Kingsland signs deals with Australia's Limestone Coast Winery

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 19 November, 2014

Kingsland is the new exclusive supplier for Australia's Limestone Coast Winery's premium bulk wines in the UK on and off-trade.

Kingsland said the "synergy" between the two companies made the deal a "significant partnership".

Family-owned and run LCW operates from the former Stonehaven winery which was built in 1998. It has a capacity of 12 million litres of wine, with space for 15,000 barrels in its barrel hall.

LCW's chief winemaker Grant Semmens, who has previously worked at Southcorp, Banrock Station and Salena Estate, oversees a team of three winemakers responsible for the company's portfolio of wines. The group sources fruit from the Barossa, Heathcote and McLaren Vale, with emphasis on the six flagship regions of the Limestone Coast - including Coonawarra, Padthaway and Mount Benson - to provide a range of varieties from each region.

Kingsland's Australia Buyer Paul Braydon said: "Our business models are both built around being able to offer the best service possible to our customers and suppliers. LCW has the flexibility in production volumes, styles and pricing that enables us to offer the fully tailored service we are known for in the UK - as well as the ability to create innovative new brands to meet future market requirements."

Richie Vandenberg, managing director of Limestone Coast Wines, added: "LCW is focused on reinvigorating the Australia category in the UK by producing a range of high quality new and innovative wines in both bulk and bottled."

Kingsland was sold by the Co-operative Group in 1994, and came under current ownership in 2004. It has worked hard to reposition itself in the intervening 20 years. "Kingsland as a contract packer is really something of the past for us," Andy Sagar, Kingsland managing director, recently told Harpers.co.uk.

"Bulk was seen as the 'dirty end' of the wine trade," he adds. "But trading in higher end wine changes the profile of the business."

The company is currently at 70% capacity, and "we're still looking to innovate and invest," Sagar says. "That might mean different types of packaging. We've also got to look to grow elsewhere beyond wine or straight table wine."

It packs 74 million litres per year and in 2012, it bought some of the assets of the Stratford's business in order to build on its existing agency business. The portfolio now encompasses brands such as: McWilliam's from Australia; Lutzville, Rickety Bridge and De Grendel from South Africa; Shorn and Rams-say from Marlborough, NZ; Torre Albarrana from Spain and Vino Pomona from Italy.

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