Quintessential, the family owned-and-operated import, marketing and sales company headquartered in Napa, Calif., will represent in the U.S. a number of well-known wines from Accolade Wines.
The initial offerings are New Zealand’s Mud House and Hay Maker, Australia’s Hardys, Grant Burge and St. Hallett, Da Luca Prosecco, Stone’s Ginger Wine and Echo Falls Fruit Fusionsare.
Some of the wines have histories dating back to the 1800s.
Accolade Wines is one of Australia’s largest wine companies, with 51 brands sold in over 140 countries. Including two brands from New Zealand, Quintessential now represents producers from every major country known for making great wines around the globe.
Quintessential began conversations with Accolade more than a year ago, said Dennis Kreps, who owns Quintessential with his father, Stephen D. Kreps. “We’re always looking for wines that will ‘stand out’ in terms of quality and great value. The current market circumstances we find ourselves in make it more imperative than ever that we carefully chose brands we believe we can successfully market and sell. Wines with history and heritage that fit with the rest of our portfolio”
For Accolade, it all started with Hardys. It was one of the first wineries in Australia, established in 1853 by pioneering founder Thomas Hardy with the vision to “create wines that will be prized in the markets of the world.” Tom did just that – Hardys grew into one of Australia’s largest wine producers – the second most powerful Australian wine brand in the world. Today, Hardys is the #1 imported wine brand in Great Britain.
Grant Burge and St. Hallett are two impeccable Australian brands, with long histories in the iconic Barossa wine region. Five generations of the Burge family made wine in the heart of South Australia’s most famous region. Best-known for making the award-winning The Holy Trinity, one of the first GSM blends (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre), the winery earned a five-star rating from famed Australian reviewer, James Halliday. Grant Burge’s newest labels is the aptly named Barossa Ink. These are two intensely opulent wines – a Shiraz and a Cabernet Sauvignon – with a color so dark, it is almost ink.
St. Hallett was at the forefront of the evolution of the Barossa becoming known for high quality wines. It was the first winery to acknowledge the unique qualities of Barossa’s old vines (some over 100 years old). Founded in 1944, all of the fruit used in every bottle is grown, made and matured in the Barossa, with some of the fruit coming from some of the oldest vineyards in the world. Three St. Hallett Shiraz – Core Faith, Core Black Clay and Reserve Blackwell – as well as the Core Gamekeeper Shiraz-Grenache and Reserve Old Vines Grenache – are among the first St. Hallett wines Quintessential will import.
Mud House and Hay Maker become the first two New Zealand wines Quintessential will represent since its founding, from the country that has become synonymous with one grape, Sauvignon Blanc. Over 20 years ago, the Mud House founders fell in love with Marlborough, near the top of New Zealand’s South Island. They prepared the land, planted vines and built a home to live in from the local earth. That earth became the brand and, to this day, the current winemakers remain in close touch with land, as the name suggests. From these iconic vineyards comes a stellar, 90+ rated and Gold Medal-winning Sauvignon Blanc.
In addition to Mud House’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and Hay Maker (an under $12 Sauvignon Blanc from the Mud House winery), Quintessential also represents the Mud House Central Otago Pinot Noir – from the best Pinot Noir region in the Southern Hemisphere.
Going halfway around the world, a fine Italian Prosecco and Sparkling Rose from Treviso and the Veneto (where the finest Glera grapes are grown) from Da Luca will also join the Quintessential Portfolio, at very competitive prices.
Stone’s Ginger Wine, from Great Britain, is a unique addition to any portfolio, and the first wine Quintessential is handling from the British Isles. Over two centuries ago, a company now known as Finsbury Distillery was established in London to make ginger wine – even then, a favorite drink. Stone’s Ginger Wine is made with Sugar Beet Neutral Spirits and natural Ginger flavor and stored in wood casks for a short period of time. It is usually served as an aperitif or as a “spicy” mixer for a wide array of cocktails.
Finally, Quintessential will market three of the easy-drinking Echo Falls Fruit Fusion wines – Strawberry, Raspberry & Blackberry Rose Wine; Peach & Mango White Wine, and Raspberry & Blackcurrant Red Wine. Each is blended with natural fruit flavors to offer a refreshing style with an extra twist of ripe fruitiness…a good fit with other fresh fruit infused wines the company currently sells. They are the third largest-selling wine brand in the UK and soon to be a leader in the US.
Robert Foye added, “in Quintessential, we have found the ideal long-term partner to drive our ambitions in the Americas. We would like to thank owners Steve and Dennis Kreps, and their team, for their support in making this a reality. We look forward to a close and successful working relationship.”