Wine of the Times

As we worked our way through lockdown after lockdown during 2020, there was one industry that notably struggled to meet soaring demand, even while the high street stayed shuttered: wine ordering and delivery.  Not going out saw wine seekers turning to smaller, online and more specialist local suppliers to keep their glasses full. Zoom tastings and events sprung up weekly. Palates broadened. Were we perhaps starting to drink not only more, but better, thanks to lockdown? As an ardent wine drinker, turned wine student during 2020, I was interested to find out whether lockdown has had a small silver lining for wine consumers and producers, and if any of these changes might be here to stay.

The confidence to invest in something a bit outside your usual bottle comfort-zone, but still a relatively affordable treat, could also be thanks to the fact that online wine tastings have given anyone who wants to learn the opportunity to do so.

Wine is perfect for taking online. The ideal isolation activity: it can be a social and shared experience but you don’t need to be physically together to have a convivial time, plus it’s a great way to marry learning a new skill with a few drinks – online wine tastings have come into their own in the last year, helping even the casual observer feel like a wine buff.

I started my own wine education journey in 2020, and it seemed like I’d stumbled into the perfect storm – everywhere I turned there were online wine tastings, masterclasses and access to bars, winemakers and importers I would never have known about otherwise. Whether you’re looking for wine that’s more sustainable, organic, natural, biodynamic, canned, bagged, bottled, or fizzy – you’ll find an expert willing to share it with you online.

Photographs courtesy of Wild Wine School / Photographers (from left to right): Beth Druce, A. Taylor. 

One of the first sessions I took part in was an online introduction to wine with Wild Wine School – a series of weekly Friday afternoon Zoom calls focused on different topics that Debbie felt were important and relevant to wine and people now (now available as part of Wild Wine’s A Modern Introduction to Wine). Featuring tastings, discussions on organic, biodynamic and natural wines, plus chats with wine producers from all around Europe, I heard directly from a champagne producer in France, a winemaker in the Spanish mountains, and about the anforas of English wine producer Tillingham (a clay pot buried underground and used to ferment wine). It was eye-opening.

The thing with wine is, a little knowledge can make a big difference. “With something like wine tasting, with very little in terms of investment of time and knowledge and tasting, you gain so much – and your appreciation is so much better as is your ability to buy better wine,” Debbie says.

Wild Wine School was poised to launch just as lockdown started (the launch party was booked and producers lined up to join) but like many wine producers, educators and venues, as restrictions came into force, Debbie had to think creatively, taking her wine education plans online.

And she has seen the benefit. The range of people able to take classes at Debbie’s school has broadened as a result of going digital. Wild Wine School had upwards of 50 people joining its weekly sessions in the first lockdown, from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations. ‘People of different abilities and different levels of previous knowledge all managed to get something from it,” she explains about the strengths of taking the online approach. “What’s more, people are thinking more and more about the effect on the environment, and while it’s great to visit vineyards – we can do so much from home.”

Online lessons, workshops and gatherings are also a great opportunity for producers to reach new potential customers.  As Debbie explains, “the best way that small producers are going to get their wines out there is through linking with other small producers and talking to people through those connections.” Indeed, it could be seen as a positive trend for the industry overall, the increasing connectivity of the wine enthusiasts, experts and producers around the world. According to Naked, this growing virtual network and the confidence of all demographics to engage with video content is a positive effect of the pandemic – bringing more “experience” into the homes of customers and meaning they “meet” the winemakers and access tasting videos and other content on demand.

For Wild Wines, being based in Cornwall can sometimes mean it’s harder to attend the wine industry events that tend to take place in London – but the online approach has levelled that particular playing field, giving everyone access to the same content. “In terms of the trade, globally, it feels like we are more connected,” she continues, “which also means producers all around the world are able to reach a wider consumer base.”

While nothing is a match for strolling through the vines, experiencing wine in the great outdoors with all the sensory cues that go with it, a virtual vineyard is at least a close second.

Typically the preserve of a younger generation of producers and importers – often natural, organic or biodynamic – these are brands and importers already familiar with the digital world of social platforms and their power to connect with a captive interested audience.  As we increasingly need to shop – and taste – with our eyes thanks to being stuck at home, label design and branding take on an even more important role in the virtual storefront, and one where a bright and disruptive label can make all the difference.

Photograph courtesy of Newcomer Wines / Photographer: Anton Rodriguez. 

Many natural wine brands had already started disrupting the industry with labels designed to reflect their younger, less traditional approach to all aspects of the winemaking process. It’s not a huge surprise then to see importers like Wayward and Newcomer wines living up to their names and starting to shake up the way wines are marketed to their consumers, something only accelerated by the pandemic – with a massive growth in content, posts and Instagram Live tastings, tours and featured wines with catchy names and eye-catching design.

Photographs courtesy of Wayward Wines. 

A quick scan of #winedesign reveals some beautiful and bold graphic design, bound to appeal to digitally-savvy wine drinkers, used to having access to and interacting with brands, and always on the hunt for that thumbs-stopping, shareable content. It’s certainly true for winemakers like Tillingham, who’s annual Pet Nat release has been an Instagram favourite – and it’s not hard to see why, with its pinky hue and bold graphic treatment.

PET NAT 2020 / Photograph courtesy of Tillingham. 

But of course, it’s not all rosy. The overall impact of the pandemic on hospitality has been – as widely reported – devastating. While enthusiasts like me have been able to get access to smaller producers and winemakers and fill our social media with beautifully branded wine-stagram, this has not been a good year for the wine industry. “It’s been a very tricky year for many winemakers (especially in South Africa where there was a blanket ban on any alcohol sales for a period of time) – and obviously we’re all aware of the challenges faced by our colleagues in the hospitality trade,” Jo explains. “At home drinking has increased, but actually overall alcohol sales are still down.”

And even with the creativity of all those closed bars and restaurants and their online delivery services, it’s hard to see how these models could be a longer term viable alternative for any business operating in the on-trade. The margins on wine direct to consumer simply aren’t sufficient to cover the rents and overheads to keep the restaurants and smaller independents going. Not to mention the fact that it’s well recognised that in times of uncertainty, humans typically turn to the safe and the familiar. As noted in Halstead’s August 2020 Wine Intelligence report, “the majority of consumers are still being much more ‘safe’ with their wine choices – choosing their wine based on what they know rather than trying something new. As a consequence, familiar and known labels are gaining both attention and market share.”

But there are some glimmers of hope for a more interesting and diversified way forward. As we stare down the barrel of many more weeks of restrictions, maybe it’s worth considering where your tipple of choice comes from and switching to support those alternative, local and independent suppliers and producers that need it most. If you do decide to dip your toe in the water of more adventurous wines, get attracted by some more interesting branding, and partake in a Zoom wine tasting or two, I can highly recommend it. As for me, I’m off to sample some sustainable canned wine at an online tasting.