As Liberty Wines continues to grow in both depth and reach, CEO Tom Platt spoke to Drinks Retailing about the new push into Spain and Italy, the challenges of the past year and why the business is doubling down on service via its new bonded warehouse in Basingstoke.

Coming hot on the heels of Monday’s SITT London, Liberty Wines’ second largescale tasting of the year was a sign that September 2025’s busy tasting schedule is now well underway.

Tuesday’s event (16 September) at The Oval followed a now familiar format for Liberty’s autumn edition, which is organised by grape variety and price point rather than country in order to encourage fresh approaches to tasting.

“We were 30% up on numbers this year,” CEO Tom Platt reflects. “The room had so much energy, and there was a real cohort of young people from restaurants and independent wine shops, which gave the day a brilliant lift.

“Buyers can taste across regions, whether they’re looking for a £20 Chardonnay, a £30 Tempranillo, or an off-beat indigenous white. It pushes people to try wines they might not have gone to otherwise.”

Spain and Italy spotlight

While Liberty Wines has long been associated with strong portfolios from Italy and Australia, Spain has become a major focus over the past few years.

This was on show at the event, where the team’s efforts to double down on an already successful category were highlighted via new additions such as Casa Castillo and Telmo Rodríguez’s projects Lanzaga and Pegaso, which have joined in the past year. They sit alongside others in the portfolio such as Raventós i Blanc by Pepe Raventós, Can Sumoi, Rafael Palacios’ Godellos and Dominio do Bibei.

“More recently we’ve added Adega Algueira in Ribeira Sacra from Fernando and Fabio Riveiro, and Ocampo, a new project from Jonatan García Lima in Tenerife. The response has been incredible – customers love the focus on protecting and resurrecting indigenous varietals.”

The strategy mirrors Liberty’s success with native Italian grapes, where there is “a natural overlap for our sales team. They’re learning much more deeply about Spain in the same way they have with Italy,” Platt says.

Italy meanwhile, remains a cornerstone, with new vintages from Isole e Olena and Fontodi described by Platt as “stars of the show” this year. Allegrini also made waves with a new release from its La Grola vineyard, where lower yields and gentler extraction (and a bit of Rondinella in the blend) have produced an elegant, Corvina-dominant wine that is now once again back in the Valpolicella DOC classification.

Burgundy and beyond

France is another area of investment, particularly in Burgundy, where demand remains high despite rising prices.

Liberty has just started working with Fabien Coche, (cousin of Coche-Dury’s Raphaël Coche), whose precise, energetic wines hail from the family’s 12ha domaine in Meursault.

“The Coche name carries weight, but it was the quality of the wines that clinched it for us,” Platt says.

Liberty has also taken on Laurent Fournier of Domaine Jean Fournier in Marsannay, where the Pinots are supple and elegant. Fournier’s passion for Aligoté is a reminder of why this grape has gained so much traction in Burgundy over the past decade, Platt noted, adding: “These wines are delicious and accessible in youth, and offer excellent value from the Côte de Nuits.”

Closer to home, the company has added Marbury, the new Crouch Valley project from former Gusbourne winemaker Charlie Holland in Essex. Marbury’s Chardonnay complements the success Liberty has had with Whitewolfe – the project from Clare Whitehead and Luke Wolfe – whose new 2023 releases were shown for the first time on Tuesday.

“Tamlyn Currin has called the area England’s answer to the Côte d’Or,” Platt noted.

English sparkling remains another pillar of Liberty’s portfolio. It’s been a year since the business took on Langham Wine Estate, where head winemaker Tommy Grimshaw’s oxidative style is gaining traction among aficionados. At Rathfinny, which Liberty has worked with for several years, sales are up 10% this year.

Together, says Platt, these projects are “helping to show the diversity of English fizz, and the quality has never been higher”.

Basingstoke

Like many businesses, Liberty is grappling with wider industry headwinds, from EPR costs, the “bizarre” new duty regime and shifting consumption habits.

“There’s a danger of focusing too much on the doom and gloom,” Platt cautions. “Yes, people are drinking less – that’s been happening for 10 years – but those selling successfully are doing so on quality and engagement. The route to growing wine sales is through quality. There’s a massive opportunity for those offering the right choice and value.”

One of Liberty’s biggest strategic moves of recent years has been the opening of its own bonded warehouse in Basingstoke, which Platt calls “crucial for our growth”.

Having its own warehouse has given the business control from the moment stock lands in the UK to the moment it reaches the customer – and gives extra flexibility in navigating an unpredictable market.

“Customers notice the difference,” Platt says. “One in Brighton told me how much he values having the same driver deliver every week. Often, that’s the most regular contact customers have will us.”

Looking ahead

Since taking over as CEO in January 2022, Platt has focused on building stability within the team after the upheavals of Covid, while also stepping into the shoes of Liberty’s co-founder, former MD and the long-standing face of the business, David Gleave.

“It’s an incredible privilege to run Liberty Wines,” he says. “David and Luciann [Flynn] built something extraordinary over 25 years. You just don’t want to mess it up. The business goes from strength to strength thanks to the consistency and adaptability of the team.”

The company’s shareholder relationships with Portugal’s Sogrape and Champagne houses Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck have also been a boon.

“Both Portugal and Champagne are in great growth for us,” says Platt. “They’re investing for the long term, and we’re helping to bring those wines to the right customers.”

With a 65/35% split for the on and off-trade, and strong representation across the UK and Ireland, Liberty is set for what Platt describes as “more of the same, but better”.

He wraps up by focusing on the portfolio’s strength and depth, “from Germany to Georgia and Greece. We’re continuing to invest in Spain, Burgundy and South Africa, adding Restless River from the latter in the past year, which has given us real strength there. The aim is simple: keep the portfolio exciting, keep service levels high and keep engaging with customers of every age and type.”