Supplier Liberty Wines and merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) are among those leading a number of initiatives to support hospitality businesses during Covid-19 lockdown.
Berry Bros. & Rudd is aiming to raise £50,000 for Hospitality Action through the sale of a limited edition case of 2016 Bordeaux.
The mixed case has been created in collaboration with négociant Ginestet and supported by six leading Bordeaux Châteaux, including the likes of Pichon-Longueville-Baron in Pauillac and Ch. Leoville Poyferre, St Julien.
Each six-bottle case will be available for £680 (in bond) and is packaged in a bespoke wooden case.
The 200 cases are being sold directly by Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Fine Wine sales team.
Liberty Wines meanwhile has teamed up with Barolo producer G.D. Vajra in support of six hospitality charities across the UK and Ireland.
Putting the spotlight on the Italian region, the Barolo Instagram Challenge will ask consumers to post a photo or video on Instagram about Barolo and what it means to them, with the chance of winning a mixed case of 2016 wines from G.D. Vajra.
Rather than asking participants to donate, G.D. Vajra and Liberty Wines will make a donation, split evenly between UK charities Hospobox, Hospitality Action, and The Caring Foundation. In Ireland, a further donation will be made to Feed The Heroes, Blood Bike South and The Restaurants Association of Ireland Benevolent Fund.
“In these difficult times, we wanted to give back to the industry that has supported our wines over many years,” G.D. Vajra’s Giuseppe Vaira, said.
“We also need beauty and creativity more than ever right now. So, together with our friends at Liberty Wines, we have launched this challenge for all hospitality professionals in the UK and Ireland and will be donating funds to six amazing charities that are providing relief to those who need it the most.”
David Gleave MW, of Liberty Wines added: “We have been delighted by the way in which the hospitality industry has rallied round those in need. We wanted to support our friends in hospitality, and this challenge is a light-hearted way to do so.”
Slightly further away, Wakefield Wines is also aiming to help the hospitality industry Down Under.
The Australian producer, known as Taylors Wines locally, is aiming to encourage punters to take part in a ‘Local Night In’ by ordering from their favourite restaurants over the coming weekend (29-31 May).
Wakefield has partnered with community group Support Local for the new initiative which aims to inspire people to dine in and support their much-loved locals.
The weekend-long event encourages Australians to support their favourite local restaurants by purchasing a meal, dining in at home or with friends (with respect to social distancing measures) and sharing an image on social media using the #LocalNightIn hashtag to spread the word that Australia’s local restaurants are still open for business.
Top photo: Wakefield Wines said it doesn’t know when the hospitality industry’s ‘bustling laneways’ like the one in Melbourne, pictured, will return to normal