More than 5,000 bottles of English sparkling wine – the first full container of our finest fizz to be shipped to any export destination – left Southampton docks today following a partnership between drinks exporter The British Bottle Company and New Jersey-based Vine Street Imports. Demand for English bubbles now reaches all corners of the globe. From China to Hong Kong, the USA to India, leading brands are now rivalling the very best French champagne.
The 20-foot container was loaded with twelve different wines from across the country, including Digby Fine English, Hush Heath Estate, Bolney Wine Estate and Camel Valley. The deal marks an important step towards fulfilling UK wine producers' recent commitment to achieve a tenfold increase in exports of English wine by 2020, helping to increase their value to over £30 million.
Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: “The English wine industry is going from strength to strength thanks to the innovation and hard work of our wine growers. It's not just our amazing Team GB making gold in Rio - our English wine producers are creating some of the best wines in the world, winning gold after gold at prestigious international awards.
“It's fantastic to see our vintners flying the flag for British produce and today's milestone shows our wine trade is very much open for business and in high demand across the globe.” Julia Trustram Eve, Marketing Director of English Wine Producers, the marketing arm of the UK wine industry, said: “As the reputation of English wine attracts ever more global attention the USA is a clear priority market for exports. These four producers are joining other English wineries now exporting to the US, which include Ridgeview, Chapel Down, Wiston, Gusbourne, Hambledon and Hattingley Valley. This deal is a significant milestone as it will be the largest shipment of English wines to any international market.”
The wines will be distributed to specialist retailers and restaurants across nine states initially: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Georgia, Montana and Maryland. This first container will be followed by further shipments from The British Bottle Company portfolio in the coming months.
The British Bottle Company will exhibit at leading trade fairs as part of the Vine Street portfolio and will organise a number of marketing and brand-building activities including a wine portfolio launch for US press and sommeliers at the British Consul's Residence in New York on 13th October.
Red Johnson, Founder & CEO of The British Bottle Company, said:
“We ship English wine to markets in Europe and Asia but this is the first time we have shipped a full container of wine to any destination, and what makes it more remarkable is that this is the first order. There is a real buzz developing in the states we have visited about English Fizz and I am confident that the US will quickly become our largest wine export market."
