Next up, we attended a fascinating talk on the impact of climate change on natural wine making in Portugal, with Jose Luis Moreira da Silva of Esporão Wines leading the conversation.

Climate change has forced the organic producer into a startling range of innovations. It all begins by taking even greater pains to protect the soil, vines, and surrounding environment from degradation caused by unnecessary interventions.

In the south of the country, a simple yet novel trick is paying massive dividends; switching vines from north/south facing to east/west facing, which protects the grapes against the harsher summer sun to slow the ripening process and make the grape more resilient for future harvests.

Esporão are also saving money with seemingly minor changes. By removing aluminium caps from their Fio da Navalha wines, they saved a massive five tonnes of aluminium in a single year. Other low intervention methods include concrete tanks that allow the terroir and grapes more chance to sing, as opposed to being heavily altered by the tank as is often the case with oak barrels.

With innovation at its forefront and a mission to bring the highest quality organic wines to the market, their sites are also constantly abuzz with working students, studying their winemaking and growing practices, empowering the next generation of wine innovators.

Centre Stage held two vitally important talks throughout the day. The first, a panel speaking specifically about diversity and inclusion in the wine industry. The second, a talk entitled; Conversations leaders should be having—but aren’t.

Like so many industries, many older established authorities in wine are gatekeeping success, money, opportunities, and routinely passing on people because of prejudices attached to race and/or gender.

But while many speakers across these talks were fervent in addressing the problems that still affect the industry, they were just as quick to highlight the forces for good that helped them get to where they are today. Each spoke candidly about their struggles, the ways they’ve overcome hurdles placed in their way, and gave practical advice for those in the same positions.

With these vital voices heard on Centre Stage, London Wine Fair 2025 presented a valuable opportunity for those in attendance to listen, understand and connect with a perspective other than their own.

When not attending talks, we spent time chatting to exciting wine producers, importers, and buyers galore, and the knowledge on hand was outstanding.

With spittoon’s scattered all around, the sipping, sloshing, smacking and spitting celebration was well underway.

We sampled wines from as far afield as China, Georgia, North Macedonia, and South Africa, as well as offerings from micro-yield wineries, natural wines from every region in Italy, and curated selections from female-owned wineries with massive and tiny production runs alike.

We left with the clear impression that the vanguard of the wine trade are pushing for innovation and positive change; and alongside some of the best wines we’ve ever tasted, that left a decidedly pleasant taste in the mouth.