On 12th December, Women in Wine LDN held our annual Christmas lectures event, featuring three speakers presenting on 'What to expect in 2019':
Rebekah Kendrick, Head of Brexit and EU Affairs, Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)
"Brexit and wine: what's the worst that could happen?"
Lindsay Holas, Wine Business Lecturer, Plumpton College
"Evolution of the English Sparkling Market"
Beth Kelly, Wine Specialist, Marks & Spencer
"Supermarket Trends for 2019"
Kicking off the session, Rebekah discussed the latest dramatic unfolding of the Brexit saga and the implications of various scenarios of the UK wine market. Having worked in Parliamentary affairs on one side, and WSTA members on the other, her presentation provided detailed, real-life data which would be useful across all companies across the sector.
On a more optimistic note, Lindsay followed up with a presentation of the burgeoning English wine market. Charting its development from ancient times to the present, Lindsay suggested that we are at an inflection point for wine producers here. The shift to quality varieties, cooperation among producers, awards recognition and wine tourism has meant that we've developed a 'wine cluster' in the UK, a 'geographical area of unusually high competitive advantage'.
Beth Kelly was the final presenter, and she examined supermarket trends for next year from an M&S perspective. She discussed macro trends impacting the market (e.g., lifestyle and demographic changes in wine drinkers). Then, a range of topics were covered - technology, packaging, organic/biodynamic and vegan wines. She concluded by saying that retailers providing an engaging consumer experience is more important than ever.
Thank you very much to Liberty Wines for hosting the event and being an ongoing supporter of Women in Wine LDN!