Specialists in premium, cool climate Australian wines grows footprint in North America
Melbourne, Australia (February 15, 2023) – Rathbone Wine Group, a leading family-owned Australian fine wine group based in Melbourne, expands their distribution footprint in the U.S. with the opening of nine new markets since the start of 2023. An additional five markets are expected to follow by year’s end. New distributor relationships include: Vanguard Wines (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana), Pure Wine (Illinois), Dionysos Distributors (Virginia), DOPS (Maryland, Delaware), Vinmarket (Colorado), Atrium Wine Brokers (California).
“As specialists in the production of premium, cool climate Australian wines, we believe that U.S. wines consumers are really starting to see the diversity that Australia has to offer,” says Darren Rathbone, owner of Rathbone Wine Group. “It has been our goal over the last few years to build out a strong sales platform in the U.S. wine market to meet this demand.”
Rathbone’s portfolio includes Yering Station, Mount Langi Ghiran and Xanadu Wines from the Yarra Valley, Grampians and Margaret River areas. Eric Stewart, President & Owner of Vanguard Wines, says that they “are thrilled to be launching our partnership with Rathbone Wine Group. The RWG collection of iconic estates elevates the options our customers have for high quality, cool climate Australian wines.” Matt Guerriero, Owner of Vinmarket, echoes this sentiment, adding “before Rathbone, we had not tasted wines that excited us or had the history, pedigree and authenticity of this portfolio. We have total confidence that these will excite our customers.”
Exports of Australian wines to the US increased by 14% in volume (139 million litres) and 5% in value ($412 million) through September 2022, according to Wine Australia. Particular sales growth was seen for wines priced $15-20 (up 6%) and $20-25 (up 10%). Rathbone’s portfolio is well positioned to compete in these categories.
About Rathbone Wine Group
Established in 1996, the Rathbone Wine Group is a leading family-owned Australian fine wine group based in Melbourne. Its portfolio of premium brands includes three of Australia’s historic winery estates: Yering Station in the Yarra Valley of Victoria, Mount Langi Ghiran in Victoria’s Grampians region, and Xanadu in Margaret River, Western Australia. Rathbone Wine Group’s portfolio is focused on historic wine estates, with proven track records of quality, and locations in cool climate viticultural areas. With each brand, they strive to steward the land, honor its history, and keep a laser focus on quality first. In 2022, Xanadu winemaker Glenn Goodall received the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion Winemaker of the Year award.
Rathbone Wine Group: https://www.rathbonewinegroup.
