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Sid Patel shared thisWhy Sparkling Wine Offers a Growth Opportunity in a Challenging Market. I visited the Rack & Riddle office in California and chatted with CEO Jeff Tuttle, and Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager Mark E. Garaventa. We discussed why sparkling wine remains a major focus for their business and how wineries can use innovation, consumer insights, and market white space to build growth. Here is my Q and A with them: https://lnkd.in/d5qWcRiY And here is the video interview: https://lnkd.in/dEZNTieN Cynthia Faust Rack & Riddle® Custom Wine Services #SparklingWine #SommeliersChoiceAwards Inside The Drinks Business
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Sid Patel shared thisThe story of Sakhrani Distillery begins with an unlikely partnership. he story of Sakhrani Distillery begins with an unlikely partnership. One woman arrived in Okinawa after a life shaped by international travel and entrepreneurship. The other belonged to a family whose distilling history stretches back five generations in the forests of Yanbaru. Together, Sabrina Sakhrani and Ayako Ikehara set out to create a whisky that could speak not only of Japan, but of a specific corner of Japan rarely associated with whisky at all. The result is Sakhrani Distillery, a women-led producer based in Okinawa's northern forest region, where subtropical conditions, rare Japanese woods, and local craftsmanship are helping shape a distinctive new whisky identity. Read their story here https://lnkd.in/db3WQXccSakhrani Distillery and a New Era of Japanese WhiskySakhrani Distillery and a New Era of Japanese Whisky
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Sid Patel shared thisThe Bartender Spirits Awards, America’s leading spirits competition for the on-premise industry, has announced the first group of judges for its 2027 competition in Chicago, USA. Organized annually by Beverage Trade Network, the Bartender Spirits Awards brings together America’s leading bartenders, bar-group buyers, beverage directors and hospitality professionals to evaluate spirits for their potential to succeed behind the the bar. Spirits are judged by on-premise professionals, for the on-premise market, based on the qualities that influence purchasing and pouring decisions across bars, restaurants, hotels and hospitality groups—including taste, mixability, versatility, value and packaging. Now entering its 9th edition, the competition gives overseas distilleries and spirits brands the opportunity to present their products directly to U.S. beverage directors, bar operators, restaurant-group buyers, spirits specialists and leading bartenders. If you are looking to enter the United States and expand your distribution, this is your opportunity to grow in the USA market. Meet the 2027 Judges The first group of confirmed judges includes: Alexis Ortega — 2026 World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year Steven Minor — Corporate Beverage Director at Starwood Hotels Elliott Reibert — Bartender at Bambi Chicago and 2026 World Class U.S. Top 15 Finalist Charles Steadman — Director of Food & Beverage Experience and Strategic Partnerships at Virgin Voyages Danny Shapiro — Founding Partner and Beverage Director at Scofflaw Group Jared Sowinski — Director of Beverage at Upward Projects Restaurant Group Michael P. Trow — Director of Bar Operations at RPM Restaurants John Maraffa — Corporate Beverage Manager at Landry’s Lynn House — National Spirits Specialist and Portfolio Mixologist at Heaven Hill David Mor — Beverage Director and Partner at Mirra, Lilac Tiger, TRUCE and Mariela Emanuel Santiago — Beverage Manager and Cocktail Director at Scratch Restaurants John Chesney — Chief Whiskey Officer at Slightly Toasted and Beverage Director at Toasted Hospitality More judges will be announced as the 2027 panel continues to grow. Enter Your Spirits by September 30, 2026, and Save $100 per Entry International distilleries and spirits brands are invited to enter the ninth edition of the Bartender Spirits Awards and present their products to our strongest U.S. judging panel to date. Every brand will receive detailed constructive feedback and a Buyer Market Intelligence Report to help plan its U.S. market strategy and strengthen pitches to importers and distributors. Overseas entrants can also access shipping guidance and assistance when sending samples to the competition warehouse in the United States. Enter by September 30, 2026 to save $100 per entry and secure the lowest available pricing. Entry information: https://lnkd.in/e64fhPE
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Sid Patel shared thisFolks, today is the final day to enter the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards at the Super Early Bird price. Your spirits will be evaluated by leading U.S. bartenders, bar-group buyers and beverage directors for their potential to succeed across bars, restaurants and hospitality venues. Enter by midnight on September 30, 2026 and save $100 per spirit compared with regular pricing. Every 2027 Entry Will Receive 1. An expanded score breakdown 2. Constructive feedback on how to improve the spirit 3. Guidance on how to market and sell the spirit 5. A Buyer Market Intelligence Report 6. The names of the judges who evaluated the entry Whether you are launching a new expression, expanding distribution or growing your on-premise presence, enter today to put your spirits in front of active U.S. beverage professionals. The Bartender Spirits Awards, organized annually by Beverage Trade Network in Chicago, is the only U.S. spirits competition focused exclusively on the on-premise market. Spirits are judged by active bartenders, bar-group buyers and beverage directors based on taste, mixability, versatility, value and packaging. Enter at at BartenderSpiritsAwards.com
