August 2, 2017—Marlborough, New Zealand—VINULTRA, parent company for the Little Beauty and POUNAMU wine brands, is proud to announce that Jeroboam Fine Wines of Arlington, Texas, will become the exclusive distributor in the state of Texas, effective immediately.
Founded in 2002 by Fleur McCree and Mark Duns, grapes for the Little Beauty and POUNAMU wines are sourced exclusively from the 100-acre, sustainably farmed vineyard estate located entirely in the Southern Valleys region of Marlborough, New Zealand. Eveline Fraser, former head winemaker for Cloudy Bay, crafts the Little Beauty and POUNAMU wines.
The name Little Beauty reflects the keen sense of place and fierce love of New Zealanders for their little island nation, renowned for its beauty and spectacular scenery. The label is comprised of five varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir. In March 2017, the TEXSOM International Wine Competition recognized the 2016 Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc as a Judge’s Selection ‘Best New Zealand White Wine’ and Gold Medal Winner, and the 2014 Little Beauty Black Edition Pinot Noir, a Gold Medal Winner.
Pounamu is the Maori name for a rare and cherished green stone, found only in the South Island of New Zealand, very near the 100% sustainably farmed estate vineyards where the grapes for POUNAMU wines are grown. The label features two varietal wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The 2016 POUNAMU Sauvignon Blanc, Special Selection, received a Silver Award at the TEXSOM International Wine Competition. The Wine Spectator awarded the wine 92 points in the July issue, the top score achieved by a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine industry sales professional Diane Denham has been named General Manager Americas for VINULTRA, and will work directly with Jeroboam Fine Wines founder and CEO, Richard O’Neill and Texas Sales Manager, Greg Schiappa, to introduce Little Beauty and POUNAMU wines to the important Texas market. With a successful 30-year career in wine sales and an intimate knowledge of the Texas market, Denham provides a unique perspective for introducing these exceptional New Zealand wines to Jeroboam clients.
Fleur McCree, VINULTRA co-founder and co-owner stated, “I am thrilled to be working with Jeroboam Fine Wines to introduce Little Beauty and POUNAMU wines to consumers in Texas. The state of Texas is a key U.S. market for fine wines and I’m proud to be selected as the first New Zealand wine in Jeroboam’s exceptional portfolio.”
Richard O’Neill, Jeroboam CEO, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome Fleur McCree and her excellent VINULTRA wines to Jeroboam. Diane Denham is well-known to Jeroboam and we trust her knowledge of the global wine industry. These New Zealand wines hit all the right marks for us: flavor profile, labeling, and pricing. We knew we had a winner.”
The TEXSOM award winning wines of Little Beauty and POUNAMU will be poured at selected venues during the TEXSOM Sommelier Conference scheduled for August 12-14 at the Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas, Texas. For more information, contact Diane Denham, VINULTRA General Manager Americas at diane.denham@vinultra.com or (707) 363-9603.
About VINULTRA
VINULTRA is the parent company for the Little Beauty, Pounamu, and Insight brand collections, wines produced from grapes grown entirely on family-owned and farmed estate vineyards located in the Southern Valleys of Marlborough, New Zealand. Fleur McCree and Mark Duns, co-founders and winegrowers since 2002, share the philosophy that great wines begin in exceptional vineyards. Together with winemaker Eveline Fraser, former head winemaker for Cloudy Bay, they craft Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir wines that honor their distinctive Southern Valleys origins, with pure terroir expression. VINULTRA distributes to 27 markets world-wide. For more information on VINULTRA and the Little Beauty, POUNAMU, and Insight wines, please contact Fleur McCree; she can be reached at: fleur.mccree@vinultra.com, or +44 7887.953.373
About Jeroboam Fine Wines
Founded in 2013 by Richard O’Neill, CEO and President, Jeroboam Fine Wines is a statewide distributor and fine wine importer based in Arlington, Texas. The company portfolio comprises wines produced throughout the major wine growing regions of the world, including North America, France, Italy, Spain, Chile, and Argentina. A team of seasoned wine sales professionals works directly with on and off premise accounts, offering a curated selection of the world’s finest wines. For more information on Jeroboam Fine Wines, please go to: https://www.jeroboamfinewine.com/
