5THWAVE Podcast - Forward-thinking series examining the business of progressive coffee culture

12 August 2021 | 32 mins

Episode 21: Industry parallels – coffee vs. wine

On the podcast this week, we’re diving into the world of wine to explore its parallels with coffee.

The wine industry is often considered ahead of the curve compared to coffee when it comes to sensory appreciation and consumer education, but is that always the case? In conversations with leading wine and coffee experts, we explore the history and influence of these two worlds to offer a deeper understanding of the wine market and how to maximise its potential in coffee businesses.

Morten Scholer, coffee and wine author provides a broad overview of the similarities and differences between these two industries.

Phil Barnet, Sales Manager at Les Caves de Pyrene, discusses the dramatic shifts in the consumption and production of wine in the past three decades.

Robert Robinson, Co-founder of Notes Coffee Roasters, shares how his hospitality venues deliver a quality coffee offering during the day and an equally-good wine experience by night.

For a detailed comparison of the coffee and wine industries, pick up a copy of Morten Scholer’s book – Coffee and Wine: Two Worlds Compared.

Credits music: Summer Night Vibes by Ellie Harris for the Coffee Music Project

Guests

Robert Robinson

Co-founder, Notes Coffee Roasters

On a year out after university Robert Robinson opened a coffee van in a London street market. After a fortuitous meeting with Fabio Ferreira, the pair joined forces and founded Notes. Twelve years later and Notes operates their own roastery and has twelve locations around London.

Phil Barnet

Sales Manager, Les Caves de Pyrene

Phil Barnet arrived in the wine trade via a career in the restaurant industry and has been working for wine importer distributor and retailer, Les Caves de Pyrene for the last 16 years. Barnet is a great believer in Natural Wine and is particularly fond of good Loire Chenin Blanc.

Morten Scholer

Wine and coffee author

Morten Scholer was Senior Advisor on coffee-related projects at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland for 14 years. Scholer has self-published Coffee and Wine - Two Worlds Compared. Wine has been his hobby since his younger years when he spent holidays picking grapes in France.