Australian wine giant Lion Nathan has joined forces with distributor Bibendum in a bid to ramp up its UK presence.
Pressure on margins and a desire to increase distribution has prompted the companies to form the Lion Nathan Wine Group (UK), a joint venture dedicated to growing the “profitability of the portfolio”.
Lion Nathan’s brand offering includes Petaluma and Knappstein from Australia plus Wither Hills from New Zealand’s Marlborough region. It also owns the Argyle winery in America.
Bibendum’s MD, Dan Jago, said: “There is really only one margin available between the cost of grapes and the price the customer needs to buy at.
“This means wine producers and distributors need to work closely together to manage its effectiveness. The joint venture relationship enables us to achieve this.
“Lion Nathan’s fine wine portfolio fits perfectly with our existing platform of producers and markets. It is a unique and winning combination.”

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