Tara, in the Paris offices of Le Figaro, during our team's trip to the capital in December 2023.
Following our relaunch in February 2024, Wine Lister has continued to strengthen its position as the world's reference 360° fine wine consulting agency. Headed by founder and CEO, Ella Lister, our team boasts a wealth of experience across the industry, be it in media, hospitality, off-trade, or production. Each member holds a WSET qualification under their belt, and together they speak eight different languages, including Cantonese, English, French, Italian, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian.
Here, we speak with Tara Albini, Wine Lister’s Head of Clients and Marketing, who joined Wine Lister in 2020. She shares insight into her journey in wine and offers top tips to get the most out of fine wine communications.
What was the moment that you realised you wanted to make a career out of your passion for wine?
When I started to notice that I was enjoying my weekend job at a wine bar more than my university studies during the week (which, to clarify, I thoroughly enjoyed too). I was extremely lucky that I had a boss who was passionate about wine (as I am now) and who invested in his team learning about wines beyond those on his wine list. As soon as I completed my degree in history of art at The Courtauld Institute, I enrolled on a WSET Level 3 course and gained further experience at a wine-focused Michelin-starred restaurant in London. I applied for the role of Marketing Assistant at Wine Lister shortly after, starting a week before the UK went into its first national lockdown in March 2020. The rest is history – I have been with the company for over four years and completed my WSET Diploma at the end of 2023.
When at a restaurant or in a wine shop, what stands out to you on a wine list or on the shelves?
I often ask the sommelier or shop assistant for their recommendations – having worked in hospitality for five years, I can vouch that they often know the hidden gems amongst their inventories. Otherwise, I will try to scope out something that I know has excellent value – whether that be a country or region that offers top quality for exceptional prices (Spain, Portugal, or smaller Italian regions such as the Marche or Campania), or an underdog offering from a top producer (recent examples include Sassicaia’s Le Difese or G.D. Vajra’s Langhe Nebbiolo).
How do Wine Lister’s marketing and communications services differ from that of its competitors?
The main difference between Wine Lister and other drinks-focused marketing or PR agencies is that our team comprises genuine wine lovers with extensive knowledge of the industry. We have decades of combined fine wine experience across media, trade, and production, allowing us to bring an unparalleled understanding and insight to every collaboration. We are able to put ourselves in the shoes of the people that we are communicating with and therefore design campaigns and assets that will be engaging for our clients’ target audience. With our founder and CEO, Ella Lister, being a fine wine journalist and critic, we also have the unique ability to check our strategy and communication content with a key media figure.
Can you give us three top tips to ensure a successful marketing campaign?
- As mentioned previously, it is crucial to empathise with the people you are communicating with. By adapting the strategy behind, story within, and execution of your campaign for each individual target, you will increase the chance of transmitting a message.
- Building genuine relationships and establishing solid brand loyalty are long-term objectives. It is crucial to be patient – some of our most successful campaigns have centred around a whispering strategy, building up communications slowly and steadily.
- If it can be said about another company, person, or wine, then it probably isn’t worth saying! It is pivotal to take the time to define genuinely unique characteristics or stories, as overly “marketing-y” or generic language won’t make an impact.
Why are relationships so important within the fine wine industry?
This industry is unified by a shared passion for a tangible and ingestible product – something that pleases the senses and inspires conversation. The emotional aspect of wine can be leveraged by storytelling and recommendation, two things that are facilitated by relationships. I have been so fortunate to build genuine friendships with people that share the same passion as me – with whom I am able to sit around the table for hours on end, talking about various producers and bottles that have made an impact on us. The industry is so small, so these casual endorsements can have a significant impact on the recognition of a wine.
What developments do you see for the marketing and communications division of Wine Lister moving forward?
It would be great to continue our expansion across fine wine markets, organising more events overseas (we organised our first Dubai event at the end of 2023) and working with producers from different countries and regions. It has been a pleasure to help our clients stay connected and build their brands among those that matter, and I hope we can continue to fulfil this service for a wider pool of the world’s wonderful wineries.
Click here to download our marketing and communications information pack, and here to read more about our previous projects.
