

Equally good value (at £9.68 trade list price) was the Quinta do Ameal Bico Amarelo Vinho Verde 2024, which won best Portuguese white wine at the International Wine Challenge last year. This was a blend of 40% Loureiro, 35% Alvarinho and 25% Avesso. Meanwhile, certified-organic Alentejo producer, Herdade do Esporão, unfurled its appealing Reserva Tinto 2023, a field blend of Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira.

“These types of approachable, affordable and delicious wines we like to bring to our customers,” Zalinski said. “We like to tell them about any accolades as these can help them to sell on to their guests.”

What was palpably apparent from the tasting was the impressively wide portfolio of wines for Matthew Clark’s clientele to select from. From mainstay, workhorse, competitively-priced wines that consumers understand without any guidance to mid-market labels and super-premium offerings, there was something for everyone.

“Bodegas Corral is a quite traditional style Rioja with a lot of American oak and extended ageing, but we have others that are more modern,” Zalinski continued. “It’s about giving customers a choice. For example a new winery from Victoria we’ve taken on called Santolin, whose wines are all about precision and freshness.”

With the popularity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc still holding up, according to Zalinski, he revealed he is encouraging some customers with a more extensive list to offer something ‘more specialist’ in the form of Yealand's L5 Sauvignon. With availability of Sancerre Sauvignon certain to be tight after two successively low yields there in both 2024 and 2025, Yealand could fill the void. “The L5 is so subtle and elegant it’s almost Loire in style,” Zalinski opined.

For those wanting wacky offerings, there was an Osado White Malbec from leading Mendoza winery Salentein, and an unfiltered Grenache Blanc from Languedoc producer Gérard Bertrand aptly named ‘Trouble’ (the French word for ‘turbid’ which this was). “The white Malbec our customers are excited about,” Zalinski purred. “It’s a talking point to bring them something new but not too unusual. And Bertrand is probably the most exciting biodynamic producer in Europe. Both wines are ideal for a wine bar wanting something edgy but not too funky.”

Last and least – if only in abv terms – were a couple of wines from France with zero alcohol, branded Lion & The Lily. The white was a Sauvignon Blanc and the red a merlot, with each coming in 37cl half-bottles. When he attended the annual AA Restaurant awards, with whom Matthew Clark works closely, Zalinski said he got useful feedback about zero per cent trends.

“With 39% of Gen Z not drinking alcohol, it’s important for our customers to have products they can offer to those guests,” he professed. “We’ve just introduced a pair of zero per cent wines made by one of our Bordeaux producers, in half-bottles as customers were requesting them. Often I’ve found it difficult to get a good red without alcohol but this is the first I’ve actually enjoyed drinking.”

Pol Roger Portfolio Tasting - February, London

Champagne's performance lends upbeat air at Pol Roger Portfolio

There's not much to smile about in the wine industry right now as a 'perfect storm' of factors is causing turbulence in many quarters. Not so at the annual Pol Roger Portfolio tasting where the importer's notoriously ebullient chief, James Simpson MW, was delighted by Champagne's upturn. Geoffrey Dean spoke to him about trade, his spread of agencies and why California and Australia are key to Portfolio's offering, picking out five humdingers along the way.

24th February 2026 by Geoffrey Dean

You invariably encounter optimism from James Simpson, the managing director of Pol Roger Portfolio and chairman of the Champagne Agents Association, a group of UK Champagne importers. The veteran MW, and one of the more affable, accepts this is one of the toughest periods facing the wine industry but is encouraged by how the marked global fall in Champagne sales of 2024 came close to being arrested in 2025. Pol Roger consumption in the UK, he suggested, has rallied strongly, with the house “making better wine than ever” at its new state-of-the-art €50 million production facility in Epernay that was opened in 2024.

According to the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne, an 11% fall in Champagne exports in 2024 became a slight decline of 1% in 2025, whose figures were negatively impacted by unusually high end-of-year sales in 2024 to the US to beat potential tariffs.

