36 FEBRUARY 2017 AUSSIE DISTRIBUTION PLANS: Villa Maria, New Zealand’s most awarded winery, has announced plans to establish its own Australian based sales and distribution operation from March 1 this year to continue to grow its presence in the market. The family owned winery made the decision following the acquisition of its distributor Fine Wine Partners by Accolade Wines, with the aim of creating greater flexibility for its marketing and distribution as well as getting closer to its customers. “Villa Maria has had a very successful relationship with Fine Wine Partners for the past 12 years,” founder and owner Sir George Fistonich says. “With their support, Villa Maria has become one of the largest New Zealand wine brands in Australia and has a very solid reputation, validated by many awards including Winestate’s New Zealand Winery of the Year, which we’ve won 15 out of 19 years.” The company currently has two wine brands active in Australia - Vidal and Villa Maria - and will assess future growth for the business once they’re firmly established in the market. In the interim, Villa Maria will take advantage of the opportunity to focus on the highly-lauded Reserve and Single Vineyard wines – both for on and off premise. “We see the potential to grow significantly in Australia. Because we are focusing on a limited number of brands with different strategies, we can be very efficient and dedicated in all of our sales and marketing efforts, Sir George says. “This is a huge opportunity to work more closely with our customers to ensure we are meeting their needs.” PORTFOLIO CHANGE MEANS SWITCH: William Grant & Sons has announced plans to consolidate the majority of its portfolio of spirits in New Zealand with leading independent beverage distributor Federal Merchants & Co. Glenfiddich, Grant’s and The Balvenie brands will move from Lion to Federal Merchants, joining Sailor Jerry, Tullamore D.E.W., Monkey Shoulder, Solerno and Hendrick’s, as Federal Merchants represent the majority of the William Grant’s brands in New Zealand. “After a fantastic partnership with Lion spanning more than 30 years, the difficult decision was made to make a change as we pursue a new consolidation strategy. We thank Lion for this long and successful partnership,” says William Grant’s general manager Colin Rochester. The distribution agreement will see Federal Merchants bolster its premium spirits portfolio, resulting in a more comprehensive service to clients and the trade. “We’re delighted to welcome Glenfiddich, Grant’s and The Balvenie to the Federal Merchants & Co portfolio,” Federal Merchants & Co managing director Aidin Dennis says. “We have continued to focus on premium spirit brands that delight consumers, and we are privileged to strengthen our portfolio with these international market leaders. This also cements a key partnership between the two family owned companies and we look forward to strong continued growth with our trade partners.” Federal Merchants & Co will take over distribution of the William Grant brands from May. WITH A BANG: Yealands Family Wines are getting into the New Year spirit after receiving a platinum medal at the International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing Competition run by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. Founder Peter Yealands says the top honour was awarded for the company’s ongoing environmental, economic and social sustainability programmes and – importantly – for how well its wine actually tastes. “As always, with an amazing award like this, it is achievable only because everyone in the team is so passionate about the work that we do. It’s a true team effort; none of this would be possible without the amazing team that we have formed here,” Yealands says. “This award really highlights what we’ve been saying all along - that creating great tasting wines doesn’t have to cost the earth.” Yealands’ achievements in sustainability include being the world’s first carboNZero certified winery, as well as its largest solar array in New Zealand that generates more than 411 kilowatts of power while offsetting 82 tonnes of C02 emissions. Its other programmes include wind-powered energy; using a flock of miniature sheep to graze in between vine rows and reducing the need for mechanical mowing; installing floating solar-powered lighting in its wetlands to attract grass grub beetles and reducing the need for chemical pesticides while protecting the grapevines; and burning vine prunings to reduce CO2. The wine submitted for the award was the Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2016, and Botanical Research Institute of Texas president and director Ed Schneider says Yealands' list of sustainable programmes is long and impressive, and takes commitment and vision. “Yealands' goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable winegrower could only be slightly upstaged by the quality of his wines.” W I N E A N D B E E R
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