fortified wines

Four reasons to get fortified

It’s easy to think of sherry and port as timeless, traditional categories where very little changes. But there are plenty of recent developments which have helped give both a new lease of life.

By David Williams

Most people I know in the wine trade speak of fortified wine in almost wistful terms. Whether it’s their first sip of a great vintage port, the rediscovery of sherry as an intensely savoury dry wine, or an encounter with a decades- (or centuries-) old Madeira, more often than not it’s a fortified wine that has provided the formative, rites of passage moment that turns someone from being curious about wine to being deeply, passionately involved. You get a sense of just how well loved fortified wine is by wine professionals at the annual Big Fortified Tasting, an event that many people seem to go to simply for the pleasure of tasting and recapturing the joy of wine enthusiasm. Of course, the flipside of this gentleman-amateur kind of enjoyment is that not enough people take fortified wine seriously as a commercial proposition. The BFT can be an away day for some because they’re never going to buy or sell all that much of what’s on display.

Or so I’d thought. Talking to retailers over the past year or two I’ve noticed a stark change in attitude: many merchants, unprompted, report an increased interest in fortified wines, notably dry sherry and various types of premium port – and they follow that up with an analysis of the audience for fortified wines that is a long way from the stereotype.

It’s notably younger, for one thing, but also coming at the drink from a wine angle: these are people interested in terroir, grape varieties, traditions and authenticity, not just drinking fortified wines because that’s what social occasions demand.

What follows, here, are a few tentative suggestions for my, admittedly anecdote-informed sense that fortified wine is finding a whole new audience.

The Colheita – or Single-Harvest – boom

When I first visited the Douro back in 1999, the concept of vintage-dated tawny port was still very much the preserve of the Portuguese houses. Even the name given to the category, colheita, was Portuguese, which made it stand out from pretty much every other piece of port category nomenclature which, from vintage to LBV to tawny itself, was set by the British shippers.

One of the more interesting developments in the region’s fortified wine culture in the years since, and one that has accelerated rapidly in the past decade, is the way the big British names have at last embraced the concept of a wood-aged port from a single-vintage, and begun to use the category for some of their most eye-catching releases.

Both the Fladgate Partnership (Taylor’s, Croft, Fonseca) and the Symingtons (Cockburn’s, Dow’s, Graham’s, Warre’s) have tended to use the term “single harvest” for what are often very special and limited releases – reflecting the fact that, in many cases, the wines come from vintages when the houses in question were still thinking in terms of blended tawnies, both with and without age statements.

The rise in interest in single-vintage wines among the British houses reflects the growth in demand and interest among British drinkers for the wider tawny category. That, in turn, is the result of clever marketing by the British houses and significant improvements in quality, with much better conditions for ageing in both Vila Nova de Gaia and upriver in the Douro.

Of course, the British houses will never have this part of the market to themselves. One of the most significant figures in shaping the new British appetite for premium tawny port is the Sogevinus group, whose brands, notably Kopke and Calem, have some of the best stocks of old, high-quality, age-dated tawny ports around, and whose releases have become a fixture of independents’ ranges throughout the UK.

A brave man in a white shirt

Vintage and terroir sherry

Vintage is also playing a small part in sherry’s ongoing premiumisation.

The revival of single-vintage sherries – aka Jerez de Añada – began in the 1990s when Gonzalez Byass and Williams & Humbert released some tiny-production oloroso and amontillado from casks that had been kept apart from the solera system in their bodegas.

Other bodegas – among them Lustau and Hidalgo – followed suit with the same styles in the 2000s. But the idea has been given new life recently by the arrival of single-vintage fino and manzanilla wines that are explicitly pitched at white-wine drinkers.

Again, it’s been Williams & Humbert leading the way, with the company releasing a fino en rama from the 2006 vintage in the mid-2010s, and then following that up with a series of later releases, including an organic 2015, launched in 2018. The bodega’s winemaker, Paola Medina, has been widely lauded for her experiments in flor-ageing outside the solera system, with her single-vintage fino sherries bottled once the flor has died away naturally.

