The Vineyard Show, planned for 24 November 2021 at the Kent County Showground, will be an unmissable event for anyone working in viticulture.
Launched by Vineyard magazine, this all-new show will take place after harvest, allowing growers and winemakers to enjoy a UK-based event at a relatively quiet time of the year.
Vineyard is proud to announce that Sarah Calcutt, National Fruit Show Chair for the past 11 years and a Livery Member of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, has agreed to be Event Director, working closely with exhibitors, producers and sponsors to ensure that The Vineyard Show quickly becomes an unmissable event in the UK’s wine industry calendar.
Sarah said she is “delighted to be joining the Vineyard magazine team in what is going to be a very exciting venture for everyone connected with viticulture in the UK”.
The Kent County Showground, easily accessible from the M20 motorway, is an ideal venue for the event, with sufficient hardstanding to allow the latest wine-making equipment to be shown. With over 4,000 sq m of space available in state-of-the-art buildings on the site, Vineyard magazine is confident that this first-class venue will allow this fledgling show to grow and develop for many years to come.
A bonus for visitors is that one of the show’s partners, WineGB will host seminars and workshops at the event. Expert speakers will cover viticulture, winemaking and marketing topics, aimed at new entrants to the industry as well as those already established.
WineGB Operations Manager and incoming editor of Vineyard Jo Cowderoy commented: “Shows like this are so important to an industry, a chance to hear from experts, discuss important topics, network with peers, and see in action vineyard and winery equipment. This will be a great event, all under one roof and without the need to travel overseas.”
Another highlight will be a structured wine tasting by the world-renowned wine writer Matthew Jukes, who will be talking about six wines he has chosen for deeper study.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to taste Matthew’s ‘50 most influential UK wines’ as judged by him in his monthly Vineyard column, with a self-pour tasting of some the UK’s best sparkling and still wines.
Vineyard Publisher Jamie McGrorty added: “The Vineyard Show will provide vineyard owners, winemakers and growers with a fantastic one day event. It will bring everyone in the industry together to view the latest technology and meet the suppliers that are supporting our industry as well as enjoying a chance to compare notes after the season’s close.”
Sarah Calcutt is well known throughout the top fruit industry, an area from which many new vine growers have come. As well as chairing the hugely successful National Fruit Show, Sarah organised Produced in Kent’s inaugural Food and Drink conference in 2018 and organised a series of global delegates in different countries for the European Blackcurrant Association.
She helped deliver a technical conference in 2017 for the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and she was recently appointed as a non-executive director of New Covent Garden Market Authority.
“Viticulture is the fastest-growing sector of farming in the UK; we are ideally placed geographically as well as geologically speaking to take on, and beat, the best in the world. A show dedicated to everything that goes into a great consumer experience can only be a great step forward for the British wine industry,” she commented.
“I will be the main point of contact for exhibitors and will be working with sponsors to make sure they enjoy the profile they deserve. This really is our time to shine and my job is to help make that happen.”
For enquiries please contact Sarah Calcutt on 07827 642396
