Viña Santa Rita signs PLB deal

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 03 February, 2017

Leading Chilean producer Viña Santa Rita has joined forces with unstoppable wholesale giant, Conviviality Plc, for their UK off-trade distribution.

Santa Rita Estates (SRE) announced today a change in their route to the UK off-trade, which will now be fulfilled by PLB - a trading company of Conviviality.

Previously, SRE was distributed by Santa Rita Europe in the UK.

"The British market continues to evolve and to keep pace with developments the move to Conviviality is an exciting one for Viña Santa Rita," Terry Pennington, European export director for Santa Rita Estates said.

"PLB and Bibendum have an exceptional portfolio of high quality and loyal customers in the off-trade and, working as a team, we are very much looking forward to expanding our business both into existing and new channels."

Chile was one of the big winners in the UK off-trade last year, being one of a few New World countries - behind New Zealand and Argentina - to buck the trend of negative volume growth (WSTA figures).

The UK is the country's second largest export market by volume, behind the United States, exporting 6,334,527 bottles to the UK between December 2015 and November 2016.

For value, the UK is third, accounting for $148,565,834 behind China (top) and the US (second).

Santa Rita's core range will be supplied by PLB, including key brand 120 Santa Rita along with Santa Rita Medalla Real, The National Gallery Series and Tres Medallas.

The group will also distribute other tactical Santa Rita brands along with Wave Series by Carmen, although the main focus will be on the core range.

Santa Rita owns over 3,700 hectares of sustainable vineyards in the Limarí, Casablanca, Leyda, Maipo, Colchagua, Apalta, Maule, Rapel and Curico valleys.

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