Getting ready for the wine trade party of the year

Shameless self-promotion alert! Skin Côntact LIVE AGAIN! is happening in just over a month, and I’m in full-on promotional mode. This year’s event is going to be the last time Skin Côntact happens – I absolutely love doing it, but it was only supposed to be a one-off, so this comeback gig is our big finale.

It’s a lot of work, but one of the nicest things about it is working with lots of great people in the trade, who give their time, expertise and talent for free. The world of wine is built on conviviality and shared experiences, and Skin Côntact exemplifies this in a wonderful way.

For a start, we’ve a got a stellar line-up of singers, and they’re all really different – from different parts of the trade, different backgrounds, different parts of the country and with very different singing styles. This year, we’ve also got three winners of our Sing With Skin Côntact competition taking to the stage. For me, playing with them all - and with musicians as talented and experienced as Alex, Ben, Matt, Anne and Millie - is a sheer joy.

Then there’s everyone else involved behind the scenes. Ali and Emma at EWPR were instrumental in making the first Skin Côntact happen and they (along with Kristen and Poppy) are absolutely brilliant at organising the logistics, liaising with the press and generally keeping the buzz going.

What else is on offer? A superb wine tasting of Rhône wines before the gig, then a superstar DJ battle between Neal Martin and Dan Keeling, as well as mouth-watering catering (from a lovely new company called Skins - the perfect name!), plus the chance to join your friends and colleagues for the wine trade party of the year!

What’s more, 100% of the face value of the tickets will be donated to Wine Relief, the wine trade’s fundraising initiative for Comic Relief – last year, we raised over £10,000. Absolutely everyone in the wine trade is invited, so - no excuses! Tickets cost £20 plus booking fee and are available here. I personally guarantee you an unforgettably brilliant night out. See you on the dancefloor!