New wine teleshopping channel

A new television channel dedicated to selling wine is to launch this spring. Vinappris is the brainchild of Steve and John Bennett, the team behind the Gems TV shopping channel and jungle.com. Managing director Steve Bennett told ThirtyFifty, ‘It’s a cross between what the Discovery Channel would do on wine, with reality TV and teleshopping.’

The studio is set in a purpose-built wine bar where real people will taste and comment on the wines and presenters will sell them. Featured wines will also be accompanied by film footage shot in their country of origin giving information on their terroir, viticulture and vinification.

‘We want it to be educational and demystify wine,’ explained Steve, who has bought in the wine expertise. Ex-Threshers’ Julian Twaits and Edward Bowen of Friarwood, the company that specialises in Bordeaux en primeur, will source the wines. Vinappris’ plan is not to sell a load of cheap plonk. Steve said, ‘We’re buying wines from around the world at the quality end of the market – with an average price of around £7 or £8.’

Around 50 wines will be offered a day on the channel, which will go out live from 5pm until 1am on digital television, most likely on Sky.