Media Pack 2025
As The Wine Merchant approaches its 14th year of publication, it remains the only trade magazine devoted entirely to the specialist independent wine trade – and the only publication claiming total coverage of this booming sector.
We’re embedded in the independent trade, and pride ourselves on knowing our audience. We visit indies in their shops and bars; we host them at roundtable events, tastings and masterclasses; we invite them on buying trips across Europe, and sometimes beyond.
We write about indies when they open new shops. We report their opinions and their concerns. We celebrate their rising stars and their bright ideas. Every article we publish is written from an indie perspective. Indeed, many of our most popular articles are written by indies themselves.
The Wine Merchant’s success is aligned with that of the market we write about. As independent numbers have grown in number from fewer than 700 when we launched to more than 1,000 now, so has our circulation, and our pagination.
Important numbers
1,200
Our average print run. We mail the magazine to the owners of all specialist independent wine retailers in the UK – there are currently just over 1,000 shops. In many cases we also send copies to branch managers, if they have buying responsibilities. Many readers choose to access our online edition.
77%
The proportion of turnover that our readers achieve through wine sales, according to our 2024 reader survey. Spirits (8.3%) and beer (6.4%) are the next most important categories.
£15.78
The average selling price of a bottle of still wine in a specialist independent wine shop, again according to our survey figures. The average basket price in an indie is £53.38.
46%
The proportion of independents that also sell wines for consumption on the premises. We’ve been watching this trend for several years and expect the figure to go beyond 50% in the coming years as more indies go the hybrid route.
I think you all do a fantastic job and it is genuinely a joyous day when your latest edition drops through our letterbox! The content and connection with the independent trade is fantastic. Thank you for all your flag-waving and support.
Reader Survey feedback, 2024
Display advertising
We print our magazine on generous-quality paper with a matt finish, which we believe shows our clients’ artwork to its best effect.
Take a full-page display ad with us for £650 (premium positions £750) or a half-page ad for £395.
These ads will be placed on right-hand pages unless agreed otherwise.
Technical spec: Full pages are A4 with a 3mm bleed; half pages are 190mm x 133mm, landscape, with no bleed required.
Supplier Bulletin
Independent merchants have no shortage of suppliers to work with. Our Supplier Bulletin section is designed to remind indies which suppliers are taking their market most seriously.
We’ll keep your company name at the front of our readers’ minds with a regular half-page in which you can tell indies about new agencies, special offers and forthcoming tastings. Or you can simply remind them of some of the great wines that you have in your portfolio.
Our regular clients include big names like Liberty Wines, Hatch Mansfield and Hallgarten as well as many smaller businesses hoping to boost their indie trade.
Change the message every month to keep things fresh, either by supplying us with words and pictures or by creating your own artwork to sit within the template (123mm x 116mm).
The rate is just £300 per edition.
You guys do a very good job. Your profiles and in-depth articles are always interesting.
Reader Survey feedback, 2024
Sponsored editorial
We pride ourselves on a professional approach to sponsored editorial. We ensure our clients achieve results that convey their key messages in a form that our readership will find engaging and attractive.
We’ll talk to you in detail about what you want to achieve and advise you on how we think the project should proceed. We take care of the design as well as the writing.
A sponsored editorial is a flexible tool. We can introduce a company, a wine region or winemaker to our readers, or perhaps discuss a particular theme such as sustainability.
We’ll show you our first draft as soon as we’re happy with the results, and make as many amendments as necessary until you’re happy too. Every sponsored editorial will then be proofread three more times to make sure everything is exactly as it should be.
The rate for a typical one-page sponsored editorial is £850, while double-page spreads are costed at £1,600. We can add extra pages at rates that gradually decrease.
Other sponsored features
Winemaker Files and Producer Profiles
These one-page features are usually based on an interview with a winemaker or sometimes another member of the winery team.
Rate: £850
On the Road
A popular section of the magazine in which we celebrate the unsung heroes of the independent trade: sales reps. The article is based on an interview in which we aim to bring out the personality of the rep as well as the wines they sell.
Rate: £850
Partners in Wine
It’s always fascinating to find out more about a new addition to a supplier’s roster of agencies. It’s just as interesting to find out why long-standing partnerships work so well. We interview representatives from supplier and producer and highlight three wines that indies should check out.
Rate: £850
We LOVE flicking through the Wine Merchant mag, seeing what other shops are opening/closing, different ideas merchants have, funky new wines and trends, and the look of other shops.
Reader Survey feedback, 2024
Buying trips
There is a huge appetite among independents for buying trips. In 2024 we partnered with clients to organise visits to the Rhône, Roussillon, the Loire, Rheingau, Navarra, Jumilla, Tuscany, Umbria, Garda, the Setúbal Peninsula in Portugal and even Argentina.
We work with clients to select a group of merchants – typically six – that meet their requirements. For example, we might be asked to prioritise people from a particular part of the UK, or those with a proven specialism in the region we’re visiting.
A journalist will join the trip and we’ll put together a four-page report about the visit, complete with feedback from the merchants who attend.
The rate is usually around £4,500, including all recruitment, journalism and production costs. We’ll produce a detailed quote after discussions with the client.
Meet our readers in person
Masterclasses and tastings
We work with clients to organise dozens of in-person events. We’ll recruit a suitable group, based on the criteria you give us, and co-host the event on the day. It could be a chance for a visiting winemaker to present their wines, or for you to show a number of wines from your range. Or it might be a great way to help indies get a better grasp of a particular region. Our write-up will include all your key messages plus feedback from attendees.
