For many years, we attended The London Wine Fair wearing many hats — as importers, as the generic bodies for Wines of Portugal and Wines of Brasil, and as the creators of Esoterica. Through these experiences, we saw first-hand how powerful a tightly focused, well-supported exhibition area could be for small importers and specialist producers.
At the same time, we also saw what wasn’t working. Talented producers without distribution were often lost in the vastness of the fair: overlooked, under-supported, and struggling to connect with the buyers they most needed to reach. Then, one evening in the back of a taxi, Ana had the eureka moment: why not create a dedicated, curated and fully supported space designed specifically for undistributed producers? A place where they wouldn’t be hidden - but highlighted. And with that, Wines Unearthed was born.
With the support of Ross Carter, Wines Unearthed launched at The London Wine Fair in 2015, and it quickly proved its value. Year after year, it went from strength to strength, helping hundreds of producers secure visibility, build relationships and take their first confident steps into export markets.
Today, Wines Unearthed has evolved into UNSIGNED. - a name that reflects our original purpose more clearly than ever. UNSIGNED. exists to spotlight producers who are still seeking distribution, to give them a powerful platform, and to connect them directly with the buyers who matter. While the name has changed, the ethos has not: to remove barriers to exhibiting, to provide practical support at every stage, and to ensure that no great producer is ever ‘lost’ in a fair again.
UNSIGNED is now international, but the mission remains exactly the same - to help undiscovered producers get discovered.
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With over 30 years experience in the trade, originally as an importer and more latterly as an entrepreneurial marketeer and events creator, Judy runs with the ethos that business matching is key to success in the trade.
A hugely talented and experienced marketeer Ana’s creative mind is much valued by generic groups and individual producers.
A skilled Portuguese administrative assistant committed to ensuring efficiency and known for attention to detail. Fluent in several languages, facilitating communication with international clients. Supporting projects that connect people and businesses across the global drinks industry.
“One of the biggest challenges facing small wine producers looking for new export markets lies in how to get the most out of their participation in a trade fair. In 2015, two women, one from Britain, the other from Portugal, decided to address this problem . . . by creating a dedicated area for these companies” Read more: Here
“People have come to expect exciting things from the Wines Unearthed section of the London Wine Fair, yet don’t fully realise what goes on behind the scenes to make this happen. The sheer amount of hand-holding and support given to each individual producer is impressive and feels ‘personal’. There’s a sort of joy about it.” Read More: Here
“A professional, relevant and ground-breaking conference with a global reach.”
Awarded for the creation of the ‘Wines of Portugal Month – June is for Indies!” Campaign
Awarded for the ‘Wake Up The Brazilian in You' campaign created for Wines of Brasil
"To pick up any awards in marketing requires originality, execution and results”
“The sheer amount of hand-holding and support given to each individual producer is impressive and feels ‘personal’. There’s a sort of joy about it”. The Buyer May 2024.
