Tábor István: “I think it is time to learn more about Ukrainian wines. Winelovers Wine Awards is ready to make your wines more recognized!”

Тра

Tábor István: “I think it is time to learn more about Ukrainian wines. Winelovers Wine Awards is ready to make your wines more recognized!”

Drinks+ spoke to Tabor Istvan, chief executive of the Winelovers Wine Awards. Our editor-in-chief Olga Pinevich-Todoryuk, as last year, was invited to the team of judges of the competition, and participation is free for Ukrainian winemakers. The event will take place in Budapest on June 28-30.

Considering all info listed in your website, can you, however, define the key special features of Winelovers Wine Awards? What makes it different from other international contests?

Winelovers Wine Awards is not only a competition, but a complete project that includes an international wine contest, a 3-day-event with several trade related side events focusing on Central Eastern European countries, and online wine magazine and social media. This focus on the CEE countries is our special feature and it is going to be more and more feasible in the future. I am being honest with you: in the first two years we had fancy topics of the masterclasses (side events of the contest), and the winelover public as well as the jury members were happy to taste Champagnes or other highly esteemed wines. At the recent, 3rd edition the masterclasses will present only CEE wines, for example the wines of Romania or indigenous varieties from 10 countries of the region. We also plan to have a guest country each year from the next edition, again countries from the Central Eastern European region.

Winelovers Wine Award

Piotr Pietras MS will be hosting a masterclass at the event

Does your competition have a mechanism regulating the number of medals granted to the participants? How does it work, practically?

Our contest is a so-called “Anglo-Saxon” competition, so we do not limit the number of medals granted to producers. Wines are scored out of 100 and judging comes to a decision based on independent blind tasting, and a collective discussion. However, judgings are half-day affairs so we have incorporated this element from the OIV, Organisation Internationale de Vin, system.

What are the most meaningful advantages the participants are getting from your competition? What are the benefits for those who don‘t win the medals?

The medal winners are featured in several ways from our digital and print magazines to social media posts and events. Maybe the digital publication is the most relevant for entering producers: the award-winning wines will be featured in an English-language digital publication and distributed to more than 4,000 key international decision makers (importers, head sommeliers, wine merchants and wine writers).

As for the non-medal-winners, well – they can learn from the results, since the jury consists of renowned wine professionals from all over Europe. Can you mention any wine contests, where the jury members are introduced before the contest? There are a few, but not many. We want to be as transparent as possible. From the website, the photos, the videos, wine producers can actually see which experts have tasted their wines. Are you a winemaker, entering a rosé? This year Jonas Röjerman MW will be the specialist of the rosé wine tasting table. If your wine does not win medal, will you say that he is not a seasoned taster? Or will you revise the way your rosé was made?

Winelovers Wine Award

The wine map of the world has been expanding in the last 10-15 years. How did that influence your competition (participants, judges)? Which countries, except Hungary, are represented among the participants and the jury members?

You are right: the last edition of The World Atlas of Wine features countries that were not known as wine countries earlier. Also, there are more and more developing wine countries, like Taiwan – now wonder we will have guests from Taiwan, though not as jury members, but as buyers. This Buyer’s Program is a novelty, and extra opportunities for wine producers and generic boards to introduce their wines to potential importers.

As for your second question, the proportion of foreign experts is much higher than last year.

This year we have 30 foreign jury members and 17 Hungarians, and the next year there will be even less local experts. The jury members come from several countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the USA, Columbia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovenia, Poland, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

We do not preach water: we will make this wine contest THE Central Eastern European wine competition.

Winelovers Wine Award

There’s a certain stereotype in the wine community: if a contest is held in Germany / Italy / France / UK, it focuses mainly on the buyers and consumers of that country. Do you think it’s true — and what are the core “markets of influence” for your competition?

Hungary is not a target country for most of the other CEE countries, because it is a wine producing not a wine importer country. There are some exceptions – like Pannon Borbolt with a significant selection of Balkan wines –, but the majority of the Hungarian buyers and consumers are at the phase of discovery when it comes to for example Ukrainian wines. However, we are a catalyst in this process – and we are the only one in this country with this mission.

