LWF reveals 'mini preview' ahead of May opening

By James Bayley

Published: 25 April, 2023

Held between 15-17 May at the London Olympia, the London Wine Fair (LWF) has revealed a preview of what attendees might expect from the UK’s largest drinks industry exhibition.

Harpers can exclusively reveal details of LWF’s first-ever “Distil & Brew” feature, dedicated to beer, cider and spirits.

Located adjacent to the Esoterica stand, Distil & Brew will feature premium, artisanal “non-wine” drinks from around the world, including exhibitors launching to the trade for the first time. These include Artistraw, a low-intervention cider producer, which champions biodiversity, wild yeasts and handpicking in its low-intensity, traditional orchards and the Totnes-based Devon Distillery which will show its portfolio of gin, “devoncello” and rum.

Read more: Henry Jeffreys: Seeking out gin’s disruptors

Continuing the theme of unconventional drinks, LWF will also showcase a host of no and low producers at its Mindful Drinking Experience stand created in partnership with Club Soda.

Craft beers, ciders and spirits will also be on display at the Drinks Britannia stall where visitors will find the very best of homegrown drinks, especially the burgeoning sparkling and still wine sectors. The WineGB pavilion will host several first-time exhibitors including; Bluebell Vineyard, Artelium, Court Garden, Halfpenny Green and Sandridge Barton.

English wine will also be the focus of a panel discussion moderated by Harpers' columnist Guy Woodward with Henry Jeffreys (author of the forthcoming Vines in a Cold Climate; The People behind the English Wine Revolution); Anne Jones (partner and drinks experience manager at Waitrose); and Robin Hutson (owner of The Pig hotel group); plus one more TBC. The overall theme considers how English wine as a whole can better promote and market itself to become more of a fixture in the national consciousness.

Another great British wine institution, the WSET School London will host a cross-section of sessions from wine faults to bar training, as part of the LWF’s “Education Zone”.

No matter how long you've been in the trade there is always something new to learn about wine. This year the LWF has three sections dedicated to esoteric regions, producers seeking UK distribution and technological advancements respectively, ensuring that even the most knowledgeable visitors will come away from LWF having learnt something new.

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