Meanwhile, in Sanlúcar de Barremeda, Bodega Callejuela has

Paola Medina

taken the concept even further. The bodega was the first to bottle a single-vintage manzanilla; but with the fruit all sourced from a plot adjacent to the winery, it’s also single-vineyard.

That’s no surprise, since Pepe and Paco Blanco, the brothers behind Callejuela, are also very much involved in the new movement to make wines that better reflect the region’s terroir.

The brothers now work some 28ha of vines in Jerez and Sanlúcar, which they use to make flor-aged light wines as well as traditional fortified sherry. In this they are joined by influential winemakers such as local star Ramiro Ibañez of Cota 45 and the man behind Ribera del Duero’s Pingus, Peter Sisseck, who has a sherry project, Bodega San Francisco, focused on making fino from two of the region’s most famous sites: Balbaina and Marcharnado.

Jerez de la Frontera

Vintage port’s run of greatness

If quality age-dated (and single-harvest) port may now be fully accepted by British port lovers as a style that can be every bit as luxuriously complex as ruby styles, vintage port has also been enjoying something of a golden age in the past decade.

Indeed, the end of the 2010s brought with them a once-in-acentury occurrence: universal back-to-back declarations for the 2016 and 2017 vintages – with a number of houses (Taylor’s and compulsive-declarers Noval among them) making it a hat-trick with the 2018s. Improvements in the quality of fortification spirit over the past 20 years (it is now much softer, more grape-like in fragrance) mean the wines no longer require years of ageing for the alcoholic heat and sting to integrate into the finished wine. That makes them much more likely to be drunk in the American way, as soon as they’re bottled and bought.

Still, for more tradition-minded British port lovers who would see the consumption of vintage ports of any less than 20 years of age as a kind of vinous infanticide, the very different qualities of the 2016 and 2017 vintages are now making their way onto the ready-to-drink LBV market in time for Christmas.

Mixing it up

There is a persistent notion that fortified wine is a somewhat fusty trade, peopled by fundamentally conservative types who are some years behind the times when it comes to marketing and NPD.

But that image – shaped by popular depictions of port being passed by red-faced men and sherry being tippled in vicarages – tends to fall away when you look at some of the recent activity by brands in both trades in recent years. One of the more significant developments has been the intervention of port and sherry brands into the growing and

The latest release in the Taylor’s Historical Collection is The Mallet. The blend for this limited edition comes from specially selected ports from Taylor’s extensive aged tawny stocks, aged in seasoned oak port pipes. The name The Mallet is a reference to the bottle shape, an homage to the hand-blown styles familiar to port lovers in the 18th century.

lucrative (and younger-drinker-capturing) pre-mixed category.

This year has seen the launch of not one but two variations on the port tonic mix from the Fladgate Partnership. The company brought out a Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port & Tonic in a can in May, and followed it up with a rosé variation on the same theme in Croft Pink & Tonic in June. Not to be outdone, Sogrape’s Offley launched a white and a rosé port & tonic mix under the Clink brand.

In a sense, these port producers are actually playing catch-up with their counterparts in Jerez. Croft has had its Croft Twist brand, a mix of fino sherry, elderflower, lemon, mint and sparkling water, on the market since 2017. And, in a sign of sherry’s burgeoning popularity with a younger demographic, the British aperitif brand Pedrino added a Sherry & Tonic Spritz to a range of three “Mediterranean themed” pre-mixes that also includes a Vermouth & Tonic Spritz and a Campari or Aperol-like Ruby & Tonic Spritz.

The Ramos Pinto winery cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia

More depth to the Médoc

Our recent tasting and lunch for a group of London-based independents demonstrated that, even below £30, the region is making ripe, ready-to-drink wines that still showcase the versatility and variety of this narrow 80km peninsular

The Médoc’s reputation as the home of some of the world’s most acclaimed red wines – with price tags to match – is something of a double-edged sword.

