Ventisquero appoints North South Wines as UK distributor

Chile’s Ventisquero Wine Estates has appointed North South Wines to distribute its Ventisquero branded wines in the UK, which include the Clasico, Grey and Enclave labels.

North South Wines will now distribute Ventisquero’s portfolio, which comprises entry level brand Clasico, mid-range brand Grey and the top-end Vertice, Pangea and Enclave brands.

Commenting on the news, Francisco Ruidiaz, UK sales director at VWE, said: “We are really looking forward to working with North South Wines. They have shown themselves to be a dynamic and resilient importer, having gone from strength to strength, in spite of last year’s challenges.  As a winery, we are adaptable and innovative and see a natural synergy between our two companies. The future is looking bright for Ventisquero in the UK.”

Established in 1998, Ventisquero rebranded to VWE last year. In total it exports around 1.5 million cases of wine each year. Other brands in its stable, which are not part of this deal, include Chilano, Anun, Kalfu, Tara, Ramirana, Yali and Root 1.

North South takes over from Kingsland Drinks, which has worked with Ventisquero Wine Estates (VWE) since 2017. North South, which was founded in 2014 by managing director Kim Wilson, has had investment from the likes of Australia’s De Bortoli Wines, The Wine People in Italy and German wine producer Reh Kendermann.

It now represents over 25 wineries from 11 countries in the UK, which together post annual sales of 1.1 million 9-litre cases worth nearly £21 million.

Wilson added: “We’re delighted to be working with Ventisquero Wine Estates, who we view as one of the highest quality producers in Chile. As a family-owned business, who hold sustainability at the forefront of what they do, they are a great fit for North South Wines’ portfolio, complementing our existing producers such as De Bortoli, The Wine People and Scheid Family Wines, and together with MontGras mean we have a more complete offering from Chile.”