LWF: English wine producers reveal export focus

By Lisa Riley

Published: 23 May, 2017

Bolney Wine Estate and Lyme Bay Winery are both gearing up to tap the popularity of English fizz abroad, with the former set to make its first move into Scandinavia and the latter poised to ‘significantly’ increase its acres as part of a new export strategy.

Bolney Wine Estate told Harpers it was currently in talks with Denmark, Sweden and Finland, with ambitions for an imminent launch into the Scandinavian countries, said senior sales manager, Dominic Thranum, adding its sparkling portfolio had proven “very successful” abroad since it first started to export 18 months ago to Belgium.

It has since added the US, Japan, and from last week Australia, to its export markets.

The Emirates was another key focus in terms of export plans going forward, said Thranum.

Devon-based Lyme Bay meanwhile told Harpers it was planning on adding 20 acres in Devon and 15 in Essex next year - taking its total acres to 95, to up production in a bid to start exporting its sparkling wine for the first time.

“There’s a huge opportunity to export that we have not tapped because we don’t currently have the quantities,” said head winemaker, Liam Idzikowski, adding the focus would be on its fizz as still would not have the margin.

The winery was hoping to start exporting in three to four years time and was likely to look to the US first, followed by the Asian markets, he added.

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