John E Fells & Sons welcomes first English wine estate into portfolio

Fine wine importer Fells has added Wiston Estate to its portfolio of family-owned wineries, marking the company’s first venture into English wine.

Steve Moody, chairman and managing director of Fells, welcomed the news. He called Wiston Estate the “perfect fit” for the Fells portfolio, saying he was “absolutely delighted” about the new addition.

He said: “The estate, which has been owned by the Goring family since 1743, is now recognised as a leading producer of top-quality English sparkling wine and a beacon for those who share the Gorings’ stewardship values. It is also the first English winery to join our portfolio, making this a particularly special moment in our history.”

In 2006, the Goring family planted a south-facing 16-acre site with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay vines.

The estate is located on the chalk slopes of the South Downs. The winery produces a number of vintage and non-vintage English sparkling wines as well as a 2020 still Pinot Noir, for which the grapes used were crushed by foot.

Richard Goring, co-owner and CEO of Wiston Estate, praised the fine wine importer for its  ‘‘fantastic collection of wines from some of the world’s leading family-owned wine producers”.

Goring commented that the family-run winery aligns itself with the Symington family, owners of Symington Family Estates; a wine company and Port wine house in Portugal which owns and operates several vineyards and wineries and owns several brands of Port, Madeira wine and Douro DOC wines.

He said: “We are very much aligned with the values and vision of the Symington family; to hand on what we have been given in a better condition to the next generation. Our work on the land is inter-generational and we are pleased to be partnering with Fells to provide a long-term sustainable platform for the winery here at Wiston. We are looking forward to working with them and to a successful future together.”