Sir Ian Botham adds Argentine Malbec to range

Former English cricketer Sir Ian Botham has added an Argentine Malbec to his portfolio of wines and gin.

The new ‘Signature’ range currently comprises a Malbec from Mendoza and will sit alongside the entry-level ‘All Rounder’ series of Australian wines in the £5 to £7 category.

Speaking to the drinks business, Paul Schaafsma of Benchmark Drinks, which helps develop the wines and distributes the range in the UK, said that while Australia would always be at the heart of the Ian Botham portfolio, the “fantastic quality and value” available in Argentina was too hard to ignore.

“When we started investigating Argentina we realised there’s some pretty incredible volume and value to be had and great for the UK consumer,” he said.

As well as Malbec he spoke of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and even Tempranillo, suggesting that the Signature range may very well grow over time to include a wider array of varieties.

An Argentine Malbec has long been in the sights of Botham himself too. He mentioned to db at the launch of his wines in 2018 that a Malbec was a future addition to the range he was keen on.

Since the launch his range has expanded in other directions too. In 2019 he partnered with Hush Heath to launch English still and sparkling wines and a gin was launched last year as well.

Botham has always made it clear that the drinks that form his portfolio are those he likes to drink himself and are made in the style he enjoys as well.