Liberty takes Giant Steps

UK importer Liberty Wines has added Yarra Valley producer Giant Steps to its extensive Australian wine portfolio.

Founded by Phil Sexton, Giant Steps focuses exclusively on single vineyard wines, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnap particular specialities. Sexton also owns fellow Yarra-based producer Innocent Bystander, which is already represented in the UK by Liberty Wines,

Head winemaker Steve Flamsteed and his team source fruit from three main sites: Sexton Vineyard in Coldstream, which is also owned by Sexton; the 21-acre Tarraford Vineyard in Tarrawarra; and Applejack Vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley, which Giant Steps is in the process of buying.

Giant Steps was previously represented in the UK by OW Loeb, which was bought earlier this month by restaurateur Marlon Abela. “We would like to thank OW Loeb for the work they’ve done with Giant Steps over the past decade,” said Sexton.  “It’s been a great relationship.”

Looking ahead to this new partnership, which is effective from January 2015, Sexton explained: “We wanted to consolidate distribution in the UK for Giant Steps and Innocent Bystander, and it made sense to put both our brands with Liberty Wines.”

The Giant Steps portfolio will be on show at the Australia Day Tasting in London on 27 January, as well as Liberty Wines’ own annual portfolio tasting on 21 January.

Look out for the Australian focus in January’s issue of the drinks business.