Summergate and Tío Pepe begin strategic partnership in China

Summergate Fine Wine & Spirits, one of China’s leading distributors, and Sherry producer González Byass have announced a long-term strategic partnership for Tío Pepe in the Chinese mainland market.

Summergate will support the import, distribution, and marketing of Tío Pepe, which will be available in all first-tier cities across China soon.

Based in Jerez,  Spain, the González Byass Group was founded in 1835 by Manuel María González Ángel. In addition to Tío Pepe Fino, Summergate will also feature other classic sherries, including but not limited to ranges by VORS, Palmas and Croft.

Diego Talavera, González Byass’s international sales director, commented: “We are delighted to be working with such a well-established and important company. González Byass firmly believes in building meaningful partnerships with experts in key international markets and China has been a focus for us during the last several years. We will continue to invest our time and energies into building our brands and are fully committed to our new relationship with Summergate.”

Berny Yang, Summergate’s general manager of Greater China, stated, “Summergate is very pleased to be the exclusive distributor of Tío Pepe in mainland China. As a living example of the history and tradition of winemaking of Sherry, Tío Pepe truly represents the spirit of Jerez. We are deeply excited to present its diverse and distinctive range of sherries, widely appreciated around the world, to Chinese consumers.”

According to a survey by IWSR, the Sherry category has registered a composite annual growth rate of 4.6 % in volume from 2014 to 2019 in the Chinese mainland. The positive trend of this category, as well as the growing demand for fortified wine, represents an opportunity for Summergate and González Byass to strengthen this category in China.