Lyme Bay Winery partners with Enotria&Coe

English wine producer Lyme Bay Winery has joined the portfolio of Enotria&Coe as it looks to boost its regional distribution.

The Devon-based wine producer will see three of its still wines, its white blend Shoreline, Bacchus and Pinot Noir Rose, and its 2013 sparkler, Lyme Bay Brut Reserve, added to Enotria&Coe’s portfolio.

Lyme Bay Winery’s managing director James Lambert said he was delighted to partner with Enotrie&Coe to distribute four of its award-winning English wines and that this would build on its existing distribution partnerships in key regional areas and enable it to reach customers in regions that were previously inaccessible.

“Enotria&Coe has a fantastic reputation for supplying premium quality wines to the on- and off-trade, and this partnership demonstrates the growing appetite for English wines across the UK,” he said.

Enotria&Coe’s wine buyer Maggie Macpherson added that provenance was becoming increasingly important to UK consumers and this was being reflected in the growing demand for premium quality English wines. “The purity of fruit and quintessentially English flavours of Lyme Bay’s wines shone through in our tasting sessions, and we’re delighted to be working with Lyme Bay Winery to bring its award-winning English wines to our on- and off-trade customers.”

The Axminster based company launched its first range of wines in 2014, after building a following in the independent off-trade for its fruit wines, liqueurs, meads and ciders. It is now looking to boost production across the business over the next few years, it told db.

Josh Whitlam, national account manager at Lyme Bay Winery, said this plan had got off to a “good start”.

“Production in year two is up 33% from our first year, roughly 45,000 to 60,000 bottles, however we can’t grow without the established routes to market- on- and off-trade growth and distribution is equally important to us.”

Its wines currently have egional listings with Waitrose, and national listing with Booths, Waitrose Cellar and Oddbins, as well as more than 800 independent retailers, including farm shops and delis.

“The addition of English wines to our portfolio has enabled us to open up new distribution routes due to the rapid growth in demand and consumer awareness of these products,” he said.

“We are working to distribute our products across the UK with Enotria&Coe and a growing number of regional partners. Both models have different strengths and different models of service to offer their customers, and it’s important for us to work alongside these distribution partners to drive education and awareness about our brand and the English wine industry.”