Hardys creates online sales outlet

Hardys has launched its own online shop in the UK as a retail showcase for the Australian brand’s top end wines.

Called The 1853 Club, the website is run on a membership basis but is free to join. Customers who sign up will be the first to hear about new allocations, with the chance to buy wines from the upper end of Hardys’ portfolio, either by the case or bottle.

The range available includes wines from Hardys’ Signature tier and its Nottage Hill Riesling, as well as regional styles in the form of Oomoo Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc and McLaren Vale Shiraz, and the William Hardy Barossa Shiraz and Adelaide Hills Chardonnay.

The website will also offer access to a number of older vintage expressions, such as 2006 HRB Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Winemaker’s Rare Release, as well as a broad range of vintages and grape varieties from the Eileen Hardy range.

This online move marks the latest step in a concerted effort by Hardys’ owner Accolade Wines to raise the profile of its premium portfolio. Earlier this year the brand signed a three-year deal to make it the official wine partner of England Cricket, while last weekend saw Hardy’s host The 1853 Club pop-up bar in central London.

This surge in activity follows the news last year that Accolade Wines’ owner Champ Private Equity was planning to invest over £10 million in Hardys following the brand’s relaunch and restructure in June 2013.

Describing The 1853 Club online outlet as “a reward for true Hardys fans,” the brand’s UK marketing manager Anya Saikkonen, explained that the website “will allow them access to the premium wines our winemakers have been lovingly working on for years”.

Saikkonen continued: “We know from experience that consumers love trying new wines from Hardys and that there is a lot of trust in Hardys as a quality winemaker. With The 1853 Club we can raise greater awareness of the premium portfolio and extend our reach further to wine-knowledgeable consumers nationwide, and not just those who attend our events.”

All orders placed through the website will be handled by Accolade Park, the Bristol facility owned by Accolade Wines, where a warehouse and team of pickers have been set aside to process all orders. Delivery will be free for orders over £50.