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Leonardslee partners with Schenk to boost English wine distribution

16 January 2026 By Sophie Arundel

Leonardslee Family Vineyards has signed a new deal with Schenk Family UK as the English sparkling producer looks to expand sales at home and abroad.

Leonardslee Family Vineyards has announced a new distribution partnership with Schenk Family UK, marking the first time the wine group has added English wines to its portfolio. The agreement takes effect immediately.

Launched in June 2024, Leonardslee has quickly secured a number of domestic and overseas retail listings, including Nicolas UK, Qatar Duty Free, DFDS and numerous independent wine merchants. The producer also exports to Norway and Singapore.

Expanding reach

The new partnership aims to build on this momentum by tapping into Schenk’s capabilities across both the on- and off-trades. Schenk has entered what it describes as a new phase of development under managing director Helena Martin, who took charge last year.

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According to the two companies, the move into English wine signals Schenk’s intention to accelerate growth in key categories.

Leonardslee produces three vintage English sparkling wines and has already collected notable accolades. It won the WineGB Awards trophy for SWGB Best Wine and was recently ranked number 56 in the World’s Best Vineyards list of 2025.

‘Fantastic story’

Commenting on the deal, Penny Streeter OBE, owner of Leonardslee, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Schenk Family, finding the right partner in this industry is key, but they are a family business like us. They have a great team who are passionate about working with wines with a real story and we are confident that they will take Leonardslee Family Vineyards onto great things.”

Martin added: “We have been incredibly impressed with Leonardslee and what they have achieved in such a relatively short time. We really look forward to working with the team and building on the distribution they have already established. Leonardslee has a fantastic story with stunning wines and there are lots of new opportunities ahead.”

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