Leading UK wine distributor Berkmann Wine Cellars has expanded its premium portfolio with the addition of two new complementary English agencies: Everflyht from Sussex and Hundred Hills from Oxfordshire.
These additions will see Berkmann Wine Cellars triple its English sparkling wine offering, joining Hampshire-based Cottonworth, which joined the distributor in 2014.
Through the addition of these new agencies, Berkmann Wine Cellars will harness the current relevance of English wines, a category which has experienced strong growth in recent years.
Alex Hunt MW, purchasing director of Berkmann Wine Cellars, says: “With this wider offering we can now truly celebrate the variety and quality of English wines available. Each of these vineyards possesses its own unique terroir; we are excited to share this diversity with our trade customers and, through them, their clients.
“It’s an interesting point for consumers – how English sparkling wines can communicate their individual origins through their varied flavour profiles, as we look to different parts of the country. We are confident these wines will continue to play an increasingly prominent role on lists, especially as there is so much strength in the English sparkling wine category.”
Everflyht is an exciting addition to the English wine scene; founded by Sam and Ben Ellis in 2016, the wine is produced in the South Downs of Sussex using only the highest quality estate-grown fruit. Its portfolio includes:
· Everflyht Brut NV, 47% Pinot Noir, 47% Chardonnay and 6% Pinot Meunier
· Everflyht Rosé de Saignée 2019, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Pinot Meunier
Everflyht has also begun a pioneering sustainability journey, implementing regenerative viticulture across the estate. Sustainable measures include planting cover crops between the vines to promote insect and pollinator populations and setting aside a biodiversity strip of 3.5 hectares, planted with over four hundred trees.
Hundred Hills was founded in 2009 on a meticulously selected site near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. In the few years since the wines were released, they have gained numerous fans, not least Raymond Blanc OBE. Its five-strong portfolio includes:
· Hundred Hills Preamble No. 2 2018, 72% Pinot Noir and 28% Chardonnay
· Hundred Hills Signature Rosé 2019, 100% Pinot Noir
· Hundred Hills Hillside No. 3 2019, 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay
· Hundred Hills Blanc de Blancs 2018, 100% Chardonnay
· Hundred Hills Blanc de Noirs 2019, 100% Pinot Noir
Hundred Hills also prides itself on ‘rigorously identifying and adopting sustainable best practices and techniques from around the world unfettered by traditions and ancient regulations’. To this end, the estate is actively working towards reducing its carbon impact year on year, with net zero as a clear near-term goal.
Stephen Duckett, owner and managing director of Hundred Hills, says: “The longstanding and stable ‘family-owned, family-run’ history of Berkmann provides a natural fit with Hundred Hills, as does the focus on the independent on-trade. A well-established local presence right across the UK, and clear emphasis on sustainable wine producers, also make Berkmann a natural partner as we look to grow beyond our well-established, London-oriented, customer base. We look forward to working with them on this exciting journey.”
Within London, Berkmann Wine Cellars will be co-distributing Hundred Hills alongside Flint Wines.