“Actually the figures coming out show Champagne has had a remarkably good year,” Simpson declared at the Pol Roger Portfolio On-Trade Tasting in south London in mid-February. “It’s about the only highlight in the fine wine business. While the rest of fine wine is quite disappointing at the moment, Champagne is still strong. And that gives us a nice foot in the door with all these cool guys who own restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars and God knows what. So we’re more confident than the rest of the trade is at the moment. But we’re very small and select, with 20 members of staff and 20 agencies, and that’s plenty.”

Despite being entirely French-owned, Champagne Pol Roger has become “the most British of Champagne houses” as Simpson puts it. Details of precise annual production figures are notoriously difficult to extract from houses, but Simpson revealed Pol Roger look to make no more than two million bottles per year, of which around 20% are exported to the UK. The company is more than happy with that percentage, not wishing to increase it significantly.

Expanding into California and Australia

These sales, though, have given the Pol Roger Portfolio security, and allowed Simpson and his buying team to be imaginative with their selections, particularly in California and Australia.

“We have a selection of seven small family producers in the Napa, and I hope we’re a leading light in terms of what’s going on out there as we think they are the equal of the best around the world,” Simpson purred. “We’ve got some newish stuff out of Australia as we have confidence in Australia when the rest of the trade doesn’t seem to be interested. Everything else in Australia is expensive but its fine wines, even iconic ones, are good value.”

More on those New World agencies later, but first the Pol Roger wines. Chloé Verrat, the house’s new director of marketing, was on hand to present the Vinothèque Brut Vintage 2004, a small release of which is being made available to the British on-trade. The Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2015, which spent almost ten years on the lees, showed regal autolytic notes that would doubtless have pleased the country’s great leader, whose friendship with Odette Pol Roger originated at a dinner party at the British embassy in Paris in 1945. The exact cépage of the Churchill cuvée remains a secret, although Verrat did reveal it corresponded with his predilection for Pinot Noir, with a ‘hint’ of Chardonnay.

"The figures coming out show Champagne has had a remarkably good year,” says James Simpson MW

The Pol Roger Portfolio’s impressive Old World representation features a triumvirate of wineries from France that are family-owned, sustainable and at the top of their game. Drouhin Vaudon is now the largest biodynamic estate in Chablis; Domaine Vacheron in Sancerre has likewise been farming biodynamically since 2005; and Maison Joseph Drouhin vinifies fruit with minimal intervention from its grand and premier cru sites across Burgundy. A new Italian agency that Pol Roger Portfolio has taken on is Sandrone, a family-owned estate making modern Barolo, Dolcetto and Barbera.

“Sandrone are iconic restaurant wines, and we are obsessed with selling them to the restaurant trade,” Simpson professed, adding they work well on a list because they are competitively priced. “That I think is the battle. Margins have gone up exponentially in the restaurant/hotel trade over the last couple of years. So, selling expensive wine through a restaurant is really tough at the moment because people aren’t prepared to spend more than £150 a bottle on average. So you need to find good value at the beginning but what’s good is that the younger generation of restaurateurs seem to be moving beyond natural wines to proper wines, and that suits people like us who can supply them with something interesting, which isn't everywhere and doesn’t have huge distribution. We seem to be in a sweet spot of having brands people actually want.”

Certainly, the Pol Roger Portfolio’s Australian and Californian agencies have been sagely selected. The former comprise a Yarra Valley legend in Mount Mary, an outstanding Margaret River winery in Voyager Estate and an up-and-coming star in Mulline Vintners from the Geelong region.

“Mount Mary is iconic but nobody had tasted it as it disappeared off the market for years, being sold through La Place,” Simpson said. “But it’s come back into the old distribution system. As for Mulline, we got the tip-off about them about four or five years ago from a Mornington Peninsula sommelier. He said these are the new cool kids on the block. We’ve been with them from the start, and we think they’re really good and offer value with the price of Burgundy having gone up exponentially. They’re proper cool climate, not trying to be big Australian examples.”