There is a tendency, sometimes even within the trade, to assume that Médoc wines are beyond the budgets of mere mortals. Our recent tasting and lunch, organised in partnership with the CIVB and Conseil des Vins du Médoc, was designed to prove that this subregion of Bordeaux is perfectly capable of producing superb wines that retail for £30 or less.

Our line-up included 20 wines from all eight appellations – Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Margaux, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis en Médoc, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe – all available from UK importers.

With vintage variation so central to the character of Médoc wines, we ensured that a range of years were represented. There was a wine from the challenging 2012 vintage, a smattering from the elegant Indian summer vintage of 2014, several from “modern classic” vintage of 2015, some from the acclaimed “traditional” vintage of 2016, and a couple from 2017 when frost and rain tested the winemaker’s art to the limit. There was also a representative from 2018, when the warm summer created conditions for what many predict will turn out to be legendary wines.

Our host was Laura Clay, a wine educator specialising in Bordeaux. “Médoc represents about 15% of what Bordeaux produces, and some of that is going to be at the high end,” she said. “But actually it also produces many really great value wines, that can be enjoyed younger.”

The Médoc, she reminded us, is a narrow strip of land on the left bank of the Gironde, about 80km long, with a surprising diversity of soils – alluvial, gravel, clay, limestone and sand. “Obviously the influence of the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean will have an impact on the vineyards too, and consequently you do get really diverse wines,” she added.

The challenges facing winemakers in the region have altered as the impact of climate change is felt.

“In the past you were worried about getting the Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen,” said Clay. “Now that’s less of a problem, but

what has been a problem are frosts early on.

“For example, in 2017 the quality was relatively good, but the yields were low. You’re producing less wine, but the wines can be absolutely delicious and easy drinking.”

Clay argues that with modern Médoc, “the quality has never been so good” and this is partly down to how winemakers are responding to changing conditions.

It is a theme that runs through the 20 wines tasted at the lunch, with many of them showing this modern, fruit-led style that both impressed and surprised the retailers.

Chix Chandaria of The Wine Parlour in Brixton said: “I think that it’s exciting that Bordeaux can be more affordable, and I would be interested in buying more and consider selling it, as it is something we would be able to sell to our customers as wines that are ready to drink. I also think that they’re really important for restaurants.

“We sell a 2015 Bordeaux and it’s drinking really well with integrated tannins at only £15 or £16.”

There has also been a transition towards sustainable agriculture. In Bordeaux 75% of the areas in which vines grow are certified or engaged in green practices of various kinds.

Climate change is also having an effect on the area. “Merlot is increasing in importance,” Clay reports. “Not everywhere – you’ll find some properties where Cabernet Sauvignon is up to 75% of the blend – but maybe smaller properties are finding that Merlot is a little bit more reliable to ripen and making the wines easier to enjoy sooner. “What I’m finding with Médoc wines now is a balance that wasn’t always so easy to find in younger wines. Also, the wines will still last. Because we’re able to ripen the grapes more easily these days, you’ve got this lovely softness on the tannins rather than dryness.”

The point was echoed by Fiona Juby, CIVB marketing consultant. “We have moved on so much,” she said. “There are so many modern, softer styles coming out and people do like to drink them. The quality level is so high.”

New customers – at the flick of a switch

“The opportunity was interesting as usually I wouldn’t taste such youthful Bordeaux unless in the en primeur environment. A switch had to be thrown in the brain to evaluate the wine for current drinking rather than future drinking.

“My customer base is largely in the market for mature Bordeaux but I left with the view that those customers who were keen on new world wines such as Malbec may be persuaded by the 2018s.

“Some immediate success was had over the weekend when I brought up some 2018 from the cellar. The identified customers tried and purchased – so we shall continue to explore developing a market for younger Bordeaux.”

