John E Fells is to be the UK distributor for the fine wines from Yalumba and Hill Smith Family Vineyards. The Hill Smith family will simultaneously become shareholders in Fells. The UK fine wine distributor is owned by Symington Family Estates (owner of Port houses of Cockburn’s, Graham’s Dow and Warre) and Miguel Torres (the producer of Spanish wines: Sangre de Toro and Vina Sol); the…

Halewood Wines & Spirits will now distribute Costa Rica’s Centenario Internacional Rum in the UK and Ireland; meanwhile it has ended its distribution agreement with Tsingtao Brewery. Halewood will now import Centenario’s 7, 9 and 12 year-old expressions as well as its solera 25 and 30 variants. The brand will now join Halewood’s portfolio of premium artisanal rums, which currently comprises Rum Sixty Six, Peaky…

Enotria&Coe has announced it will take on the UK distribution for Hattingley Valley. The English sparkling wine producer says the move signals its ambition to accelerate growth and match its increasing volume by working with a larger company on a more exclusive basis. Gareth Maxwell, sales and export manager, said: “We have worked well with Liberty Wines since 2013 and they have a great business…

Fullers, Smith & Turner has announced it has been appointed as the distributor of Cerbezas Alhambras products in the UK’s off and on-trades. Under the terms of the agreement, the London brewer will now be responsible for the premium Spanish lager brand’s beers, including the award-winning Reserva 1925 and Especial. The Granada-based brewer has been making beer in Spain for nearly 100 years, using traditional…

Halewood Wines & Spirits has bolstered its rum portfolio by taking on the Rum Sixty Six brand. The Barbados-born brand is bottled in small batches and aged in ex-bourbon American white oak casks, resulting in a “complex and balanced” spirit, with a long finish. Rum Sixty Six ‘Family Reserve’ 12-year-old is said to be best enjoyed like a fine Scotch or Cognac, but it is…

Copestick Murray has struck a deal to distribute the wines of Lisa McGuigan, fourth generation winemaker of the legendary McGuigan winemaking dynasty. Lisa is niece to legendary winemaker Neil and daughter to Brian, who turned McGuigan Wines into a global powerhouse.   She makes wines billed as “the perfect fashion accessory” and Copestick Murray has vowed to use them to inject some life and excitement…

Marblehead has signed a deal with Diageo to distribute Brazil’s leading cachaça brand Ypióca in the UK and Ireland. Ypióca has been made from fermented Brazilian cane sugar since 1846 and Diageo bought it for £270 million in 2012. Daan de Kroon, Diageo’s global export director for Ypióca, said: “The UK and Ireland provide an exciting opportunity for an authentic, high quality, premium cachaça like…