Hallgarten lands Rathbone Wine Group distribution

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 29 January, 2024

Specialist wine importer Hallgarten & Novum Wines has been appointed exclusive UK distributor of The Rathbone Wine Group, a leading family owned group of Australian fine wine producers which are now making the leap from Bibendum.

The wines from Yering Station (Yarra Valley, Victoria), Mount Langi Ghiran (Grampians, Victoria) and Xanadu (Margaret River, Western Australia) will all join Hallgarten’s portfolio, thus expanding its Australian offering available to the trade.

The appointment is the first to be made since Hallgarten came under new ownership which was announced at the end of last year. The distributor now sits alongside Lay & Wheeler, bonded warehousing Coterie Vaults and wine lender Jera in the Coterie Holdings’ portfolio under the leadership of CEO (and former Bibendum boss) Michael Saunders.

Read more: Coterie Holdings launches wine lending platform

Rathbone Wine Group, meanwhile, is a collection of unique wineries spanning the length and breadth of Australia.

Yering Station is home to Victoria’s first vineyard planted in 1838, while Xanadu (founded in 1977) was one of the first wineries to champion Margaret River as a winemaking region.

Mount Langi Ghiran’s vines were first planted in the 1880s and are now home to one of Australia’s standout cool climate wines, the Langi Shiraz. In total, 19 wines will join the Hallgarten portfolio from across the three wineries.

“It is an honour to have our brands included in the prestigious Hallgarten & Novum international wine portfolio. They are extremely well regarded by their peers and the UK wine industry having been awarded the IWSC Wine Distributor Trophy in 2023,” Darren Rathbone, Rathbone Wine Group CEO and group winemaker, said.

“Both companies are committed to premium wines, working sustainably to bring these to consumers. We look forward to being a key supplier partner, supporting Hallgarten & Novum’s strategic growth plans”.

Jim Wilson, portfolio director at Hallgarten Wines added: “We are very excited to introduce the wines from three of Australia’s finest wineries under the Rathbone Wine Group. These wineries epitomise the direction we are looking to guide the Hallgarten portfolio, offering the trade premium wines from some of Australia’s most recognised regions and helping consumers to trade up the wine list.”

Hallgarten Wines will be showcasing the wines from the three cool-climate wineries at the Australian Trade Tasting on 30 January in London and 1 February in Edinburgh, and at Hallgarten Wines’ annual tasting on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 February at The Lindley Hall, London.

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