But more importantly, our aim is to open a gate to the region. We are obliged to invite buyers and other experts of the west, and winemakers of the east and to create a professional environment to meet, taste, network and make business. We are seeking the competitive edge of the Central Eastern European wine producing region, the facets that can make this region interesting for the distributors and consumers of well-established wine importing countries.

What is your experience with Ukrainian wines? Do you see them as competitive as other wines of the Old and the New World within Winelovers Wine Awards?

Last year we had 3 gold medals from Ukraine, 15 silver medals and 6 bronze medals from 6 Ukrainian wineries. This year we are aiming to have 50+ entries from 10+ wineries. We are progressing step-by-step, and I think it is time to learn more about Ukrainian wines. Winelovers Wine Awards is ready to make your wines more recognized! It is up to you to join or not.

The medal winner Ukrainian wines from the last edition of Winelovers Wine Awards

Jury members of WWA 2024

International buyers of WWA 2024

Registration & entry of samples

Рубрика | Коментарі Вимкнено

Тра

Bottle Collection Initiative leads to International Reuse Ready Charter

The team behind the LWF23 Bottle Collection Initiative has concluded its research and is set to reveal its findings at next week’s London Wine Fair. The Initiative was a partnership between The Porto Protocol, Sustainable Wine Solutions and London Wine Fair which was launched at last year’s show. The Porto Protocol, whose mission is to catalyse climate action in the wine world, with Sustainable Wine Solutions, the UK experts in wine bottle return, challenged LWF to platform this initiative back in early 2023. The report has subsequently generated a call to action for the global wine industry: the number of bottles being produced must reduce. The “Reuse Ready Charter” will consider action points which the industry – throughout the supply chain – can adopt. The intention was to assess if – in the current state of play – a reusable supply chain could be a possibility and what would need to happen for this to become a reality.

The initial findings were based on 20,000 empty bottles collected from LWF exhibitors. A full audit was carried out on 1,017 bottles with a label-removability audit carried out on 2,000 bottles. The remaining 18,000 bottles were reused or recycled by Sustainable Wine Solutions which imports in bulk and bottles in the UK for on-trade distribution.

The backdrop to the initiative paints a concerning picture for the global wine industry: +32 billion wine bottles are produced annually, and with each bottle releasing an average of 600g of CO₂, the total carbon emissions equate to 19.8million tons per annum. The UK alone consumes an average 1.77bn bottles of wine per annum, most of which are single use.

As the wine industry shifts towards environmental sustainability, the widespread adoption of reusable wine bottles becomes crucial, particularly considering that single-use wine glass bottles account for 35% of the carbon footprint associated with each bottle of wine. This shift aims to drastically decrease the industry’s overall carbon footprint and embrace a holistic circular model throughout the entire value chain. On the other hand, reusable glass offers the greatest potential to reduce environmental impacts: reusable glass bottles produce 85% fewer carbon emissions than their single-use counterparts; 75% fewer carbon emissions than plastic (PET); and 57% fewer carbon emissions than aluminium cans. (Zero Waste Europe).

Although the initial intention was to audit all bottles in depth, we didn’t feel that it was needed since most bottles were different.

The good news is that the needle is shifting rapidly, and there is now growing consensus that reusing should become the gold standard. Michael Giannuzi, CEO of Verallia (Europe’s leading manufacturer of glass bottles for the drinks industry) said it well: “As glassmaking experts, we cannot afford to be smug about producing an infinitely recyclable material. That’s a great starting point for our industry. But glass is only sustainable when it is reused when and wherever possible and does in fact get recycled.” (Verallia white book).

However, the wide variation in bottle sizes and weights presents a significant barrier, complicating the scalability of schemes that are essential to make a reuse supply chain a reality. The results show “chaos on a big scale”, according to Muriel Chatel of Sustainable Wine Solutions. In the sample of 1,047 bottles, there were 947 different types, varying in terms of shape, weight and design. With only 7% of bottles being the same, this creates a significant challenge for reuse. The good news is that 73% of bottles can be reused, giving substantial opportunities for the industry.

