Nyetimber has recruited an international area sales manager for Europe as part of plans to increase its presence in the traditional sparkling wine producing countries.
The West Sussex-based producer told Harpers that the new role had been created to boost Nyetimber’s share of the sparkling wine markets in France and Italy, in addition to helping the English winery enter Spain for the first time.
“We already export to France and Italy but on a limited scale and we want to do more,” a spokesman said, adding that until now Nyetimber had “not necessarily had the resources to do so”.
“With our latest recruit, who will assist our export manager, we now have a team in place that will enable us to focus on these countries - areas that have to date not been a focus for us, but which it would be nice to work more with in the future,” he said.
The “bumper 2018 harvest”, which will see Nyetimber produce over one million bottles for the first time, had also played a part in the decision to turn the focus on the traditional sparkling wine producing countries now, as it meant the producer would, as a result, be able to cater for the growing international demand for its products, he added.
The news follows Nyetimber’s previous announcement stating its plans to expand distribution in the US, where it is currently only available on the East Coast, and into The Netherlands and Asia this year, further building on its international presence - it is already present in 19 markets including Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UAE.
As part of its ambitious export strategy, Nyetimber recently employed export managers based in both the US and Asia to “work closely with distributors in these key development markets and drive sales and brand recognition”.
“The appeal of English sparkling wine is becoming genuinely global, and while the UK will always be our home and our priority, with production at record levels, we are well-placed to meet the growing international demand for our sparkling wines,” said owner and chief executive Eric Heerema.
“We are looking forward to introducing more people all over the world to the taste of Nyetimber, which we are confident matches the best of what is on offer from France and the rest of the world.”
Nyetimber’s internationally growth strategy saw it take an individual stand at Prowein this year for the first time, making it the only English producer exhibiting at the show to do so.
Prowein, which comes to an end today (19 March), also marked the international launch of Nyetimber’s 2013 Blanc de Blancs vintage, which was debuted in the UK earlier this month.