Happy new year - have a look at my wine hitlist and let me know what you’d like to see in 2023

If you're a member reading this - thank you for your great support in 2022.

We had a strong end to the year, with lots of new members joining. Especially in December.

It did mean that stocks of our most popular wines - like Stepp Pinot Noir, Mantel Blanco Verdejo, and Mas Calamiac Minervois - were pretty much annihilated by the time we closed for Christmas.

But fear not - I’ve got fresh supplies arriving from Europe in the next 7-10 days.

I’ve added tracking to my online wine hitlist so you can keep tabs on any favourites - you can check it out here.

We’re starting 2023 as we mean to go on - that means more exciting new wines will be here soon, from the best up-and-coming talent.

Such as…

• The new vintage releases from Domaine Nicolas. This tiny Burgundy winery, run by siblings Mylène and Benoit, is a goldmine of amazing value Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundy is suddenly in short supply due to a few difficult harvests - so look out for your chance to stock up.
• Garnacha is all the rage in Spain right now, and the insanely gifted Bárbara Requejo in Cebreros is one of the most talked-about young producers here. I told you all about her last year, and 182 people have already signed up to be the first to hear about the wines.
• Finally a top secret project is underway in Campania in the south of Italy, from a winemaker who currently works for one of Tuscany’s most prestigious estates. Lips are sealed for now or I’ll get in trouble…

And that’s just for starters.

One of the great things about growing the business is that more money becomes available to bring in more new wines and winemakers. Making the experience better for everyone.

'Tis the season for wine fairs, and I’ll soon be heading off in search of new talent.

First up is a big event at the end of the month in Montpellier, called Millésime Bio. I’ve been before, and it’s full of smaller and younger French producers, especially from the south, with a big focus on organics and sustainability.

It’s the perfect fit for us - I can’t wait to tell you what I find.

But I could do with a steer...

The member feedback I got this time last year was so helpful.

We branched out into places like Beaujolais and Bierzo, as well as growing (ahem, starting) our range of lighter reds and going after more Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Here’s what’s top of my list this year:

• More lower-priced gems, especially whites
• Exploring the vastly undiscovered Languedoc region of southern France
• Italy… madre di Dio, da dove inizio?

You can check out the longer list here - I’m going to be busy!

Your feedback and support helps make the business better.

So if you have anything burning to add to the list - or any other suggestions for 2023 - please drop me an email at eamon@winespark.com.

Equally, if you’re thinking ‘you’ve got this wine guy!’, then feel free to leave me to it.

Thank you for your support - and here’s to many more great wines in 2023.