A new trade fair aimed at helping retail buyers source the best wines to sell at discount prices will make its debut in the autumn.

The Cheap Wine Show will be held in early September to enable supermarket buyers and discounters to access last minute bargains that will test the limits of the government ban on selling alcohol below the cost of duty and VAT.

The show is likely to come in for criticism from senior figures in the drinks industry who have campaigned to improve the image of alcohol in the wake of controversy over what the tabloids have labeled ”pocket money prices”.

It is also likely to cause consternation for owners of brands such as Misty Cove, Flowering Hummock and Esau’s Tributary that have tried to “premiumise” the category in recent years.

But organiser John Camden Neild said the move tapped into the mood of the times.

“We have wine shows for just about everything these days, from smaller importers, through orange wines, biodynamics, organics, malleables, crunchy wines, and even, this year, bulk wine, so why not this?

“These are challenging times for everyone in the industry and anything that helps them to give consumers a bargain at such times should be welcomed.

“Brexit has created uncertainty for consumers who don’t know what their wallets will feel like in a couple of years time, and for everyone in the supply chain.”

Read More at source: off-licence news