TORONTO, July 22, 2019 /CNW/ - Leading Australian wine producer, McWilliam's Wines Group, has today announced that Authentic Wine & Spirit Merchants, an affiliate of the Charton Hobbs Group, will be the exclusive Canadian distributor of McWilliam's range of premium Australian wines across Canada.
Authentic Wine & Spirit Merchants will distribute three of McWilliam's Wines Group core brands, McWilliam's Wines, McW and Mount Pleasant, sourced from some of Australia's greatest wine regions including New South Wales and the historic Hunter Valley. With an initial 10-year term, this partnership reinforces the mutual commitment of both businesses towards building strong brands over the long term.
McWilliam's Wines Group CEO, David Pitt says, "We are thrilled to partner with Authentic - a family-owned company like ourselves with aligned business values and a shared thirst for innovation. We are seeing a steady year-on-year increase of Australian wine exports1 and a growing consumer preference towards premium Australian wine in Canada, and this new distribution arrangement presents a significant opportunity for McWilliam's Wines Group to expand its footprint globally. With the great expertise of the team on the ground, we look forward to introducing more Canadian consumers to our exceptional range of Australian wines.
"Our pioneering spirit has been fundamental to McWilliam's Wines Group success over the past 140 years and it still guides our business today as we premiumise our wine portfolio and invest in key markets like Canada. We are committed to capturing the evolving tastes of wine consumers globally while still embracing our strong family winemaking heritage in Australia."
Over the past two decades, Authentic Wine & Spirit Merchants has established a strong reputation as brand builders, with a focus on family brands, and is a clear leader in fine wine and spirits importation and distribution across Canada. With growth year-on-year since it began operations in 1998, Authentic Wine & Spirit Merchants now sells over 1.2 million cases a year nationally.
Duncan Hobbs, President and Owner of the Charton Hobbs Group, says, "We are extremely pleased to have Authentic Wine & Spirit Merchants partner with McWilliam's Wines Group and add such iconic Australian wines to our existing portfolio of global wine and spirit brands. We look forward to helping McWilliam's Wines Group build strong and established brands across Canada and we are confident that Canadian consumers will enjoy their range of premium Australian wines."
Under the new partnership, Authentic Wine & Spirit Merchants will continue its current distribution of McWilliam's Wines Group JJ and Hanwood brands in market, as well as exclusively introduce new McWilliam's Wines Group ranges to Canada.
McWilliam's Wines Group offers an extensive portfolio of wines that draw on six generations of family winemaking experience. One of Australia's most respected and awarded wineries, and a leading producer of Australian cool climate style wines, McWilliam's Wines Group has been awarded a Five Red Star2 rating by James Halliday – a world renowned Australian wine critic. Additionally, Mount Pleasant Wines, a historic Hunter Valley winery, received the coveted James Halliday Winery of the Year Award in 20173 in recognition of the innovative and award-winning wines they have been producing in recent years.
References:
1 Wine Australia Export Report: 1 Apr 2018 to 31 Mar 2019. Available here [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019]
2 Wine Companion. (2019). McWilliams. [online] Available here [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019]
3 Wine Companion. (2019). 2017 Winery of the Year. [online] Available here [Accessed 5 Jul. 2019]
ABOUT AUTHENTIC WINE & SPIRITS MERCHANTS
Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants (AWSM) is part of the Charton Hobbs Group of Companies, a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated national agency and market leader. Since its acquisition in 1998, Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants has grown to become a leader in fine wine & spirits import and distribution across Canada. With growth year over year since it began operations. Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants' portfolio includes an exclusive collection of some of the world's most iconic fine wines and spirits and represents a wide range of categories. McWilliam's will take its place among the portfolio of prestigious brands, which includes Louis Roederer Champagne, Masi Agricola and Vina Cono Sur.
www.awsm.ca
ABOUT MCWILLIAM'S WINES GROUP
McWilliam's Wines Group (MCWG) is one of the pioneering wine entities within Australia who have been perfecting the winemaking craft since 1877. From new regions to new styles, MCWG continues to push the boundaries delivering wines that are both creative and authentic with an emphasis on freshness and simplicity, from vine to table. McWilliam's Wines Group is one of the founding members of Australia's First Families of Wine (AFFW) and the exclusive Australian distributor for Champagne Taittinger, Henkell, Mionetto and Mateus.
www.mcwilliams.com.au
SOURCE Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants
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