Talented winemaker Ben Mullen, who previously worked at Yarra Yering, Oakridge, Torbreck, Leeuwin Estate, Craggy Range and Domaine Dujac, crafts site-driven, refined wines that articulate the distinct terroirs of Geelong, with particular emphasis on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.”

Star winemakers and distillers

Talking of star winemakers, Pol Roger Portfolio boasts another in Brad Grimes of Napa producer Abreu, whose masterclass at the tasting featured older vintages (2012-14) and the 2021s from his four single vineyard labels – Cappella, Madrona Ranch, Las Posadas and Thorevilos.

“Brad’s one of the great winemakers of California,” Simpson declared. “If you had all the money in the world, you’d drink Abreu as it’s lottery winners’ wine. My favourite from Napa is the Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon, which I drink at home. There are still great stories coming out of California. I go out there every couple of years and there’s always someone new, someone exciting opening up. It’s a bit like Burgundy of old…they’re all related or working for each other. Pol have become a leading light in Napa Valley distribution when everyone else is slightly scaling it back.”

The remaining quintet of Pol’s world-class Californian stable are Staglin Family Vineyard, whose historic Rutherford Bench estate was first planted in 1864; Cornell Vineyards, in Sonoma’s Spring Mountain, which dates back even further; revered Napa producer Bryant Estate; Robert Sinskey Vineyards (both Napa and Sonoma); and TOR Wines, another Napa Valley icon founded by the celebrated Tor Kenward.

Finally, “a brand that has revolutionised our business” as Simpson put it, annnounced a new release at the tasting. The venerable Speyside distillery, Glenfarclas, that was first licensed in 1836, have re-introduced a 17-year old whisky into the market to fill the void left by the 21-year old which was taken out of it four years ago. Glenfarclas’ brand director, Peter Donnelly, was on hand to explain the thinking behind it.

“We feel there’s quite a big step between the 15 and 25-year olds,” he said. “So the 17 will fit in nicely into the market. We’re actually launching it this week to our customers, with a retail price of £130-140. There’s quite limited stock but we want people to buy it and buy another bottle.” Like all Glenfarclas spirits, it is matured fully in ex-Oloroso casks. Rich and spicy, it represents another majestic addition to the distillery’s long line of great whiskies.

Five wines that caught the eye

Abreu, Thorevilos 2017

Opaque in colour, this powerful example of super-premium Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from a renowned site contains a smallish percentage of Cabernet Franc and a dash of Petit Verdot. Firm but fine-grained tannins are counter-balanced by vibrant acidity and layers of concentrated black and blue fruit, notably blackberries, black cherries and blueberries. Opulent yet refined, with layers of complexity and a very lengthy finish.

Bodegas Artardi, Quintanilla 2018

Family-founded in 1985, Artadi left the Rioja DO in 2015 to focus on Alavesa terroir-driven wines. From organically grown Tempranillo fruit, this medium to full-bodied wine with chalky tannins has aromas of violet, lavender and clove. On the palate, there are notes of blackberries and blueberries with some stony minerality. Fresh, complex and very long.

Champagne Pol Roger, Cuvée de Réserve Vinothèque Brut Vintage 2004

Pol has long been renowned for the top quality of its 'bubbles', and this library release from the 2004 vintage is blessed with a characteristically fine, tight mousse. Seductive aromas of flint, nectarines, cashews and grapefruit. Imbued with both salinity and notably bright tension, this has biscuity and brioche notes ahead of a long, spicy finish. Disgorged 2015.

Sandrone, Le Vigne Barolo 2021

The multi-vineyard blend of Le Vigne affords a balanced wine with earthy aromas of truffle, flowers and spice. Lean, tight and muscular with powerful tannins balanced by vibrant acidity, the wine has notes of raspberries and red cherries with hints of balsamic and mushrooms. Multi-layered and long, it is approachable now but will reward further cellaring.

Voyager Estate, MJW Chardonnay 2020

Named after founder MJ Wright, this is a thrilling Margaret River Chardonnay which is crystalline, flinty and spiced with layers of undulating flavours of white peach, nectarine and citrus. It has a tight, zesty acid line that provides freshness and balance. A delicious creamy honeycomb texture adds complexity to a wine that glitters with purity, finesse and class. Such a long finish.

