Vergelegen transfers to John E Fells

South African wine producer Vergelegen has announced that it will be transferring the agency for its wines to John E Fells on 2 January 2014.

(Image credit: Paul Godard)

The move will see Fells become the exclusive UK distributor for the entire Vergelegen portfolio, which includes the Premium, Reserve, GVB, and V range.

Steve Moody, managing director at John E Fells, said: “We are delighted that Fells will shortly assume responsibility for the sales and marketing of Vergelegen wines here in the UK.”

In his 2013 South Africa Report, Tim Atkin rated Vergelegen as a “first growth producer”, with 12 wines at 90 points or more and the company said it felt that Fells’ distribution business will help the brand to expand.

Vergelegen’s UK market manager, Laura Sullivan, said: “The last few years have been instrumental in cementing our presence in the UK market. But we now feel that John E Fells, which is one of the UK’s leading Fine Wine distribution businesses, has the right approach to help us build our brand further with the Specialist, Independent and On-Trade channels.”

Vergelegen, which is located approximately 6km from the Atlantic Ocean in the Stellenbosch region, owns around 160 hectares of vineyards with around one-third devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon.