Negociants UK launches Australian winery's rare grape variety

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 05 May, 2016

Chaffey Bros Wine Company's quirky names like Not Your Grandma's Rose and Düfte Punkt are the type that catch the eye while wandering around the London Wine Fair.

But a closer look reveals surprises underneath the surface.

The Chaffey Bros are currently the only South Australian winery to use Kerner grapes in their wines and only one of two Australian wineries to use the Reisling and Trollinger crossbreed.

Chaffey Bros are a new acquisition for Negociants UK are hoping to make their mark in the UK on-trade and independents with their range of alternative blends.

Co-owner Theo Engela set up the business with his brother-in-law, Daniel Chaffey Hartwig, in 2001 and produce small batches from the Barossa and Eden Valleys in South Australia.

Engela said they are focused on making interesting blends using alternative grape varieties.

He said: "People don't know what to expect. Apart from one other Australian producer making Kerner wines, there's nothing for the consumer to compare it to."

Kerner is an aromatic white grape variety, first bred in 1929 by August Herold in Germany.

Hartwig is the fifth generation of the Chaffey brothers' descendants to make wine in Australia.

The winemaking brothers-in-law also have two other Eden Valley Rieslings in their Punkt range, Zeitpunkt and Tripelpunkt.

The range also includes two reds - the Battle for Barossa and La Résistance! - and Not Your Grandma's Rose from Barossa Valley and Not Your Grandma's Reisling from Eden Valley.

"Barossa is known for well-established varieties like Grenache Shiraz and Cabernet," Engela added.

"But we want to surprise people and present something that's going to challenge their palette."

They are launching for the first time in the UK having mainly operated in the domestic trade so far.

Negociants UK is a Australian and New Zealand supplier selling to the UK trade.

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