Cloudy Bay takes No1 on-trade spot

Cloudy Bay is the most listed wine brand in the UK on-trade, according to new research released by Australian analyst Wine Business Solutions.

Not only did the New Zealand brand from Marlborough achieve the most listings, but it maintained an average bottle price of just under £30.

Cloudy Bay’s success is closely linked to the wider success of the Marlborough region, which the report found represents 85% of all Kiwi listings in the UK, up from 74% a year ago.

The popularity of Sauvignon Blanc among UK consumers also helped Cloudy Bay’s cause. While the Loire still holds onto more listings by the bottle, Marlborough has achieved significantly more listings by the glass.

Nor is Marlborough’s supremacy restricted to Sauvignon Blanc; the region produces 16% of the UK’s Pinot Noir listings, making it a close second to Burgundy and beating Central Otago into third place.

Of the competition from other countries, Chile may have more than doubled its listings during the past year, but its average bottle price sits at just £16.79.

In an interview with the drinks business earlier this month, Cloudy Bay winemaker Tim Heath emphasised the strength of Marlborough as a region, saying: ““At the pointy end of Marlborough people are doing the right thing and there’s a massive diversity of styles.”

Gabriel Savage, 30.11.2010