After a multi-year hiatus from trade and press tastings, Virgin Wines hosted its twenty-fifth birthday tasting in Shoreditch yesterday.

The reason for the return, senior wine buyer Dave Roberts told Drinks Retailing, was to shine a spotlight on the eight special-edition wines the company released for its anniversary.

Spanning wines from Spain, Australia, France, Portugal and England, the collection celebrates the relationships Virgin has built over its twenty-five years.

“We wanted to showcase that we work closely with winemakers and don’t just buy wine straight off the shelf – we’re involved in the whole process,” Roberts explained.

Some of the relationships being celebrated are long-standing, Roberts said, such as Steve Grimley in Australia, who Virgin has “worked with since day one”. Meanwhile, others, like Henners – an English sparkling wine producer – and London Cru – an urban winery based in the city – are more recent partnerships.

Style-wise, the 25th-anniversary range offers variety. From Henners, the English sparkling wine is made from 100% Chardonnay. The Champagne from Gaston Declos is made from 100% Pinot Noir, also the grape of choice for London Cru’s Pinot Noir Précoce 2023.

From Portugal, the 25th-anniversary wine is a Vinho Verde made of Loureiro, while the first Spanish option is from a Garnacha parcel. Finca Manzanos, a producer also from Spain, offered a 15-year-old Rioja made from 100% Tempranillo. Elsewhere, Steve Grimley released a 100% Shiraz, and the still French offering was crafted with Grenache Blanc.

Australia

Outside of the 25th-anniversary collection, Roberts said Virgin Wines continues to focus strongly on Australia, which is something that evolved naturally. “Over the years our customer base has fallen in love with Australia and the wines we’ve released from there, so this continues to be a big part of our portfolio, tastings and promotions,” he said.

At yesterday’s event, this was most evident at the table dedicated to The Black Pig collection, all made by Steve Grimley, which Virgin said is one of its all-time best-selling ranges.

The emphasis also extends to Virgin’s Five O’Clock Somewhere collection, which aims to “push the boundaries of what Aussie wine can be”.

That said, Roberts was quick to note that Virgin’s buyers are also exploring emerging trends. Junior buyer Isabelle Wardlow, for example, is currently working on building a series of Greek additions.

Mont Rochelle

Finally, the tasting also showcased wines from Mont Rochelle, a 27-hectare vineyard in South Africa owned by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group, which also operates a luxury hotel of the same name.

Soon to be available through Virgin Wines, the selection includes four wines made from four grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Overall, it marked a jubilant return for Virgin Wines to the trade tasting circuit – a confident comeback with plenty to say.