Diary. London Paris Ste Colombe.

What they call the GMM - and I call Simon's Show - was the-six monthly get-together of our busy wine sellers from around the world. Yesterday and this morning. London.

Forty or so. Majority girls, I think. They all stand up and tell of their successes and some failures. We all learn. Cross-fertilisation! Quite competitive. The Americans are winning at the moment and like to mention this frequently to the Brits, Aussies, Germans, Swiss, Poles and Hongkongers.

But I thought the most passionate talk with the most brilliant ideas was Peter from Poland ... the new kid on the block. Peter gets SO excited, but can't quite find the words (English is his fifth language). You fear the big man will just burst with frustrated passion ... for wine. We all hold our breath as he windmills his arms, goes red, until the missing word EXPLODES out. (Peter, I discover, actually has a small Polish vineyard. I didn't know there were any. He says 500!!)

We all agree we are so lucky to be in such an agreeable business as wine. But we also agree it’s a tough old time. We all know that work harder/better is the only way.

We saw the prototype new Wine Plan... To be called 'Laithwaites Recommends' due to start - gently - next month. This clever bit of kit was initially dreamt up by Mark who older customers may remember ran Theale Shop until Eddie took over. Quiet Mark turned out to be a bit of a computer whizz. He did not think customers on wine plans should have to be held so rigidly to the wines we pick for them every quarter. He thought they should be as free to choose as any of our shop customers - whilst (IMPORTANT) still benefiting from our good professional guidance. Wine is, after all, a minefield is it not?

Anyway when Simon arrived he leapt at this idea and techies were drafted in to make it work. Currently there are 15 of them at it day and night.

This is a Big Thing for us.

This will be us now just SUGGESTING a 'perfect-for-you' case of wines to Wine Plan customers every 2/3 months. But customers then being able to have fun changing it all.

Customers can already do a certain amount of this online. And many do. But the choice is restricted. In future the choice will be HUGE. And there's much more. But I don't want to steal their thunder. Suffice it to say that the days of our Wine Plans being rather 'Laithwaites Insists' are almost over. It will soon be the much more reasonable 'Laithwaites Recommends'.

I think it will be the perfect way Everyone to buy the RIght Wine For Them. A good wine merchant must be someone you trust to really HELP you. There is really no point to us if we don't do that.

Anyway I scuttle away early because my brain hurts and catch the old Eurostar.

I don't for some reason read the train magazine. When I arrive in Paris I get an email from the gorgeous Clemence, our PR, to say there's a feature on me in that magazine. Damn. Could've preened all the way over. Assuming they've been nice that is.

Anyway, pausing only to have a cash machine eat my card the TGV is now approaching Libourne so should be 'home' in Ste Colombe by midnight.

Tomorrow is 'La Grande Ouverture' at Le Comptoir.

Liboune! Ici Libourne.