Louis Latour Agency boost UK sales team

Drinks importer Louis Latour Agencies has boosted its UK sales team with the addition of two new members of staff.

The agency, which imports family-owned wines and cognacs from France, and wines from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Chile, has appointed Stuart Birtles as a regional sales manager for the north of England and Scotland. Birtles was previously a regional account manager at Laurent Perrier UK, where he covered the north of England, after joining the Champagne House in 2010 following seven years at Brown Brothers Wines. He is replacing Janet Guest who left at the end of 2016.

The agency has also appointed Lucy Stewart to cover prestige account manager Sophie Cruise’s role while Cruise is on maternity leave. Stewart was previously at BI (formerly known as Bordeaux Index) after starting her career at Mentzendorff as regional account manager.

Louis Latour Agencies’ managing director Will Oatley said the new appointments would enable the company to continue to deliver high standards to its customers. “The last year has been particularly exciting for Louis Latour Agencies with the addition of Seresin, Champagne Gosset and Cognac Frapin to our portfolio,” he added.

The Agency was set up in 1990 as a subsidiary of Burgundy- based grower and négociant Louis Latour but has gradually built its agency portfolio including the UK distribution of one of the oldest Champagne houses and biodynamic Marlborough wine producer Seresin Estate. Others it represents include Momo Marlborough, Henry Fessy, Vidal-Fleury, McHenry Hohnen, Simmonet-Febvre, Wakefield and Viu Manent, among others.

Its parent company Louis Latour has also stepped up its activity in Beaujolais, investing in new appellations of Coteaux Bourguignons and Bourgogne Gamay, as a means to ease the increasing pressure on Burgundy’s Pinot Noir supplies.