Andrea Viera, Last Drop Wines, west London

Sponsored feature Bigging up the Bourgeois

The 1855 Bordeaux classification, ordered by Napoleon III, enshrined famous Médoc names such as Châteaux Lafite, Latour, Margaux and (later) Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux’s premier league.

Occupying the next rung down the ladder are Crus Bourgeois wines. This classification, originally created in 1932, was intended to bestow some prestige on lesser-known producers making high quality wines.

It has recently been revamped and overhauled, and split into three tiers: Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel and Cru Bourgeois Supérieur. Laura Clay argues that the move is in the interests of consumers, as it helps explain why some Cru Bourgeois command rather higher prices than others.

Clay also encouraged merchants to explore Cru Artisan wines. “There are only 36 of them currently, and hardly any are in the UK. But they’re really worth looking out for. It’s a classification for very small producers who have to do everything themselves and work as a family, and they sell from the château. They change every five years, if other properties wish to enter the classification, like the Crus Bourgeois,”

Renegades of Ribera

José Moro, president of Bodegas Emilio Moro and Bodegas Cepa 21, explains why his traditional family business has not been afraid to embrace cutting-edge technology – and happy to do away with terms like crianza and reserva

In your marketing, you use an interesting quote about winemaking being an art, and listening to what the wine is telling you. Do you think that winemaking is often too industrialised and scientific, and that having a more romantic approach makes a big difference?

For me, wine has always been part of my life story and is my true passion. My father and grandfather taught us to love wine, to respect the land and to listen to its needs. This close and romantic vision of wine is necessary because, above all, wine is culture and tradition.

We started many years ago without any technological advances, we worked everything by hand. That teaches you to look at wine from another perspective, as the life companion that it has been.

But we can’t forget that the world is moving forward and, fortunately, technologies are our allies to improve, to be more productive, to innovate and to differentiate ourselves. They are tools that we use together with our experience, our knowledge and our intuition to be better every day. I believe that the combination of more than a century of tradition and innovation is the perfect tandem.

You’ve done away with classifications like crianza and reserva. Why is that, and how do you make consumers aware of the hierarchy of the Emilio Moro range?

With the release of our Malleolus wine in 1998, we decided to break with the traditional system of wine classification in Ribera del Duero. We decided to lead the way with our own style of wine appellation, dispensing with the labels crianza, reserva and gran reserva in order to present wines with their own personality, which remain in barrel for the time they need depending on the vintage. Each wine is unique and, as my father used to say, “if you know how to listen to it, the wine speaks to you”. And with regards to consumers, I think that when something is good, it doesn’t need a guide. Wines make people fall in love with them, they speak of their roots, of the passion with which they are made. It’s not necessary to convince them to follow one classification or another, because wine is good when you like it, that is all.

Tell us a bit more about the Tinto Fino clone. Is it unique to you and what makes it so special?

After more than a century of winemaking tradition, my family has shown that Tempranillo is the variety that best suits characteristics of the Ribera del Duero. A local adaptation of Tempranillo known as Tinto Fino, with its elegant and robust character, is the soul of our wines.

This variety gives very small grapes and loose bunches needed to produce robust and elegant wines.

How would you describe the Emilio Moro winemaking style? We usually associate Ribera del Duero with wines that can be rather heavy and tannic in their youth and need a long time to express their true character. Is this a description that applies to your wines? Has the style changed over the years?

Our wines are the essence of our terroir. With each glass we try to transmit the character of Ribera del Duero, from the unique perspective of our winemaking family.

Not all wines express themselves in the same way with the passage of time or have the same personality in their youth. Each wine speaks of the land where it was born, of the agricultural practices applied, of the winemaking processes in the cellar, of the time spent in barrels. Our wines are our raison d’être, the reason for our daily life. A small part of our DNA is engraved in each vintage.

