We’ve reached a crucial stage in the build up (why build up, but count down? Oh well…) to the UK’s largest wine event in the calendar, the London International Wine fair (LIWF), next week at Excel. The integrity of our pants is under threat from the sheer anticipation. Seriously! If we can negotiate this tricky stage then it will be plain sailing from then on won’t it…?
But why such excitement? Well first up we are showing a phenomenal line-up of wines. Our stand, D30, will be packed full of winemaking talent, of both the beautiful and the bold varieties. In all their unadulterated glory, you can expect Els Pyreneus, Laroche, Foncalieu, Casa de la Ermita, Dinastia Vivanco, Criadores de Rioja, The Chase Distillery, Ron Los Valientes, Audry Cognac, Ceppaiano, Castellani, Marmesa, Larry Brooks, Estapor Venir, SAAM Mountain Vineyards, Laurenz V, Prinz von Hessen, Graham Beck, Bisol, Bruno Paillard, De Castellane, d’Arenberg, Deakin Estate, Katnook Estate, Howard Park, Madfish, Marchand & Burch, Valdivieso, Oveja Negra, Chilcas, Delicato Family Vineyards, Bodegas Catena Zapata and Spy Valley.
Just next door lie Argento (E28), Lion Nathan (D25) and Boisset (E30). Take a walk and you’ll find other producers dotted around the hall: Creta Olympias (N20), Springfield Estate (L40 – WOSA), Castello Banfi (T20), Chereau-Carre (I30/1J), Cave de Fleurie (I60/2) and Remy Pannier (I60/4). All in all, a festival of good wine!
If you’re going to be there make sure you come along and share a glass with us. If not, then why not?! Sign up for a pass here (though trade only unfortunately). The show runs from Tuesday to Thursday, from 9.30am to 6pm (5pm Thursday).
But that’s not all. There’s wine, wine, wine, awards, chat and more wine. Somewhere in the middle of that is a volcano of social media, which is primed to erupt at 1pm on Wednesday 13th in Roooms 11 and 12 of the South Gallery. Unlike the G20 conference a few weeks ago, the only ‘ring of steel’ this time round will be mine, as I step up on stage and talk about Bibendum and social media.
We’re expecting a room full of restaurateurs, merchants, importers, wineries, journalists… In fact, from the RSVPs so far, it looks like the seminar is appealing to all sectors of the industry. You can get full details of what Rob McIntosh, Ryan Opaz and myself will be talking about here. We’ll also be blogging from the venue and interviewing producers on the stand – so check in each day to see what’s happening.
If you’d like to guarantee a spot email Kate or myself.
Throw in a couple of dinners, Matthew Jukes’ Top 100 Australian Wines bash and lots of collateral tasting and it promises to be quite a week. See you there!
Tags: Audry Cognac, bisol, Bodegas Catena Zapata, bruno paillard, Casa de la Ermita, Castellani, ceppaiano, Chilcas, Criadores de Rioja, De Castellane, deakin estate, Delicato Family Vineyards, Dinastia Vivanco, d’Arenberg, els Pyreneus, Estapor Venir, Foncalieu, Graham Beck, Howard Park, Katnook Estate, Laroche, Larry Brooks, Laurenz V, LIWF, London International Wine fair, Madfish, Marchand & Burch, Marmesa, Oveja Negra, Prinz von Hessen, Ron Los Valientes, SAAM Mountain Vineyards, social media, Spy Valley, The Chase Distillery, Twitter, Valdivieso