Coronavirus, The Wine Industry And Reason For Optimism in 2021

By Lorna Povey

Well, what a year it’s been. And it’s safe to say, none of us have ever experienced a year like it! As with every other industry on the planet, coronavirus has had a huge impact on the wine and drinks industry this year. But despite the hardship of 2020, we see reason for optimism on the horizon. Our Buying Director, Andrew Baker, looks back at the bizarre year that’s just been, and why he’s feeling positive about 2021.

There’s no doubt it’s been a tough year for many. Working so closely with the hospitality industry, we’ve seen countless friends have to shut shop as restaurants, bars, hotels and events have been unable to operate under the restrictions. Of course, this has also had a knock-on effect for winemakers and drink producers, as they suddenly found themselves with plenty of stock and no one to sell it to.

The impact on the wine industry as a whole has been quite profound. Andrew Baker gives his insight into what’s been going on in the wine world in a year completely dominated by covid.

As Andrew says, it’s been fantastic for us to be able to keep our doors open at VW so that smaller, independent producers can keep their doors open too. There really has been a sense of community and everyone pulling together this year like no other.

So, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, there are a few reasons to feel optimistic about the year ahead as we put 2020 behind us. At VW, we’re going into 2021 knowing we have the ability to work with and support very small producers, which in turn means we can expand and diversify the range we offer you, our lovely customers.

Key Takeaways for 2021

We take our trends and inspiration partly from what our customers tell us, and we’re hearing loud and clear that clean living is on the rise. We spoke about low and no alcohol wines, beers and spirits being a trend for 2020 in our last annual review with Andrew, and it’s one that’s certainly not going anywhere anytime soon. The overall quality of low and no alcohol drinks, particularly the alcohol-free gins and beers, has come a long way, with some sensational examples being added to our range for 2021.

The big takeaway message though is the expansion of our overall offering, taking on a plethora of new, small-scale, independent producers who are turning out absolutely incredible wines, beers and spirits in spite of the obstacles 2020 has thrown their way. As an industry, we’re approaching 2021 with a new outlook, and ready for a brighter year ahead.