On the 3rd of June, a whole lot of lucky winos were enticed to join Siris Vintners and go way underground for a trade show with a difference. Adding a solid helping of mystery beforehand with secret invitations and tokens building up to the day, Twitter was abuzz with excitement. The event was their annual trade show, exhibiting their wine portfolio and this year they went all out and underground, hosting it in the basement of the Double Tree by Hilton, four storeys underground.
Last night’s debauchery that was #SirisAboutWineUnderground – four floors below the #UpperEastsideHotel http://t.co/zfO6dRLSsJ
— Darryn van der Walt (@darrynvdwalt) June 3, 2014
I chatted to Bubbles Hyland to suss out where they came up with the idea for #SirisAboutWineUnderground:
“Siris Vintners like to set them selves apart from other wine merchants.
We are very passionate about wine but don’t take ourselves too seriously. We want to break some boundaries that are set within the wine industry. The only difference between every wine/trade show is the wine; why is the wine industry the only industry that stagnates and doesn’t move forward with the times? We want to attract a new generation of wine lovers; make it interesting, appealing to people of all ages, races, genders etc. We didn’t want to put on a mundane wine show.
Every year we want to do something a little unexpected. Last year we did a pop up wine show. So the underground theme really came from that. Building up some excitement and speculation about the event, the venue was decided first and dictated the theme. We wanted to isolate ourselves with no distractions from the outside world including no phone reception. It created a feeling of a cellar. A certain appealing mustiness! “
I couldn’t have said it better myself. A brilliant push towards the unusual, the exciting and the downright fantastic, the event was extremely well received by attendees and everyone was tweeting about it (after the fact, as the reception down below was practically non-existent).
My favourite for sure Anura Cabernet Sauvignon #sirisselfie #sirisaboutwineunderground http://t.co/LJbURVeVfm — Leslie Maliepaard (@mydesio) June 2, 2014
Lukas #winehottie @grootepost showing one of Darlings finest pinot noirs #sirisaboutwineunderground pic.twitter.com/x0qeIrr0Qh
— Spit or Swallow (@spitorswallow) June 3, 2014
Siris Vintners annual event is open to the trade and press and showcases all the wines in their portfolio. The 2014 producers were Alphabetical, Anura, Arendsig, D’Aria, De Meye, De Waal, Groote Post, Moreson, Mullineux, Nico van Der Merwe, Nitida, Post House, Quando, Seven Springs, Signal Hill and Waverley Hills. The winemakers all attend, adding another level of interaction for everyone there beyond just tasting the wines.
Siris Vintners seems to have the right idea about wine, the industry and most importantly the type of people who buy and drink the wine. I am dying to see what they have up their sleeves for the 2015 event.