Within days of the Napa Valley going up in flames, as firefighters were still wrestling for control of Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder, the assurances were being issued. Everything was OK – the vast majority of the grapes had already been harvested, the remaining fruit on the vine was the thick-skinned, resilient Cabernet and any smoke taint was likely to be minimal.
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Remind me never to play poker against Frédéric Engerer.
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James Lawrence catches up with the buying team at customer-owned The Wine Society
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Ahead of his forthcoming retirement David Cox talks to Andrew Catchpole about a lifetime at the forefront of the drinks trade
Many years ago, one of the UK’s biggest retailers used Reverse eAuctions to source entry point wine from Eastern Europe. Their annual contract to supply fixed quantities of different wines was at stake. The volumes were huge. It was a thrilling but deflating experience.
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D&D London’s Michael Patterson talks to Andrew Catchpole about evolving drinks trends on the London restaurant scene and how they affect the buyers’ role
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Having a speciality can be a boon for a merchant. Andrew Catchpole invites a few to share the pros and cons of sourcing, selling and communicating such an offer
Former editor of Decanter @guyawoodward
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When I was younger, fitter and considerably trimmer than I am now, I took part (twice) in a wine trade version of The Full Monty for charity. The name of our group of buffed-up writers, sommeliers and importers was The Semillons (geddit?). So, when I received an invitation to an event called The Semillon Sessions recently, part of me hoped that a new group of amateur strippers would be strutting their moves on a stage somewhere.
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Laura Jewell MW talks to Andrew Catchpole about life at the UK helm of Wine Australia and her involvement with the Women in Wine Awards
Why aren’t “organic carrots” just called carrots? Why aren’t carrots grown with pesticides called “chemical carrots”?
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Andrew Catchpole drops in on The Good Wine Shop where a hybrid-focused refurb is the latest innovation primed to seduce wine drinkers from the south-west London ‘burbs
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The one thing everyone knows about Gerard Basset OBE MS MW is that he’s a nice bloke. A true gent. A real gem. As I write this, his latest tweets feature extended thanks to well-wishers and teachers after his son’s successful admission into university, and a retweet of a cute dog. Well I’ve got news for you. It’s all a front. A façade. He might appear as affable as his canine namesake, but have you ever seen a Basset hound when it gets the scent of rabbit in its nostrils? Scary…
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It was a familiar scenario. Offer Brits what seems like a bargain and they’ll form orderly queues at 6.30am on a Bank Holiday Monday. To be fair to those early morning Lidl shoppers, it looked like a spectacular deal: a case of Prosecco for the flute-clinking sum of £20, the equivalent of £3.33 a bottle. When you bear in mind that the duty and VAT amount to £3.23, it would be legally impossible to offer the wine any cheaper.
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Original creator Judy Kendrick kick-started SITT back in 2005 with her vision for an event which puts buyers’ needs at the top of the agenda.
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Lisa Riley caught up with the new head of the annual must-attend event about the changes she’s been implementing in her first few months
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James Lawrence catches up with buyers from some of the UK’s leading agent-importers
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Are you friends with wine writers on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter? Then you'll be familiar with "#JournoRequest!!!". Or maybe "Help from the #hivemind..." and "Hey everyone, I need your tips". Crowd-sourced wine writing.
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What’s the most thing important thing when selling wine? Is it the best quality? The best price? The most unique product? The best story? The most compelling packaging?
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With a career spanning over 40 years and two continents, May de Lencquesaing certainly earned the IWC Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed upon her early this summer.
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