For wineries around the world looking to find distribution within the UK, the good news is that UK wine importers are always looking for new foreign wines to add to their portfolios. But how do you find the best UK wine importer for your winery? The step-by-step guide below will guide you through some of the key strategies for landing a prestigious UK wine importer.

Do the market research for the UK wine market upfront

It’s easy to make the assumption that the UK wine market is very similar to other wine markets across continental Europe. However, it’s important to take a country-specific approach that takes into account the key distinguishing characteristics of the UK wine market. One top resource for making sense of UK wine trends, for example, is the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), which represents over 300 companies producing, importing, exporting, transporting and selling wines in the UK. Right on the WSTA website, you can data, reports and studies about British wine consumption habits.

Another great resource for market data is a research firm like Wine Intelligence. For example, Wine Intelligence recently published a report on UK wine consumption habits, finding that the current trend is toward drinking higher quality wine. Wine Intelligence also broke out British wine sales by region, finding that the top regions for wine sale in the UK were in the Southeast, East and North. London, in comparison, ranked No. 4 overall. By aggregating this data and information, you can start to put together a strategy for finding a wine importer. For example, do you want to target the London wine market? If so, then you should start to limit your search to wine importers that are based in London.

Find wine importers who make a good match for the wines you offer

Find the right UK wine importer is a lot about “fit” – in other words, how well does your wine address a strength or weakness in the portfolio of an importer? A UK importer that specializes in South American wines, for example, would probably be receptive to the idea of hearing from a winery based in Chile or Argentina. A UK importer that specializes in Sauvignon Blanc would be very interested in hearing from a winery in New Zealand. But a wine importer that specializes in prestige wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy would probably be quite unresponsive when hearing from a wine producer located in a New World wine destination.

One place to get a better sense of which importers would make the best match for your winery is the Beverage Trade Network (BTN) website. BTN regularly hosts conferences, events, expos and tastings around the world, including a few very popular events in London (such as the London Wine Competition). Thus, BTN has access to very good information about importers, including a list of the top British importers. These include well-known names like John E Fells, Enotria Winecellars, Alliance, Vinissimo, Morgenrot and Ehrmann. By clicking on links for these UK wine importers, you can begin to learn about them and find examples of wines already in their portfolio. John E Fells, for example, is based in London and has been in the UK wine market since 1858. Morgenrot, though, is based in Manchester and serves an entirely different geographic market.

Visit international wine fairs and events in London

Another effective strategy is to meet face-to-face with UK wine importers, and that usually involves having a presence at some of the UK’s largest wine fairs, competitions and expos. Wine fairs are all about developing your contact base, meeting potential buyers and building overall brand recognition. In the UK, two of the most important wine industry events are the London Wine Competition and the International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show, both hosted by Beverage Trade Network.

At these in-person events, it’s important to have a brief sales pitch ready. Do as much “homework” as you can in advance so that you have a good idea of who will be attending the event, and what they might be interested in finding more about. The best-case scenario, of course, is not just to show up and attend the event, but also to have a stand or booth at the event, so that you are mentioned in the show program, and visitors can stop by and visit you. The price of becoming an exhibitor is more than made up for by the chance to land an import-export contract with a prestigious UK importer.

Contact wine industry trade associations in the UK

Within the UK, the WSTA may be the most well-known association representing the wine industry – but it is not the only one. On the website EnglishWine.com, for example, you can find links to ten different wine trade associations and organizations, including the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, English Wine Producers, and South East Vineyards Association. The best part about contacting these industry trade associations is getting access to their list of members. They are also a great source of information about the UK wine market and potential buyers.

On a similar note, you could also contact chambers of commerce, trade missions and embassies located within the UK. Often, they will sponsor events like “Wines of Portugal” or “Wines of Italy.” These events are a great chance to get in front of potential buyers and let them know which wines you are offering. You could also contact British wine education sites, such as the Association of Wine Educators.

Use social media to build a brand and name recognition

In the social media era, being able to show UK wine importers that you have a strong base of support within major cities like London can make a big difference. Thus, one approach is to build momentum and word-of-mouth buzz around your overseas winery brand, and then use that to catch the attention of UK importers. Suddenly, you will no longer be an “unknown brand” from a foreign country. Two great social media platforms for building out your overall presence include Instagram and Facebook. In addition to social media, you can also approach traditional media with stories about your winery, your wine region, or your winery’s founders.

Use face-to-face meetings to develop relationships

Since the wine industry is based so much around relationships, it’s important to find as many ways as possible to establish face-to-face meetings, rather than relying on other channels, such as email. Many UK wine importers view generic email letters sent from wineries abroad as a form of spam, and may automatically dismiss anything you have to say. That’s why it’s so important to focus on real-world, face-to-face meetings where you can convey what is unique about your winery and your wine brand.

Wine industry competitions, such as the London Wine Competition, are a great way to get your wines in front of wine experts with commercial buying expertise. Moreover, events such as the International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) is the only opportunity of its kind for getting your wine in front of bulk wine buyers and creators of private label wine programs within the UK marketplace.

Obviously, having access to the best and most up-to-date market intelligence is a key part of finding a great UK wine importer. This market data can be used to learn about British wine drinkers, find importers that would make a good match for your wines, and develop a marketing message that will resonate with UK consumers. When used together as part of a comprehensive strategy, they can be used to find the perfect UK wine importer.