With key global figures such as Jancis Robinson MW OBE campaigning for lighter bottles and alternative formats for everyday wines, and with younger generations increasingly demanding low-impact packaging, the glass bottle is at risk of losing its centre stage status. Already PET bottles have an increasing presence on supermarket shelves; there is a real risk of the bottle losing its central stage status.

London Wine Fair

The findings will be presented on Centre Stage from 12h45 to 13h45 on Wednesday, 22nd May: “Revealing the results of the waste bottle report and introducing the Reuse Ready Project”, hosted by Muriel Chatel (Sustainable Wine Solutions) and Marta Mendonça (The Porto Protocol). 2024 Session Schedule (londonwinefair.com). The partnership will call industry stakeholders to action on three key areas: an open letter to the glass manufacturers urging them to listen to the global wine industry, its biggest customer; leveraging corporate responsibility; and The Reuse Ready International Charter.

Head of London Wine Fair, Hannah Tovey, commented: “This report provides vital intelligence for the global wine industry. The industry’s consumption of glass is just not sustainable and whilst the solutions won’t come overnight, the Reuse Ready Charter provides a valuable tool for producers, glass manufacturers, buyers – everyone in the industry – willing (and able) to make a change.”

Adrian Bridge, CEO, The Porto Protocol, commented: “The 2023 Bottle Collection Initiative’s outcomes at the London Wine Fair highlight the pressing need for climate action in the wine industry. With billions of bottles produced yearly, the environmental impact is significant, underlining the urgency for sustainable practices. Our partnership with Sustainable Wine Solutions and the London Wine Fair demonstrates our dedication to fostering industry-wide change for a more sustainable future. By participating in initiatives like this, we collectively tackle these challenges and propel essential climate action within the wine world”

Muriel Chatel, Managing Director, Sustainable Wine Solutions, commented: “The reusable bottle is the silver bullet that will ensure that the glass bottle keeps its status as the container of choice for a long time because of its low impact and not simply because of romance and tradition. Already initiatives around the world by entrepreneurial pioneers are showing that a reusable supply chain is feasible, but only industry wide collaboration will allow it to scale.”

Рубрика | Коментарі Вимкнено

Тра

Ukrainian wines in the world capital: Wines of Ukraine at London Wine Fair 2024

London Wine Fair is the largest and most famous expo for wine and spirits industry professionals in Great Britain. On May 20-22, 2024, the doors of the luxurious Olympia London hall will open to 400+ participants and 10,000+ visitors. Wineries from all over the world will present their wines to the most famous wine critics, Masters of Wine, journalists, buyers of large chains, importers, international retailers, sommeliers, restaurateurs and hoteliers.

Wines of Ukraine is taking an active part in this event for the third year in a row. Why London Wine Fair? “First of all, this is one of the largest international wine events in the world,” comments Svitlana Tsybak, representative for Wines of Ukraine and co-founder of Uawines UK. — Secondly, the British wine market is extremely open to everything new. Over the past year, we have launched Uawines UK here, a company that imports the best Ukrainian craft wines to Britain. The opportunity to offer Ukrainian wines in the very center of the world is of great strategic importance for Ukrainian winemaking.”

This time, Wines of Ukraine will represent 15 producers from different parts of Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian brands in Britain:

Beykush Winery (Mykolaiv region)

Kolonist Wine (Odesa region)

Frumushika Nova (Odesa region)

Biologist Winery (Kyiv region)

Stakhovsky Wines (Zakarpattia)

Villa Tinta (Odesa region)

SHABO Family Winery (Odesa region)

Chateau Chizay (Zakarpattia)

Big Wines (Kyiv region)

Grande Vallee (Odesa region)

Honey Badger (Kyiv region)

Medovy Spas (Kyiv region)

Bolgrad Winery (Odesa region)

Dima’s Vodka (Zhytomyr region)

Token Wine.

