the company of wine people^TM and Percy Fox & Co have agreed that Percy Fox & Co will become the exclusive UK distributor for leading South African brand, Arniston Bay. The agreement will take effect from Monday 10^th August and will also include the Welmoed, Kumkani and Versus brand portfolios.

These brands will provide a powerful new South African dimension to the Percy Fox & Co portfolio that already includes Blossom Hill, the UK’s No 1 wine brand, Piat d’Or, the No 2 brand in the French category, the Chilean wines from Santa Carolina and leading Champagnes Heidsieck & Co Monopole and Pommery from Vranken Pommery Monopole.

Percy Fox & Co and the company of wine people^TM have great ambitions for the next stage of development for Arniston Bay in the UK.  It is already a strong brand with true momentum, recording MAT volume growth of 41% (July 09 Nielsen) in the buoyant South African wine market, currently the fastest growing category in the UK.  The partnership aims to drive growth by developing consumer engagement and extending distribution channels in both the on and off-trade.

Barney Davis, brand and business development manager for the company of wine people^TM, will continue his role and work closely with the team at Percy Fox & Co.

Hermann Böhmer, CEO of the company of wine people^TM, commented on the agreement: “We believe that in Percy Fox & Co we have found a like-minded partner that brings significant extra reach and influence in the UK market. Their extensive experience of building brands in the UK, together with their focus on the consumer and customer, mean that Percy Fox & Co is ideally positioned to build on the strong momentum Arniston Bay has developed over the last twelve to eighteen months in partnership with Ehrmanns, while their reach allows us to develop our other brands such as Welmoed and Kumkani.”

Simon Lawson, Percy Fox & Co director & general manager commented on the agreement: “We are delighted to announce this partnership. We believe the strength and potential of Arniston Bay makes it an ideal fit with the existing high performance Percy Fox & Co portfolio. It has natural synergy with our current wineries, and we are looking forward to working with the company of wine people^TM to drive the brand forward.  Arniston Bay already occupies an enviable position as the fifth fastest growing brand in the UK off-trade, and we believe that Percy Fox has the resources and expertise to build on this momentum and realise the brand’s full possibility in the UK”.