Judge profile: Harriet Kininmonth

Wine news

Thu 19 Sep 2019

Harriet Kininmonth is the director of buying for Enotria & Co, the second largest wholesaler in the UK. Previously working in buying roles in multiple different countries, she now oversees the whole buying team across both wines and spirits, purchasing wine from all over the world, and distributing it to the on-trade and independent retail channels. 

How many wines do you have in your portfolio?

We have around 1800 SKUs [stock keeping units] in our portfolio live, but we also bring in a further 200-300 exclusive wines for some top end customers.

Are there any regions that you’re looking to expand upon?

We had our portfolio review just last week which is a great platform where buying, marketing, and sales all get in a room and have a big debate around the trends and opportunities. This year we’ve done a lot of work in France and we want to continue to build our French portfolio, which is historically under traded given our Italian heritage. 

We’re also going to be looking into some emerging regions in Eastern Europe, some of the quirkier orange wine and Amphora from places such as Georgia to add some real interest into the portfolio, which is really important for us.

How can awards help producers?

It’s great for producers when they’re trying to get into the market. If they have a host of gold medals, that’s an extra string to their bow. 

What do you look for when you are judging wines?

I think it has to be an outstanding, delicious beverage at the end of the day. It has to give you joy. There are certain wines that just do that. We give a lot of Silvers – we gave 12 Silvers today, and one Gold – and that one wine gave joy to everyone around the table.