On May 22, as part of the Wines of Ukraine exhibition, a master class “Discover the taste of Ukraine” will be held with a commented tasting of six wines representing different regions of Ukraine and demonstrating different styles and terroir characteristics. The tasting will be held by Richard Bampfield, Master of Wine from Great Britain, one of the leading international experts in the field of sustainable production, one of the co-founders of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable international initiative, consultant, wine educator, member of the jury of many tasting competitions, and European Champagne Ambassador 2009.

When: 22.05

Where: Education Zone at LWF.

Wines of Ukraine invite everyone who plans to attend the London Wine Fair to visit stand D26. Tastings of excellent wines, interesting communication with Ukrainian winemakers and networking are guaranteed!

Wines of Ukraine’s participation in the London Wine Fair is supported by the international cooperation program ReACT4UA (Application and implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine in the sphere of trade) funded by the German government. The strategic implementor of the program is the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The program is aimed at supporting the economic stability, recovery and growth of Ukraine, creating better conditions for the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially with regard to accession to the EU.

Рубрика | Коментарі Вимкнено

Тра

Exclusive Interview with Hannah Tovey, Event Director of London Wine Fair: Innovations and Highlights of the Upcoming LWF

One of the most significant expo events in Europe is approaching — it is the London Wine Fair. Just before this important event Hannah Tovey, Event Director of London Wine Fair, despite the incredible amount of organizational tasks, found time to talk to the head of the Drinks+ Media Group. After all, despite the fact that the British market has historically attracted all those who are concerned with wine sales, this year the LWF organizers are introducing a number of innovations that will enhance the presentation capabilities of this expo hub and attract an additional audience of traders from around the world.

In 2024, the London Wine Fair, as the largest event in the beverage trade sector in the UK, is introducing a range of new features. Could you please name 3–5 of the most significant new options for exhibitors, in your opinion?

We have a host of new features for 2024, as well as several first time and returning exhibitors, so the Fair will have a real sense of “newness”. One of the most significant new features is Judgement of London. And we have a brand-new exhibitor area: The Discovery Zone, a dedicated section which will host non-wine drinks, including No and Lo. Another first for 2024 is the Hosted Buyer Programme which will be available for all exhibitors and visitors as well as a full Concierge Service for 50 of the UK’s top buyers.

As it is known, the British market is one of the leading arenas for wine traders, always having unique advantages for wine trading. However, how does LWF additionally attract leading trading companies? Could you please elaborate on the motivation and services? Perhaps the Wine Buyers Awards play a significant role — what’s new in this project this year, and how does the motivational mechanism work?

LWF has an enviable reputation as an event for drinks professionals from the UK and beyond. This is based on three key elements: business; education; and networking. We are very much a platform for our exhibitors, be they distributors, wine brands, generic bodies, boutique distillers to show their portfolios to the UK’s top buyers from supermarkets to independent merchants to sommeliers. It is this happy marriage of our exhibitor and visitor audiences which makes the LWF such an attractive proposition.

Who among the new participants this year would you particularly like to highlight — new ones or those who have returned after the break?

Several of the UK’s leading agents, importers and logistics companies are returning this year. Mentzendorff will take a stand for the first time in 12 years and will host a series of unmissable masterclasses; Buckingham Schenk; Freixenet Copestick; Hillebrand Gori UK; Lanchester Wines; and Origin Wine are also all returning. We will also host Japan with a generic pavilion for the first time and we have four Chinese producers attending.

Wines of South Africa will return with a large Pop-Up Tasting on the Tuesday. The tasting will bring together some of South Africa’s best producers and highlight a wide spectrum of wines on offer, from well-known names such as Spier, DGB, Waterkloof and Springfield to less well-known producers and those seeking representation. Groupings for Cap Classique (South Africa’s traditional method sparkling wines) and the Stellenbosch Cabernet Collective highlight how important these two categories are for South Africa in the UK market.

We will also see many of our long-standing exhibitors at the show: Hatch Mansfield, Awin Barratt Siegel, Richmond Wine Agencies, Ellis Wines, EWGA, Felix Solis, H2Vin, Marcato Direct, Beyond Wine and Friarwood Fine Wines., to name just a few.

