Wiston Estate appoints Swig as London on-trade distributor

West Sussex-based wine producer Wiston Estate was named South African specialist Swig Wines as its exclusive London on-trade distributor.

L-R: Harry Goring, Pip Goring, Dermot Sugrue, Kirsty Goring and Richard Goring with Noodles and Tara, Sugrue’s dogs.

The appointment will see Swig work alongside fellow distributors Hennings Wine (distributor in West Sussex) and South Downs Cellars (distributor in East Sussex). Wiston will also continue its work with Hallgarten & Novum Wines for which it produces its range of Goring cuvées.

The winery on the Wiston Estate was founded in 2008 by Harry and Pip Goring and remains under the guidance of family members and estate managers Richard and Kirsty Goring, as well as winemaker Dermot Sugrue.

The estate itself has been owned by the Goring family since 1743. It consists of 6.5 hectares of sustainably managed vineyards containing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines. Among its quirks, the estate boasts a 1973 Coquard basket press, the only such press in the UK and one of only four, it claims, outside of France.

London-based Swig Wines, which has recently moved its offices from Chiswick to Covent Garden, is to carry the full Wiston range including: Wiston Brut NV, Wiston Rosé NV, Wiston Blanc de Blancs NV, Wiston Estate Rosé 2014, Wiston Estate Cuvée 2013, Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs 2010 and Wiston Estate Blanc de Noirs 2010.

Kirsty Goring, Wiston Estate’s marketing director, commented: “We, as the Goring family, are delighted that Swig has become our exclusive distributor to the London on-trade. Over the years we have loved seeing the close rapport Swig has with their customers and their ability to seek out high quality wines of place.

“Swig’s passion to communicate producers’ stories means our wines are enjoyed in their full chalky and historical context. The fact that they specialise in South African wines is a happy coincidence given that my mother-in-law Pip, the visionary behind Wiston Estate Wines, is herself from the Cape.”

Robin Davis, owner of Swig Wines added: “The moment Wiston’s Rosé 2011 passed my lips it was a revelation. A new era for English wine had begun. It was a step-up from anything I’d had before. I stood in silence, almost in disbelief, and marvelled that the UK could now make wines of this quality. To work with the lovely genius Dermot Sugrue, the visionaries Pip and Harry Goring, and now their children Richard and wife Kirsty, is a dream come true.

“Having a top producer like Wiston Estate join our party is humbling, and although they are already known to be very special, they are young enough to feel like we are going on a journey together to see what we can do. Hopefully we will end up working with most of London’s and the UK’s best restaurants over time, but our aim first and foremost will always be to work with producers and customers we love and to arrive there organically.

Swig has also recently added wines from Beaujolais producer Guy Breton, Alsace’s Vignoble du Reveur and Roussillon’s L’Encantade to its portfolio. It supplies wine to restaurants and bars including Streatham Wine House, Neo, Stem, Cucumber, Black Radish and the Oxo Tower as well as to Vinoteca and Vagabond stores.

According to the latest figures from HMRC, there was a 64% rise in English and Welsh wines available in both the on and off-trade last year, with 3.86 million released compared with the 2.36 million bottles in 2016.