You seem to combine a traditional approach to viticulture with some very modern technology – sensors, satellite imagery etc. Tell us a bit more about this. Would your grandfather Emilio Moro be excited by such a hi-tech approach?

My grandfather was the one who took the first step towards innovation and differentiation. He was the one who made the decision to dedicate the family winery to the local adaptation of the Tempranillo variety, Tinto Fino, that brings so much personality to our wines and is the greatest asset of our winery today.

Since then, we have not stopped innovating: from digital field notebooks, yeast selection, drones, geolocation,

sensorisation through our star project Sensing 4 Farming or the recent collaboration with IBM in an artificial intelligence project implemented in Cepa 21. In short, innovation is in our blood and I think my father and grandfather would be really proud of what we have achieved.

What steps have you taken to make the vineyards less reliant on chemicals, and the business as a whole more sustainable?

Above all, we are aware that we must take care of the land to guarantee a sustainable future, and we must give back to it what it gives us. We use crop sensing technology called Sensing 4 Farming that enables us to improve crop conditions by measuring plant water potential, yield quality, stage of development, nutrient levels, pest and disease infections, and various morphology factors such as biomass, leaf area, and distribution of plants and organs. This 900 metres, because the higher the altitude, the cooler the climate and the impact of climate change will be less in the higher areas.

Temperatures drop by approximately 0.5˚C for every 100 metres, which means that even though they are in the same municipality as our plots in the plateau, they will have an average temperature 0.75˚C lower than the plots around the village.

Your Godello project in Bierzo sounds interesting. How are things going there for you?

Our project in El Bierzo is the result of a love affair; we sampled an El Bierzo wine and were completely blown away. We then got to know the area, its wines, its land and its people, and it was at that moment that we decided to embark on a new adventure in the region.

In 2016, we arrived in El Bierzo

means we use only what is absolutely necessary in the vineyard, conserve resources and reduce our overall impact on the environment.

With our wine La Felisa we have started with organic viticulture and we have dispensed with the addition of sulfites in the winemaking process. We are also planting vineyards at altitudes of around determined to elevate the Godello grape variety and to support a developing wine region. Now, the project has three wines on the market and spans over 60 hectares of vineyards. Polvorete, El Zarzal and La Revelía are now available in the UK and are captivating for their freshness, for their roots in the Bierzo region, for their aromatic potential and ageing capacity.

Some highlights from the Alliance Wine selection

Finca Resalso is a wine that I enjoy every day and in any occasion. With this wine I have celebrated, said farewells, toasted to the births of my children and simply enjoyed during impromptu meetings at our local bar. This wine never fails. It’s full of freshness and varietal character. It stands out for its intensity of aromas and its simplicity. Case of 6x75cl £40.60, £12.49 RRP at 35%

Emilio Moro is the alma mater of Bodegas Emilio Moro, the ones that not only have the name of my father and grandfather but also our soul. It is our flagship wine that is always by your side at special occasions, that fills your glass with balance and elegance. A complex wine with an enchanting tenderness in the mouth. Case of 6x75cl £64.97, £19.99 RRP at 35%

Malleolus is a Latin word that means “Majuelo”; it is what we call the vineyards in our local area. It is a wine with power and magic. We created it to revolutionise the wine sector and it has become a benchmark of Ribera del Duero, due to the classic characteristics it displays of the region. Its personality and character seduce you from the first glass to the last. An elegant and powerful wine for celebrating special occasions. Case of 6x75cl £122.02, £36.99 RRP

El Zarzal is my favourite white wine from Bierzo as it displays the perfect balance of laid back and serious, of simple and complex. It is a dreamer, with a long life ahead of it, speaking to you personally, expressing the purest personality of the Godello variety. Case of 6x75cl £73.27, £21.99 RRP

Finca Resalso and Emilio Moro are both on promotion with Alliance Wine until the end of December, offering fantastic value for Ribera del Duero. Please contact your representative or orders@alliancewine.com.