The most important aspect, perhaps, of organizing such global forums as LWF is meeting planning. Is there any statistics on how visitors and participants utilize the communication opportunities provided by you through the online platform? In this regard, what advice could you give to wine producers who would like to attract the attention of effective traders/buyers, etc.?

Our searchable database of exhibitor products at the show, which is managed by Bottlebooks, is invaluable for visitors who wish to create a personalised tasting sheet to maximise their time at the show. This is very widely used, and last year we saw 7,000 unique users of the product list. The Hosted Buyers Programme will give visitors and exhibitors access to London Wine Fair’s digital networking and show planner platform, where they can book sessions and invite other attendees to meetings, all based on bespoke searches. VIP buyers have specifically requested a bespoke service, and this has resulted in a dedicated space for meetings “The Hosted Buyers Lounge”.

Could you please explain in more detail for potential users how the integration of a resource like Bottlebooks into your services is planned?

The Fair’s official digital directory is run by Bottlebooks; a now universally used platform for wine data capture, which launched with the LWF back in 2016. Bottlebooks is a tool that gives the wine industry one place to host and exchange comprehensive, producer-entered product information including product information, photography, maps, controlled by the source – the producer. As such it really enhances the visitor – and exhibitor – LWF experience.

Perhaps, it would be worthwhile to provide more information about the exhibition layout on the eve of the event. As for me, the following sections sound particularly appealing: DRINKS BRITANNIA, ESOTERICA, TRADING FLOOR, WINES UNEARTHED… What exactly will visitors find there, and who are they intended for?

Drinks Britannia celebrates our English and Welsh producers; we have a record number – 18 – signed up this year, some of which are exhibiting under WineGB. Esoterica is always one of the busiest sections; it hosts boutique, independent importers mainly targeting the premium on-trade and independent merchants. The Trading Floor is the main area of the show and hosts the larger UK agents distributors and generic bodies. And Wines Unearthed hosts non-domestic producers seeking a UK agent for the first time.

DISCOVERY ZONE — I suggest delving into this in more detail. Do we already know which startups and innovative technologies will be presented here?

The Discovery Zone has been moved to the heart of the exhibition. The idea is that the products and services that are hosted in this zone, are really at the centre of future-proofing our industry. Whether that’s a sustainability agency, an App, or a logistics company.”

Are there any new venues or sections in your exhibition this year that will appear for the first time? What prompted their introduction?

For the first time we have a large, hosted meetings lounge. This was prompted by a conversation last summer with two key buyers. They explained that meetings on stand are often great for tasting, but sometimes they need a more private location to have in-depth meetings with suppliers.

I can’t stay aside and not ask you about the JUDGMENT OF LONDON — who exactly came up with the incredible idea to recreate the famous tasting in Paris now in London? The media group Drinks+ has already outlined the principles of the upcoming tasting on its resources in general terms. And we hope to have the opportunity to cover its results. But I would also like to clarify — how were the wine analogs from the Old and New Worlds selected, do you personally have any forecasts or premonitions?

I first dreamt up Judgement of London in 2019, with the intention to launch it at the 2020 show but that was scuppered by Covid-19 and the subsequent UK Lockdown. Logistically, it has been quite a significant addition to the show, but we felt this year we were in a perfect place to revisit the original idea. Judgement of London will pay homage to Steven Spurrier’s ground-breaking Judgement of Paris but will have a broader remit.

Instead of a France vs California blind tasting, Judgement of London will feature pairs of wines from Europe and the Rest of the World; eight white, and eight red. These have been selected to be comparable in terms of style and readiness for drinking. Two of the UK wine industry’s most experienced professionals, Ronan Sayburn MS and CEO of The Court of Master Sommeliers, and high respected wine writer and tasting judge, Sarah Abbot MW, will be selecting the wines and curating the tasting and we have a panel of 20 of the UKS most impressive palates to judge, Judging will take place on the first day of the show, and we will announce the results on the Tuesday on Centre Stage.

I have no preconceptions of how this will pan out, but whatever the results are it will be an incredibly interesting exercise.

