Origin Wines aims to use craft wine, fruit wine, small formats and interesting bottles to demystify wine, attract millennials and reinvigorate the market. The producer fears that UK wine sales will continue to dwindle unless the industry makes wine less intimidating and more fun and innovative.  Founder Bernard Fontannaz told OLN: “Wine people think too much like wine people. We need to…

French wine producer Vinadeis and South Africa’s Origin Wines have unveiled a formal strategic partnership. Aimed initially at the bulk wine market, the partnership will take advantage of the two companies’ complementary global strengths to offer customers an end-to-end service across key national markets in Europe and the southern hemisphere. Vinadeis and Origin will distribute each other’s wines in their major markets. The partnership offers…

Origin Wines has appointed Barry Dick MW to consult on its supply base. Dick was most recently chief winemaker at Accolade and was previously in charge of Sainsbury’s own-label range. Jon Woodriffe UK sales director at Origin Wine, said: “At this stage in our development, we believe it is of paramount importance to have external, experienced, and proven input into the way we do things…

South African producer Origin Wine has launched a 75cl bottle of wine separated into four ready-to-drink glasses that can be snapped apart upon opening. Stormhoek Stack comprises four 18.7cl stemless glasses piled on top of each other using what Origin calls “Stack Tek” technology. It said the four glasses are “heat-sealed with peal-back foil lids and the entire stack is held together with a shrink…

South African supplier Origin Wine is celebrating after passing three crucial audits in the past week. It secured the A level for the British Retail Consortium audit, the Higher Level for the International Featured Standards audit and the Blue Level at the Tesco audit. Bernard Fontannaz, founder of Origin Wine, said: “To become a top exporter, you need to deliver some good quality wine, that…

Origin Wine is opening a new office in Sweden in a bid to break into the Nordic markets. It joins offices in South Africa, where Origin is one of the leading exporters, as well as the UK, Switzerland, Russia and South America. Chief executive Bernard Fonatannaz said: “We believe in the Nordic markets and see them as strategic, so it is important to have someone…

Origin Wine is launching a new Fairtrade project with South Africa’s Brandvlei Cooperative as it looks to build on its success in the sector which also extends into Chile and Argentina. Located in the Breede River Valley, the initiative will be in place for the 2013 vintage and will provide Origin Wine with a “steady and diversified” supply of Fairtrade wines to help develop new range extensions. Bernard Fontannaz,…