New Zealand’s Giesen Group partners with Bibendum

New Zealand’s Giesen Group, the owner of brands including Giesen Wines and Ara Wines, has partnered with importer and supplier Bibendum PLB to consolidate distribution across the UK on- and off-trade.

Bibendum and Giesen will begin their partnership today (3 September) with its off-trade division PLB carrying Giesen Estate and Giesen Organic with various retailers, while its off-trade supplier and merchant, Walker & Wodehouse, and Bibendum (on-trade) will add Vineyard Selection, Small Batch and Giesen 30 Staves to their existing Ara portfolio.

Bibendum has been distributing Ara Wines for the past three years with the partnership consolidating UK distribution of Giesen’s brands under one company.

Founded in 1981, the Giesen Group acquired the Ara Wine brand in 2016 and now has a presence in 40 different countries. It owns 13 vineyards in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley and maintains relationships with 50 grape growers in the region.

In April this year, Bibendum and Matthew Clark, both former subsidiaries of UK wholesaler Conviviality, were bought by C&C Group with financial assistance from AB InBev. The following month it was announced that Michael Saunders, who joined Bibendum in 1983, would be rejoining the business as its CEO after scaling back his role at Conviviality.

Commenting on the deal, Giesen co-founder and owner, Theo Giesen, said: “Giesen Group have been exporting to the UK since 1988 where my brothers and I used to look after the distribution ourselves. We are excited about a fresh start with Bibendum PLB under the recently re-established leadership of Michael Saunders. We have invested extensively in the development of our brand, top quality vineyards and a state of the art winery to ensure that we are perfectly positioned for continued growth and the future needs of our customers”.

Michael Saunders, CEO of Bibendum PLB, added: “We are delighted to have agreed a wider distribution opportunity with the Giesen Group, one of the most progressive and dynamic producers in New Zealand. The Giesen family bring generations of experience, passion, market knowledge and flexibility which we increasingly need in this dynamic, multi channeled market of ours. We are looking forward to working with the Giesen UK Market Manager, Marie Knight, to further build and develop the brand with our customers”.

H2Vin will continue to distribute the Giesen fine wine collection.