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Sid Patel shared thisWhat a Tiny Hanoi Wine Bar Says About Vietnam’s Emerging Wine Market. Good read if you want to get a small glimpse of what’s going on in Vietnam 🇻🇳 by Manuela Lo Conte, DIPWSET for Asia Ratings Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dRTNHVnNTiny Hanoi Wine Bar Reveals Vietnam's Emerging Wine MarketTiny Hanoi Wine Bar Reveals Vietnam's Emerging Wine Market
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Sid Patel shared thisFrom national chains and grocery giants to specialist merchants, these are the companies wine brands should know when building a U.S. retail strategy. https://lnkd.in/dersyskf
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Sid Patel shared thisKonstantinos Kosmopoulos On Building Wine Programs That Balance Service, Storytelling, And Sales. A modern sommelier’s view on service, storytelling, lesser-known regions, and what buyers expect from restaurant wines. Konstantinos Kosmopoulos brings the perspective of a modern sommelier whose career has spanned destination restaurants, luxury hospitality, and international wine markets. Trained through the Court of Master Sommeliers and certified in sake, he has built his reputation not only through service but through wine program leadership, openings, pairing strategy, and commercial consultancy. His journey from Mykonos and London to Dubai gives him a sharp understanding of how wine performs in real restaurants, where quality must meet guest confidence, food compatibility, pricing, and profitability. This makes his viewpoint especially relevant in today’s on-premise wine landscape, where sommeliers are expected to balance storytelling, service, and business. In this conversation, he shares how sommeliers can identify restaurant-ready wines, support lesser-known regions such as Greece, and help producers connect more meaningfully with U.S. buyers. Here is the article: https://lnkd.in/d-XR_gAjKonstantinos Kosmopoulos: Building Better Wine ProgramsKonstantinos Kosmopoulos: Building Better Wine Programs
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Sid Patel shared thisMaster Sommelier and wine educator Matthew Citriglia FKA MS explains why preparation, listening, adaptability and genuine relationships remain at the heart of successful wine sales. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dgF8eYzE
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Sid Patel reposted thisSid Patel reposted thisWhat does it really take for a spirits brand to win in Asia? A great liquid gets you through the door. But getting bartenders to pour it, recommend it and advocate for it requires much more. In our latest Asia Spirits Ratings interview, Joshua Tan Yee Chong, Assistant Bar Manager at The Old Man/Dead Poets HK, shares an on-trade perspective shaped by experience across #HongKong, Mainland #China and #Singapore. For Joshua, one of the biggest mistakes international brands make is treating Asia as one market and relying on the same playbook everywhere. What works in Hong Kong or Singapore may not work in Hangzhou or Nanjing. His advice to producers? Go local. Understand the community. Build genuine relationships with bartenders and venues. Invest in education. Give bar teams something valuable beyond another sales pitch. And when introducing your distillery, bring the people who actually know the liquid, the founder, distiller or someone who can tell its story authentically. As Joshua puts it, bartenders can become a brand’s “unofficial ambassadors.” If they genuinely believe in a spirit, they can introduce it to countless guests throughout their careers. The full conversation explores: → What makes a new spirit stand out behind the bar → Why one-size-fits-all marketing falls short in Asia → How suppliers can become better partners to premium venues → Why bartender education and engagement matter → The rise of locally produced, terroir-driven spirits → How brands can build long-term relevance rather than chase short-term sales For spirits producers looking to grow across Asia, this is a perspective worth reading before planning your next market-entry strategy. Read the full interview with Joshua Tan and discover what it takes to become not just another option, but a preferred choice in Asia : https://lnkd.in/d7MXTJ7V Asia Spirits Ratings 2026 judging: November 11, 2026. Enter your spirits and get evaluated by leading bartenders, buyers, importers, distributors, retailers and hospitality professionals from across the Asian trade. Asia Ratings | Sid PatelJoshua Tan: Winning Bartenders & Consumers in AsiaJoshua Tan: Winning Bartenders & Consumers in Asia
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6d
David Hodgson MBA yes, hoping to see Zeno going global and growing in Asia soon.