Sponsored by Alliance Wine

Modern British Cider

Gabe Cook Camra Books, £15.99

Cider’s problems are complicated and, in many cases, self-inflicted. Plenty can be traced back to 1961, when the Taunton Cider Co was acquired by a consortium of brewers. As regional players were frozen out of pubs, a sweetish, bland, homogenous style developed – exemplified by Strongbow, kegged for the first time in 1962 – that appealed to lager drinkers. Any claims that the category had to artisanal authenticity evaporated for at least one generation and perhaps two.

In the intervening years, the UK has witnessed the advent of rocket-fuel white ciders, industrialtasting fruit variants, and the 2006 “Magners effect” which revived volumes through the prescribed addition of ice in pint glasses. Millions were poured into marketing campaigns, but some of the familiar image problems remained. Cider was still a drink associated with youthful excess, and hangovers that lived long enough in the memory to convince the sufferer to switch to something less damaging. And, if we’re honest, more interesting.

Cider’s cause hasn’t been helped by regulatory ambiguity and its own lack of definitions. Producers are at liberty to add artificial sweeteners such as Acesulfame K, Neohesperidin and saccharin. They can throw in artificial colours like acid brill green e142, sunset yellow E110 and tartrazine e102. The juice content can be as low as 35%. Too many producers have used weasel words to fool consumers into thinking their products are far purer than they actually are. Camra did its bit to define “real cider”, but (until recently) could not stomach the idea of pasteurisation – a necessary evil for any producer requiring the basic convenience of packaging.

The concept of regional differences has never really taken hold in UK cider. Apple varieties are seldom mentioned. The meaningless term “scrumpy” has been allowed to mislead and confuse. Perhaps most preposterous of all, a small band of producers insist that their “cyder” has an entirely separate and far nobler heritage and is not merely a variant spelling dating from a time when most people were illiterate.

Gabe Cook retraces every misstep in his exhaustive, if occasionally breathless, introductory chapters of a book he seems painfully conscious has the potential to offend traditionalists and modernists alike. Because, although he believes that “this is the most exciting time for cider in 400 years”, there are internal and external matters still to be resolved. Charitably, Cook suggests that this state of flux between “mega-producers, old stalwarts and young upstarts” has the air of a free-jazz ensemble, rather than something more reductive.

The book doesn’t attempt to fast-forward to any firm conclusions though Cook does present a manifesto of sorts that could help the cider industry reframe its methods, marketing and terminology.

He maintains that, while much can be learned from the wine industry – and perhaps particularly from craft beer – cider is different in fundamental ways from both, and should have the confidence to say so.

These categories provide parallels that are obvious and useful, to a point, but Cook also suggests that inspiration can be found in British cheese (reduced to big-block cheddar by the 1960s, before its recent and spectacular renaissance) and indeed from Belgian beer, which he argues was underappreciated and little exported before Michael Jackson’s enthusiastic writing set it on course for world classic status in the late 1970s. (Jackson is rightly lauded as one of Camra’s patron saints, but maybe his role has been mildly overstated here.)

In the final section of the book, Cook divides the UK into more or less coherent cider regions, and names the most interesting and influential players in each. These range, perhaps contentiously, from relatively big-volume producers like Westons to experimentalists like Pilton, which uses Bacchus grape skins, quince and hops in some of its creations.

Glancing through the pen-portraits of the producers that Cook introduces – a cross-section of the 500 commercial cider makers now operating in the UK – it seems he may well be correct to assert there is a British cider for all tastes. He speculates that, as confidence grows, consumers will be drawn to drier styles and eventually put to bed the popular misconception that all cider is sweet.

It’s hard not to be swept along by Cook’s enthusiasm as cider’s next chapters start to be written. But there’s also a sense that expectations need to be managed.