A legendary importer

Tony Laithwaite: My life in wine

The founder of Laithwaites Wine discusses his second family in France, the trade secrets he’s learnt – and how he built his wine business

From 10 cases in a Cortina boot to a wine business, Tony Laithwaite shares the highs, lows and family milestones of his life in wine

Geoffrey Dean

Published 03 February 2026 10:55am GMT

Tony Laithwaite is one of the wine industry’s most colourful characters. Having created a wine-importation business called Bordeaux Direct back in 1969 – starting with five labels and 150 customers – he transformed it into a multi-million-pound concern, renamed Laithwaites Wine in 2000, which now has over 1,500 wines and 750,000 customers. In 2019, he was awarded the CBE for services to the UK and global wine industry but, modest to the core, he feared the official notification envelope might contain a speeding fine.

As a youth, Tony dreamt of being a farmer, and his love of geography earned him a place at Durham University. While studying there he went on a field trip to Bordeaux and hatched the idea of importing wine. In 1988, nearly 20 years after starting his wine business, he suffered a heart attack; doctors advised him to seek a less stressful career but he carried on regardless with his wife Barbara, expanding the company into one of the great UK success stories. We had a lot of questions to ask Tony, who celebrated his 80th birthday last December, about his fascinating career.

The husband and wife team at their Windsor base, where they turned a small startup into a national success

When did wine first get under your skin?

We were northerners but Dad got a job in London, where we were surrounded by bottle shops. One day, when I was 16 or 17, he brought back a bottle of Mouton Rothschild, which must have cost all of £5 then. He soaked the label off it and stuck it on the cupboard as a souvenir –  and I thought there must be something in this. So I got a bit interested then, and he bought me a little book on wine. I looked at that and thought I’d like to go to France someday to do a harvest. 

How did your early days with the business in France begin?

My grandmother had met an older French lady in the street and took her home for tea, where she told her I wanted to do a harvest. The French lady said she lived in Bordeaux and would take me in before I went up to university. And, after a series of lucky breaks, I ended up working for an old couple named Jean and Ginette Cassin, who had a vineyard in Bordeaux. He ran a co-operative winery and I got a job there. 

My French was terrible at the beginning but they decided to “adopt” me. They became more than friends – they were my French parents, really. I ate and stayed with them at Sainte-Colombe, but they wouldn’t speak English to me, they made me speak French. They taught me not just about wine but about everything French. I do love the French, I always have – especially those two. Eventually, Jean Cassin persuaded me to start a business, so I owe him a lot. He helped me get some wine from his co-op, and sent it across to London – but cases kept being nicked by the dockers! So I drove down to Bordeaux in my Cortina and came back with 10 cases in the boot. Then I rented a van and put 100 cases in it, before buying a new Ford Transit van (after Jean, four other grower friends of his and my granny all put in £200 each). I would catch the night ferry, drive down and pick up the wine that I had already sold by having already had tastings and collecting orders. 

The real reason it worked was that when I delivered wine to people, they would often ask me in to chat about it. This was what got us going.

Who were the winemakers who really influenced you? 

The first person I dealt with outside that original co-op was Henri Bourlon, who was a successful vineyard owner in the Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion appellation. I stayed with him, bought his Château Guibeau wine and have bought it ever since. I now deal with his grand-daughter, Brigitte. When I asked Bourlon for some cheaper wine, he said to go down to the Languedoc and talk to his friends in the Midi. I bought wine from a fanatically passionate guy there who had an estate just outside Narbonne on a ridge called La Clape. I sold a lot of Clape. It was an advantage being quite young as people sort of adopted you, took you around the region and introduced you to others. I learnt everything that way. At the time, the Midi was renowned for plonk. But I’ve always believed in that area and, in fact, that’s probably my main stamping ground now. It’s really exciting these days with all the new possibilities coming along.

How much did you learn from the legendary French oenologist Emile Peynaud?

