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Felix Solis appoints former Bibendum director to set up UK subsidiary
Spanish wine producer Félix Solís is to set up a UK subsidiary in Canterbury following its appointment of former Bibendum trading director Richard Cochrane.
Felix Solis Avantis produces the UK’s best-selling Spanish wine: Vina Albali
Cochrane, who has been appointed managing director of Félix Solís Avantis UK, is currently building a new team to distribute Félix Solís wines in the market, which include the producer’s Viña Albali brand, the best selling Spanish wine in the UK.
Felix Solis wines were previously handled by Free Run Wines in the UK, and the Spanish company had a 24% share of the distributor, which Free Run Wine directors Charles Elms and Nick Bauer have bought back.
Free Run Wines has promised to work closely with Félix Solís to ensure all its customers are looked after carefully during the transfer process, which both parties expect to be concluded by January next year.
Speaking about the change, Cochrane said, “Charles and Nick have helped make the UK the corner stone of our business since starting Free Run Wines in 2001, with around 20% of our total exports now coming to the UK and Ireland.
Continuing he said, “I would like to personally thank them and the excellent team at Free Run Wines for the vital role they played in our growth and wish them and Free Run Wines every success in the future”
Félix Solís Avantis acts as the holding company for two organisations in Spain, Félix Solís, with major facilities in both Valdepeñas and La Mancha, and Pagos del Rey, which manages four wineries in northern Spain, including one in Rioja, Rueda, Ribera de Duero and Toro.
Exports represent 60% of sales at the company, representing just over 156m bottles per annum.
As previously reported by the drinks business, Félix Solís Avantis is planning to build a bulk and bottled wine operation in Chile as well as update its facility in Valdepeñas.
The decision to invest in South America is motivated by the increasing demand for Chilean wines in Europe and Asia as well as by the increasing demand for Chilean bulk wine in China where Félix Solís has a bottling company and an import and distribution company, both of which are in Shanghai.