CONFERENCE STRIVES TO 'DEFY CONVENTIONAL THINKING' ON WINE
Simon McMurtrie, CEO of Direct Wines, kickstarts Day 2
Kick-starting Day 2 of Wine Vision, chairman Simon McMurtrie told attendees: “We’re living in a golden age of wine, in terms of the quality of wine available, and the appreciation of wine in general.
“But at the same time, this conference is important because we need to act to ensure that more people choose to enjoy wine, rather than drift off towards beer, spirits or even non-alcoholic drinks.
“We can make a difference to that. We have to continue to encourage people to try different styles of wine, countries, regions, grapes and blends. That’s even more important today,” he said.
“Hugh Johnston called it the ‘Age of Divergence’. As important as all that, and perhaps the toughest nut to crack is this – how do we motivate people to try higher priced wines?” McMurtrie added.
“Statistics in the UK remain frightening – 85% of wine sold is at under £8 per bottle. At Direct Wines we have a pretty good business in the US and the statistics are rather better there, people are more confident to try higher-priced wines. Can we learn some lessons from America?”
“Being clear about why a wine is worth trying and buying remains as important as ever. Justin Howard Steed, a wine consultant, said recently ‘If you can’t describe your wine in 30 seconds then you’re wasting your time’,” McMurtrie said.
“I think Justin’s being rather generous. Often it’s three seconds that you have rather than 30 to encourage someone to give it a go,” he added.