Giesen Wines has reached agreement with Winegrowers of Ara to purchase from it the Ara Brand and associated business to complement its own brand portfolio.
Alex Giesen says Ara’s focus on premium single estate wines fits well with the company.
“We have invested increasing resources into our global growth and the growth experienced by Ara in recent years positions the brand well within the Giesen portfolio. It will enable us to become even more relevant to our global customers.
“For instance, this allows us to gain a larger footprint overnight in the UK where Ara has strategically worked with a few key customers for a good number of years and we look forward to being able to assist this growth well into the future through a similar family and vineyard focused commitment.
“We are also really excited that some key people from Ara will be joining Giesen as we continue this growth journey. Marie Knight, the European Manager, has started with us and Jeff Clarke, Ara’s Chief Winemaker, is working with our winemakers to ensure the essence of the Ara wines is retained.”
Family-owned Giesen Wines has been operating for 35 years and has been on an aggressive expansion trail in recent years, with the Giesen brothers constantly evolving the brand. Its wine exports to the US are now growing at a faster rate than to Australia, where Giesen is the second largest still white wine brand by value in Australia*.
“The US has a real thirst for New Zealand wines, and its particularly Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that is really driving this category. The addition of the Ara brand will help consolidate and grow our presence in this rapidly expanding market that is now the number one export market for New Zealand wines,” Giesen said.