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Sid Patel liked thisSid Patel liked thisAnnouncing our first batch of Regional and Category Experts for the landmark 10th edition. 🌍🍷 As London Competitions heads into 2027, we are expanding what it means to enter the competition. It has never just been about a medal - it has always been about giving producers real insight into how their wine performs in the market it's trying to enter. The new Regional and Category Experts Program takes that a step further. We are pleased to welcome Marinela Ardelean as Regional Expert for Romania, Sam Cooklin-Smith and Irem Eren WA, DipWSET Eren as Category Experts for No & Low Alcohol, and Mario Lazzaro as Regional Ambassador for Argentina. Each of them brings decades of hands-on experience - from building international markets for Romanian wine, to developing commercially successful alcohol-free beverage programmes in the UK, to two decades helping Mendoza producers export into the US, China, and beyond. Inside this edition of the newsletter, you will find the full story behind each expert - their background, their specialism, and what they will bring to producers entering the 10th edition. Have a read below. 👇 RO-Wine | International Wine Festival of Romania Wines of Romania Kore Drinks BORN ROSÉ BARCELONA Thinkick S.R.L.London Wine Competition Announces New Regional & Category Experts and Ambassador for 10th EditionLondon Wine Competition Announces New Regional & Category Experts and Ambassador for 10th Edition
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Sid Patel liked thisSid Patel liked thisWhat a day and a huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Parched at Mare Street Market in Kings Cross yesterday! So great to see so many familiar faces and meet many more new ones. Massive big up to Tom Surgey, Island Media PR, VinYard logistics and to all our amazing brands Smiling Wolf, CROSSIP, ZENOWINE, NON, Wilfred's, Agua de Madre | B Corp™, CHANCE Clean Cider! Bring on 2027! 🚀
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Sid Patel liked thisSid Patel liked thisWhat’s changing across Asia’s wine markets, and where are the opportunities producers might be missing? Our latest newsletter gives you a preview ahead of Wine Trends & Opportunities in Asia, happening October 8. Four experts. Multiple markets. Real perspectives from the people working across them. If Asia is part of your growth plans, don’t miss this conversation. RSVP for the free webinar and save your spot: https://lnkd.in/dCnXpWtK Alexandra Rendall Grant Smith Kamal Malik MS Dominique Noël (Ledomduvin) Sid Patel Ankita O. Malvika Patel Beverage Trade Network #AsiaWineRatings #AsianWineMarket #WineTrade #WineBuyers #WineExport #WineTrends
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Sid Patel liked thisSid Patel liked thisThe on-premise lens matters when you’re building a spirit for the U.S. market. 🥃 The 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards brings together bartenders, bar-group buyers and beverage directors to assess spirits on taste, mixability, versatility, value and packaging, with detailed feedback to help brands move forward. ⏰ Super Early Bird pricing ends today, September 30. Enter now and save $100 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/fdSkZZq Beverage Trade Network Sid PatelSuper Early Bird Ends Today: Put Your Spirit in Front of U.S. On-Premise BuyersSuper Early Bird Ends Today: Put Your Spirit in Front of U.S. On-Premise Buyers