“While standing at the crossroads I come to understand cider’s major drawback – it has a lack of self-esteem,” he writes. “This is born out of many factors, but none more so than its loss of identity. Cider has changed so drastically in such a short space of time that it has lost all sense of itself.” There is much work to be done.

Roma Series from Enomatic

The new Roma Series is similar to the Enomatic Elite in function but there are added improvements in terms of pistons, appearance, weight, power consumption and ease of use.

There is a new 7-inch display with a choice of wallpaper plus internal and external LED lighting. Roma will enable customers to download the Enopolis app to discover which locations have the dispensers, see the wines they’ve tasted, and save their own personal tasting notes.

Roma is available for installation as a stand-alone unit for four or eight bottles with dual temperature, or as a modular build in a 12, 16, 20 or 24-bottle configuration. For more information contact info@ enodirect.co.uk

Make it personal

WBC’s personalisation service is a quick and convenient way to have your own branded packaging, from wine gift boxes and tissue paper, to bottle bags and shoppers. And there’s no better time of year to explore the possibilities of corporate gifting.

For a minimum run of 50 pieces, WBC will turn around the printing of the company name or logo in seven to 10 days. To see the full range of options visit wbc.co.uk/personalise

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, and all that. And you can add in essence of toffee apple and some firework afterburn as well. There’s a lot of ways you could cut this seasonal cocktail offering: calvados instead of cider; caramel coffee syrup instead of toffee liqueur; even a smoky Islay whisky to turn it into an Old Fashioned with twist. It’s OK to just have a play.

5cl Portobello Road Golden Madagascan Vanilla vodka 2.5cl Giffard toffee liqueur 10cl Sassy Normandy apple cider

Put all the ingredients into a shaker with lots of ice and rattle it around like someone’s accidentally put some jewellery in the washing machine and it ends up on a fast spin. Strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with slices of fresh apple.

Building with BRIX

WBC’s modular display units are adaptable to a range of retail settings

From the recently refurbished cellar door at Chapel Down to pop-up shops and bars, the BRIX system from WBC offers versatility in a multitude of retail environments.

The range consists of modular display units that can be easily moved and adapted, offering a much greater flexibility than a more traditional static shop fit.

WBC boss Andrew Wilson says: “It’s always difficult planning a shop fit, so having the ability to change it according to how you and your customers interact with it obviously helps a lot.”

“BRIX is modern and industrial but it’s also good quality furniture which sits effortlessly with our brand,” says Lucy Partridge, retail manager of Chapel Down winery in Kent. “It allows us to have the flexibility to

BRIX at Chapel Down’s shop in Kent

“Recently there has been much more availability of short-term premises or seasonal premises and BRIX really comes into its own for those businesses,” says Andrew Wilson. “There’s also been an explosion of people doing outside events and they want a proper looking bar. One of our clients, Rum Runner [pictured above], uses the BRIX system and they’ve adapted it to make a very professional looking bar.” change and evolve as we need to. We’ve also bought additional elements to provide us with the flexibility to do pop-up events.

“Ultimately it has been a lot cheaper than getting a shop fitter to make bespoke units.

“We used WBC’s personalisation service to create our own branded packaging. We even have personalised tissue paper. That really helps to make bottles of wine more of a gift.”

Bigger, greener warehouse means faster deliveries

Last month WBC moved its distribution operation to a new warehouse in Crawley. The 34,000 sq ft unit has allowed the business to increase capacity by around 1,000 pallets which, with WBC’s portfolio of over 1,600 product lines all available for next-day dispatch, will allow for faster deliveries, particularly during the busy Christmas retail period.

Always working with the environmental credentials of the business in mind, Andrew Wilson is pleased to report that the new warehouse is rated Grade A for efficiency with 40% of its power coming from renewable sources.

“Green technologies and sustainability continue to be key priorities for our customers,” he says, “most of whom are independent retailers who also have a demand for greater choice in product range and faster turnarounds.”