Euan Mackay has spent long enough in the wine trade to know that the UK rewards clarity, discipline and a little flair. Since taking charge of Fells in 2023, he has been steering the importer through a market he describes as both unforgiving and full of opportunity, one where success depends on proving value at every price point and giving buyers a compelling reason to say yes.

That outlook is shaped by the strange distortions of the pandemic years, when retail-heavy businesses such as Fells benefited from an unprecedented jump in at-home drinking. Mackay says the boost to Port sales in particular was remarkable, but he is equally clear that the market has since normalised and become more selective. In his view, producers cannot simply expect the UK to absorb whatever they offer; brands have to be tailored for a sophisticated market that scrutinises packaging, price and consistency with unusual intensity.

For Mackay, the winning formula is surprisingly blunt: a bottle must look clean and uncomplicated, avoid unnecessary weight and maintain a steady alcohol level. He argues that the UK still offers exceptional value-led scale for those who get those elements right, with South Africa standing out as a source of strong quality at mid-tier prices, especially for styles such as Chenin Blanc and Riesling. Yet he also sees a broader shift back towards European wines as oversupply and softer economics bite in parts of the New World, particularly Australia and New Zealand.

That turbulence has been compounded by domestic policy. Mackay is sharply critical of the Extended Producer Responsibility regime, introduced in January 2025, which he says was badly handled and introduced without proper consultation with the drinks trade. Industry complaints have focused on administrative confusion and duplicate charges, and Mackay believes the policy has landed at exactly the wrong moment for producers already wrestling with duty pressures, changing demand and a more cautious buyer base.

Even so, he does not accept the notion that Britain has stopped wanting red wine. He says white remains fashionable, but there is still a healthy appetite for serious reds, and Fells has built its portfolio to cover the full spectrum, from everyday supermarket labels to established names in Burgundy, Bordeaux, Tuscany, Port and Madeira. That breadth, he argues, is what allows the company to stay relevant. Fells has also invested heavily in its marketing and data capability, with a sizeable team and a growing gifting arm that now accounts for a meaningful share of turnover, reflecting a business model that is as much about solutions as it is about bottles.

The gifting side has become a particularly important extension of that logic. According to reporting by The Buyer and later coverage of Fells’ own portfolio activity, the division has expanded into a bespoke operation serving premium retailers and delivering branded products ranging from hampers to accessories. Mackay says the team now treats gifting as part of the company’s core purpose, not an add-on, and the model appears to be working: it provides resilience when the drinks trade is softer and gives Fells another way to deepen client relationships.

If there is a single theme running through Mackay’s philosophy, it is that wine needs theatre as well as substance. He is dismissive of snobbery around waiting decades to open Port and argues that younger consumers need to see the category as immediate and vivid, not remote and ritualised. That instinct also explains his enthusiasm for packaging reinvention and for newer products such as Copenhagen Sparkling Tea, which Fells says has surged in sales. For Mackay, the future is not about defending old habits for their own sake, but about making sure the next generation of drinkers finds something irresistible in the glass.

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