Brl Hardy Signs With Us Importer
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday June 16, 1999
BRL Hardy Ltd believes it will lift its market share in the United States as a result of an agreement signed early this month with American wine importer Banfi Vintners.
Banfi, which handles 19% of all imported wines to the US and makes highly regarded wines in its Castello Banfi winery in Italy's Tuscany region, will distribute BRL Hardy's new Stonehaven label.
BRL managing director Stephen Millar said the Stonehaven range wines were due to be released early next year and would sell in the US at premium, super-premium and ultra-premium price levels.
BRL's 10,000-tonne capacity Stonehaven winery is at Padthaway in South Australia's south-east and is supplied with grapes from company vineyards in Padthaway, Wrattonbully, Coonawarra and the Elgin Valley in the Limestone Coast region.
Mr Millar said BRL was committed to driving its Hardys and Banrock Station brands through its own US distribution company while Banfi would promote the Stonehaven brand.
BRL's own sales, projected at 300,000 cases to the US this year, would more than double over the next few years.
He said Banfi had the potential to match those sales levels with the new Stonehaven brand.
© 1999 Newcastle Herald