Rate: £2,600 (based on a target group of six merchants and a two-page editorial)
Zoom masterclasses and tastings
Online tastings were invaluable during the pandemic, and they remain very popular now, especially among merchants who find it hard to find the time to travel. We can usually recruit a much bigger group for Zoom events and we send the recording to all those who showed an interest. We’ll set up the event either as a meeting or a webinar and co-host on the day.
Rate: £2,400 (based on a two-page editorial)
Round table discussions
We’ve got a long track record of organising round-table events for indies It’s a great opportunity to share opinions on a range of topics that impact on our industry and it always creates a series of articles that make interesting reading. As our partner for a round table, you’ll be part of the discussion, and will also be invited to provide wine – perhaps to enjoy over lunch, or maybe in a tutored or free-pour tasting. You’ll have branding rights throughout the editorial coverage that we produce.
Rate: Typically £2,400 (plus travel costs)
I think you do an excellent job. I always take the time to read the magazine and so do the staff. Keep up the good work!
Reader Survey feedback, 2024
Digital activity
We regularly send out emails to our database on behalf of clients. We can design these for you, base them on existing artwork that you supply, or simply use a Mailchimp or HTML file that you send us.
We have around 1,000 people on our mailing list and our open rates are comfortably above the market average, according to Mailchimp analytics. We’ll share the report from your campaign so you can gauge this for yourself. The rate is £575 for each mailing.
Our website, winemerchantmag.com, is updated each month with some key articles from the current edition, and it’s also the best way of accessing the full digital edition of the magazine. Advertise on the home page with a clickable ad at a rate of £500 for two months.
The Wine Merchant Top 100
This is a wine competition with a difference. Every wine that’s entered is exclusive to the independent trade – and all our judges are independent merchants.
We change the panel every year, with 40 indies joining us on judging day to put the entrants through their paces over two rounds of tasting.
The winning wines are featured in our annual supplement, which also includes details of all the highly commended wines that just missed the cut.
The Top 100 wines are available to taste on our stand at the London Wine Fair.
We call for entries from January, with judging taking place in April.
Find out more at winemerchanttop100.com or email claire@ winemerchantmag.com.
A two-way relationship
At The Wine Merchant we’re grateful for the support we’ve always had from the industry and we try to reciprocate as much as we can.
Tell us about your tasting events and we’ll run a free preview in our Make a Date section. If you send us something interesting that could work within one of our scheduled features, we’ll consider that too.
We’re always looking for wines to write about in our Tried & Tested review page. We make a big effort to get to as many trade tastings as we can, but we’re also very happy to receive samples by post. We can’t guarantee that every wine will get a mention, but we like to feature as broad a range as possible, from a variety of suppliers.
Our Q&A section features some of the trade’s most interesting characters. Feel free to nominate someone from your business – or yourself.
Full rate card
Display ads
Full page: £650/£750 for premium position
A4 plus 3mm bleed
Half page: £395
190mm x 133mm landscape, no bleed
Quarter pages: £210
90mm x 133mm portrait, no bleed
Sponsored editorial
Including Winemaker Files, On the Road and Partners in Wine
Full page: £850
Double page spread: £1,600
Supplier Bulletin
Rate per edition: £300
Based on either supplied words and images or artwork to fit into the template (123mm x 116mm)
Masterclasses and tastings
Two pages: £2,600
This fee is based on a target attendance of six merchants and co-chairing the event. We will agree a list of target merchants with the client and our recruitment will then involve up to 30 direct contacts, and an email campaign and Instagram post if the client agrees. We are happy to negotiate a fee for bigger target groups but please note we can never guarantee that targets will be met in every case.
Zoom masterclasses and tastings
Two pages: £2,400
This fee includes setting up and co-hosting the event and recruiting a suitable audience. The size of the audience is usually defined by the client’s ability to send out samples. Our fee is based on a nominal target of 10 merchants. As with all such activity, we will agree the terms of the recruitment programme with clients, and targets cannot be guaranteed.
Round table discussions
Partnership fee: £2,400
This includes participation in our event, branding in all subsequent coverage (typically across two issues) and the opportunity to present wines to attendees.
Buying trips
Typical fee: £4,500 Includes recruitment of a group of six merchants, a journalist joining the trip, and four pages of coverage in the magazine.
Inserts with the mailing
Typical fee: £500-£700 We can add a flyer, pamphlet or price list within the Wine Merchant mailing. The exact price will depend on dimensions and weight.
Rate: £575 per mailing to our database. We will supply clients with the Mailchimp report a week after the campaign has been sent.
Web advertising
Rate: £500 for two months Please supply artwork as 640px x 640px.
Web articles
All articles in the print edition automatically appear in the digital edition of the magazine. We can also run sponsored editorials as individual web stories: add £250 per booking.
To be honest it is a damn good read. It is hard to suggest anything that you do not cover or provide a forum for. I especially like the increase in reader contributions as this gives a authentic vibe.
Reader Survey feedback, 2024
Features list 2025
team
Advertising
Sarah Hunnisett sarah@winemerchantmag.com
Editorial
Graham Holter graham@winemerchantmag.com
Claire Harries claire@winemerchantmag.com
Jacob Stokes jacob@winemerchantmag.com
Accounts
Naomi Young naomi@winemerchantmag.com
Admin
Charlotte Gingell charlotte@winemerchantmag.com
Office address
Unit 52, Newhaven Enterprise Centre, Denton Island, Newhaven BN9 9BA Telephone 01323 871836
winemerchantmag.com Instagram: WineMerchantMag
It’s an awesome magazine, guys. Reader Survey feedback, 2024