Explore UK 2022-23

Open to all wineries, Explore UK runs from November 2022 until January 2023.

The program offers market briefings, panel discussions, insights, and targeted marketing to importers and agents.

The briefings have been designed to clearly portray the current market as it is, and how to navigate it and create opportunities. The briefings will provide information and insight into a different facet of the market, such as consumer trends, on- and off-trade, and the importer landscape. This will prepare you on how to go to market, your pricing strategy, category performance and in-market opportunities so that you can tailor your message for appointments with customers.

Following the market briefings, we will be talking to agents and importers through dedicated emails, sharing your wine story and proposition. This part of the program is all about encouraging agents and importers to browse and make connections with participating wineries.

As part of Explore UK, wineries will also have the opportunity to showcase wines at the Australia Trade Tasting in London on 24 January 2023. At the event there will be a special free-pour tasting zone, featuring wines from wineries on Explore UK. This new-to-market area gives buyers from importers and retailers the chance to taste your wines.

Market Briefings

Introduction to the UK market

1 November 2022

This presentation will provide an overview of the market and a roadmap to exporting from Australia to the UK, hosted by Judy Kendrick and Ana Sofia Oliveira. Coordinators of the ‘Wines Unearthed’ section at the London Wine Fair each year, Judy and Ana have hosted similar briefings for wineries across the globe looking to export to the UK.

Consumer trends in the UK

3 November 2022

In this briefing we will dive deep into consumer trends in the UK, hosted by Lulie Halstead of Wine Intelligence, and moderated by Laura Jewell MW of Wine Australia. Lulie will explain the structure and buying behaviours of consumers in the UK, with a particular focus on the changes over the last two years.

Introduction to the importer landscape

8 November 2022

This briefing will examine the importer landscape in the UK, exploring what importers are looking for, and how best to approach them. The discussion will be moderated by Richard Siddle, editor and founder of The Buyer. Our panellists are David Cartwright (Sales Director, Seckford Agencies), Miranda Fong (Buyer, Graft Wines) and Harriet Kininmonth (Head of Wine, Matthew Clark/Bibendum).

Introduction to the off-trade

9 November 2022

Discover this dynamic sector with a lively panel discussion bringing together national retailers, online retailers and smaller independent outlets, hosted by Emma Symington MW of Wine Australia. Our panellists are Georgina Haughton (Buyer, J Sainsbury’s), Freddy Bulmer (Buyer, The Wine Society) and Hal Wilson (Owner, Cambridge Wine Merchants).

Introduction to the on-trade

10 November 2022

Several key players from a range of on-trade outlets and buying groups, from fine dining to the multiple pub sector, will discuss the UK on-trade scene in a session moderated by Andrew Catchpole, editor of Harpers. Our panellists are Charlie Young (Owner, Vinoteca), Holly Ninnes (Head of Wine, St Austell Brewery) and Kelvin McCabe (Sommelier, Hackney Coterie).