Borough Wines partners with Liam Steevenson MW to launch wines and events

By Lisa Riley

Published: 09 April, 2018

Borough Wines has joined forces with Liam Steevenson MW to launch a collaborative own-label wine range alongside a series of events.

The new Maison 54 wine portfolio is a multi-region label for limited edition wines comprising exclusive releases and bespoke blends created in collaboration with winemakers across the world.

Featured producers include some already part of the Borough Wines stable as well as new ones which, due to supply limitations or existing contractual agreements, can’t become permanent features on the merchant’s shelves, but with parcels deemed “too good to pass up”.

Released this month in the Borough Wine shops and via the company’s wholesale and distribution arm, the first Maison 54 wines include a Pétillant Naturel from South West France and a Languedoc Terret Blanc and a Corsican Vermentino, with further wines in the range will be released later in the year.

In addition to the NPD, Steevenson MW was involved in Borough Wines’ first Tête à Tête event, which took place last month and addressed the subject of ‘Alcohol’.

The event, of which a second will be held 17 May this year, included a discussion panel comprising Steevenson MW, Borough Wines MD Muriel Chatel, co-director Corinna Pyke, drinks writer and Guardian columnist Fiona Beckett and distiller Geyan Surendran.

“The idea for Tête à Tête was formed during early discussions with Steevenson MW about the Maison 54 range, said Chatel, adding the two were closely linked with both growing out of a desire to capture the zeitgeist - exploring the trends and changing tastes that impact how and what we drink.

“Tête à Tête is a platform for discussing the ideas that shape our wine choices, while Maison 54 is how we attempt to capture the current mood in bottle form,” she said.

The first event featured a blind tasting and comparison of two cocktails – one containing alcohol and the other alcohol-free – followed by a guided tasting of wines from the merchant’s range, from across the alcohol spectrum.

The May Tête à Tête event will see Beckett re-joining the panel alongside Steevenson MW, Chatel and Pyke, with plans in the pipeline to host subsequent tastings, talks and dinners under the Tête à Tête banner at various locations across London over the coming months, each revolving around a given theme.

Steevenson MW said:“I have been a huge fan of Borough Wines for a while now, struck by not only their range but their energetic approach to retail. To play a role in this story is truly exciting, and the tasks we have set out in the short term, to create a ‘wine conversation’ through our Tête à Tête sessions, and then have the opportunity to source small parcels of brilliant wines, well they both put a smile on my face!”

Alongside his new responsibilities with Borough Wines, Steevenson MW will continue in his roles as CEO of Global Wine Solutions and MD of Red & White Wines , as well as continuing to fulfil his duties as an international wine judge.

Printer friendly version