He taught a wine course at Bordeaux University, which I attended when Jean gave me time off work. Peynaud was the professor there and a great taster. He taught us a lot of things I’ve remembered. One of them was that if you think a wine is off, it’s more likely to be you that’s off. If you have a group of people around a table, and one person says, “I don’t like this wine,” none of them will like the wine. People do believe in their wine merchants, not just me. You get loads of comments like “I’ve never had a bad wine from you,” but logically, they must have had some they liked more than others. Some days you’ll like a wine that on other days you might not like. It’s psychological. 

The other thing that Peynaud did was to make us try two glasses of wine and tell him which we thought was better. We all agreed on one, but he told us both glasses had come from the same bottle. That was a real lesson. 

You’ve built a career finding bottles most of us never see on a supermarket shelf. How do you stumble on those wines?

There’s a network. You’ve got some good growers, and you hear about others from them – especially in places like Australia where everybody’s very open. You don’t do it by sitting in an office and phoning people up. A lot of people do that in the wine trade but it can’t possibly be as good as actually going there and seeing the actual people face to face. I’m not doing so much now, I’m old, but I used to spend so much of my time travelling.

Family has always been part of the story. What is it really like working with Barbara and your sons? 

Barbara and I learnt early on to avoid the subject of the business at home. Barbara had her areas to do with finance and management, and she was MD for 20 years. I was never MD. I just did the wines and the marketing. These days, the business is very much run by our sons. They’re all in their forties now and live reasonably close to us in Henley. They look after the day‑to‑day running, while also managing to keep themselves busy with their own ventures. Henry has his own winery and makes sparkling wines over in Marlow. Will’s got a brewery in Abingdon and Tom has a pub. We couldn’t be prouder to see the boys leading the business now, bringing their own ideas and taking it forward for the next generation.

Is there a place that feels like your second home in wine?

It would be Castillon and Sainte-Colombe, where Jean Cassin asked me to buy his vineyard, the first one I ever set foot in. I don’t go there every month but I get there quite a lot as my vineyard at Château La Clarière is a passion, and we go there for our summer holidays. It’s almost unbelievable that I got to go to France aged 19, landed in this village and I’m still going there 61 years later. How lucky can you get?

Can you pick a bottle with a back story?

Would it be cheating to talk about my wife’s wine? After she had retired from being MD, she and a friend who’d been widowed invested in two hectares in a hamlet called Wyfold. Their sparkling wine has got better and better. It was made by the Roberts family until our son Henry took over making it. It’s won awards and is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a dash of Pinot Meunier.

Your mantra has been “We stop at nothing to bring you great wine” – but was there a time that pushed you to the limit?

My annus horribilis was 1988, when my right-hand man, Tim Bleach, was killed in a car crash in Spain on a buying trip. Then I had a heart attack and I was told: “Pack it in or you’ll have another one” but I couldn’t pack it in. 

Barbara took on most of the work then. I did a little bit but stayed at home a lot. We got through it. It was just the two of us running the business then. It was stupid trying to do it on our own, so we went out there and found some good people, put a whole team of directors in and then the business took off. 

What still excites you most? And what simple advice would you give Telegraph readers for enjoying wine more this year?

I don’t travel much now, although I’m off soon to the Midi and then Australia, where we have an office and a winery in the Barossa called RedHeads. I think I’ve been almost everywhere, and every single wine district in France – which is well over 100! In other countries, I’ve been to all the main regions. I’m not so much thinking about discovering new bits as we have buyers who travel, as well as people in the different regions, who find stuff for us and send it in. 

A good day for me is when I’ve got some wine to write about, and I phone up people and find out about it all. And if it works and people buy it, it’s a fantastic day. In our game, if the customers like it, that’s what counts. I just love to write stuff, and people trust me not just to buy them a wine but to put together a mixed case of wine. My simple advice for readers would be to just try a bit more wine. Try new things you’ve never heard of, and pay a bit more. Find stuff that’s £20 or £15 and really enjoy it; focus on the pleasure it’s giving you.