Interview With Jeremy Lithgow MW – Head of Wine at Amathus Drinks

Established in 1978, Amathus Drinks is toasting 45 years in business, so what better time to reach out to the Head of Wine at Amathus and ask him a few questions on the Sparkling Wines of the world, in this feature, I speak with Jeremy Lithgow, a Master of Wine and the Head of Wine at Amathus Drinks, let’s find out a bit about his life and his journey within the wine industry.

Tell Us A Bit About Yourself And How You Became Involved In The Wine Industry

“I’ve been working in the wine industry for around 25 years. I began as a sales assistant in a store called Bottoms Up in Fulham, then progressed from there through Wine Rack to working at independent merchant La Reserve (subsequently purchased by Jeroboams). That was followed by a 5 year stint in Australia, initially working for a winery, then a European wine importer, and finally running a Melbourne wine shop. I returned to the UK to manage the Harrods Wine Department for 5 years, before moving to the import side, working for French fine wine specialist Charles Taylor Wines. I passed my MW in 2016, and in 2017 moved to Amathus Drinks as its Head of Wine where I oversee a portfolio of 150 wineries and around 1200 wines in total from across the globe, both for retail and distribution.”

How Do You See The Future Of English Sparkling Wine?

“This year looks challenging unless the weather improves dramatically very soon! In a broader context, the future is very bright for the consumer, as quality has never been better, and with so many vineyards coming online the market is at risk of saturation in the next 2-5 years, which will hopefully create enough competition for prices to fall. Looking forward to seeing a wider range of sub-£20 retail wines on the market, as more producers start using the Charmat method to reduce costs and make the category more accessible.”

What’s The Sparkling Wine Scene Like In Regards To UK Sales, Is It Still Champagne And Prosecco Leading The Way, Are There Any Regions Growing In Popularity?

“Champagne and Prosecco are still dominating, however, we’re seeing a big uptake in traditional-method sparkling from other areas, especially Cremant from Jura, Loire and Luxembourg. We’ve just taken on a brilliant Lessini Durello Riserva, and a top quality Paraje Cava, plus we’ll be adding a Cremant de Savoie soon. Sales of Pet Nat are booming, and our sales of South African MCC and English fizz continue to grow. In terms of Prosecco, we’ve seen customers happy to premiumise up to high quality options, while we’re seeing strong growth in grower Champagne.”

If You Had To Choose One Glass of Bubbly To Take With You To A Deserted Island, What Would It Be?

“If I had to choose a single glass it would 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil; mind-bendingly good and truly thrilling; I can remember the exact and only moment I drank it.”

Thank you, Jeremy, for sharing your words, knowledge and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Image belong to Jeremy Lithgow. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission, to use them.