It’s logical to continue the topic with global trends, which JUDGMENT OF LONDON will undoubtedly demonstrate through its results. Could you please name the main directions in which the wine world is moving, and which ones do you personally observe from the perspective of your own experience and years of activity in general? Which of them will have a critical impact on the industry? For example, could you comment on a phenomenon that LWF focuses on — such as regenerative.

Sustainability is the number one issue for wine right now and The Fair gives an opportunity to shine a spotlight on this and create an environment to instigate change. 2023 was the most sustainable show to date, and we have strengthened that focus for 2024, with more seminars and masterclasses on the key challenges our industry faces such as climate change and carbon emissions. We will also report back on our Bottle Collection Initiative which we platformed for Sustainable Wine Solutions and The Porto Protocol last year. The LWF is very much a showcase for future trends in the wine industry and 2024 is no exception: the use of Artificial Intelligence for example.

Perhaps, it’s worth focusing separately on the designated zone at LWF — MINDFUL DRINKING EXPERIENCE. How is this segment growing, and are wines with low alcohol content or even zero capable of regaining some lost audience of wine lovers — as global statistics, as far as known, indicate a decrease in demand for wine in almost all segments? Could you please detail the initiatives of an association like Club Soda?

No and Lo remains one of the fastest growing sectors within the drinks industry and also one of the most innovative and exciting. We will be hosting 16 exhibitors / brands in the Mindful Drinking Experience this year, 7 for the first time.

According to observations by Drinks+ observers, competition between exhibitions — the world leaders in the professional wine community — has sharply intensified after the pandemic. Does London feel the pressure? What are your strongest positions that allow you to stay in the top league? What are the plans — if not a secret — for the coming years?

Having an event the scale of London Wine Fair which serves the UK market – one of the most diverse in the world – has never been more needed. Having a platform which raises the most pertinent issues and challenges – as well as opportunities – is absolutely essential. The impact of Brexit, the looming changes to duty, falling wine consumption, our carbon emissions all need to be debated and solutions implemented and LWF provides the space to do this, alongside doing business and identifying trends for the future.

Рубрика | Коментарі Вимкнено

Тра

WTA Ceremony at the London Wine Fair 2024: presenting the THIRD edition participants

Traditionally, the awarding ceremony of the winners of the WTA is accompanied by a round tasting of the wines of our nominees. And at the same time it becomes a round-the-world journey through wine routes. And this year the THIRD Edition of WTA Ceremony at the London Wine Fair 2024 promises an exciting lineup of participants, including renowned wineries, emerging brands, and industry experts.

A sophisticated tasting session of wines and WTA winners’ celebration featuring wines from esteemed members of the WTA community from Italy, Romania, New Zealand, Georgia, France, Moldova…

So, let’s get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Wine Travel Awards Ceremony with an awesome agenda!

Join us on May 21 at Gallery Suit, London Wine Fair, Olympia, London from 10:30 to 12:30.

If you would like to be a part of WTA Ceremony in London this year please use this form to contact us for the badge to the exhibition

Or contact personally:

Telephone: +38067 4474578 (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) Email: winetravelawards@gmail.com

The Ceremony will start from a keynote address on Wine Tourism: Benefits and Challenges by Robert Joseph, a respected member of the WTA jury, distinguished author in the domain of wine and wine tourism, and a pioneering figure in the wine industry.

Next, after the actual Wine Travel Awards Ceremony, we will start for an exciting experience – the Walk Around Tasting.

Introducing the Participants:

This medieval castle, meticulously restored just last year, invites guests to embark on extraordinary adventures. It boasts breathtaking landscapes, culinary delights in the refined ambiance of its local restaurant, relaxation in a designer hotel, horseback riding, leisurely strolls, and, most importantly, the opportunity to taste an incredibly diverse selection of high-class wines! Jidvei wines (Romania), a distinguished winemaking enterprise, annually processes over 25 million kg of grapes. Since 1999, Jidvei has blended modern techniques with tradition, earning over 500 medals in prestigious international competitions. With four wineries boasting top-tier facilities and 6100 acres of vineyard, Jidvei crafts quality wines reflecting the essence of its terroir.