Rapeneau family deal brings first Champagne to Off Piste range

By Mathew Lyons

Published: 02 November, 2015

The Rapeneau family has appointed Cheltenham-based Off Piste Wines to distribute its Charles de Cazanove range of Champagnes in the UK off trade.

Off Piste will be targeting its efforts on the Charles de Cazanove Brut and Rosé Tradition, which will retail in the £25-to-£30 bracket, and the Premier Cru and Vintage, priced £30 to £35.

Founded in 1900, Rapeneau Family Estates is the second largest family business in Champagne. It produces up to 10 million bottles a year from 800 ha of vineyards.

The deal represents the second major step for Off Piste in France. Last year, it partnered with Australian winemaker David Hohnen, formerly of Cloudy Bay, to produce it's A L'Envers Sauvignon Blanc 2013.

Hohnen worked alongside Off Piste winemaker Clem Yates MW at Caves de Sauveterre in Bordeaux's Entre Deux Mers region.

Paul Letheren, joint managing director at Off Piste, said: "We have been looking for a Champagne supplier that suits our approach to the UK market and are delighted to be teaming up with Charles de Cazanove, who are our ideal match.

"It is owned by Rapeneau, a family business who focus on quality, scale and commerciality in equal measure, as we do ourselves. Their range fits our philosophy of supplying premium mainstream wines perfectly."

The Rapeneau deal is the latest in a series of announcements from Off Piste Wines.

It recently hired Mark Elener from Guy Anderson Wines to launch its international sales operation. The company aims to earn 20% of its revenue outside the UK by 2020.

Off Piste's new wine brand, Most Wanted, has quickly won UK listings in the Co-Op, Conviviality, Booths, Sainsbury's and Tesco Wine By The Case.

Most Wanted was launched at the London Wine Fair in May.

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