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Sid Patel liked thisSid Patel liked this𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱'𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 In 2025, the UK imported USD 643 million of bulk wine, accounting for 21.6% of global import value. Germany followed with 17.8%, and the United States with 9.3%. The Southern Hemisphere plays a central role in the UK’s supply. Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and Argentina together accounted for 74.8% of UK bulk wine imports in 2025, up from 69.5% in 2021. Australia was the largest origin (26.2%), followed by New Zealand (22.2%), the United States (15.8%), Chile (11.3%), South Africa (9.2%) and Argentina (5.9%). The composition of supplying regions has shifted. From 2021 to 2025, the Southern Hemisphere gained share, the United States declined from 22.8% to 15.8%, and the EU increased from 6.6% to 8.6%. Argentina’s share of UK bulk wine imports remained stable between 5.5% and 6.4% over the period. The UK is by far Argentina’s leading bulk wine destination: in 2025, it received 62.8% of export volume and 71.1% of export value. Source: Argentine Bulk Wine Chamber, based on ITC Trade Map and Argentina’s National Institute of Viticulture (INV), 2025. #ArgentineBulkWine #BulkWine #WineIndustry #ArgentineWine #ExportMarkets
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BTN Academy
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See publicationBTN Academy is the leading educational resource for wine, spirits and beer professionals that helps you learn and grow.
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American Association of Wine Economists AAWE
Alcoholic Beverage Market Shares in the U.S. (1999–2024): Spirits' market share has grown from 28% in 1999 to 42% in 2024, mostly at the expense of beer. Spirits overtook beer to become the top category in 2022. Wine's market share has remained relatively steady at around 16%. #beer #wine #spirits
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Sid Patel
The producers redefining innovation, bartender relevance, and modern American spirits The U.S. spirits industry is entering a more mature, more selective phase. In 2026, growth is no longer driven by hype, expansion alone, or category buzzwords. Instead, bartenders are shaping the trajectory of brands—rewarding distilleries that understand real bar use, evolving guest expectations, and modern menu design. Across cocktail bars, hotel programs, and high-volume venues alike, spirits are being judged less on novelty and more on performance, transparency, and versatility. The distilleries that stand out today are those solving real-world problems for bartenders: how to serve more mindfully, work faster without sacrificing quality, tell honest stories, and build menus that resonate with today’s guests. Several of the distilleries below were recognized at the Bartender Spirits Awards, a competition judged exclusively by bartenders. That validation matters—because it reflects how spirits perform where it counts: behind the bar. Here are 20 U.S. distilleries to watch closely in 2026. https://lnkd.in/eKE4KwVd
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Jeff Kretschmar
"Supplier concentration risk compounds at scale." That line comes straight out of Republic National Distributing Company's own regulatory filing this spring — and it's one of the more honest sentences to come out of the wine and spirits distribution business in years. RNDC is selling operations across 11 markets to Reyes Beverage Group, the largest acquisition Reyes has ever made, and filed layoff notices affecting nearly 2,800 workers across Florida, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, Colorado, and Arizona — on top of a full California exit in 2025 that cut 1,756 jobs. Southern Glazer's, meanwhile, keeps growing: 47 markets, a Proof platform on pace for $4 billion in revenue, and a steady string of acquisitions. SGWS president Mark Chaplin said it plainly in March: expect "continued consolidation across all three tiers" of the U.S. three-tier distribution system. He's right — and it's reshaping who gets shelf space and who doesn't. I broke down what this means for anyone building a wine or spirits program, using twenty years of portfolio risk thinking from my prior career in finance. Read it here — Jeff Kretschmar: https://bit.ly/4y0kQmw #WineDistribution #RNDC #SouthernGlazers #BeverageIndustry #SupplyChain
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