New spirit for liquor company

By SIMON HENDERY marketing writer

Lion Nathan-owned liquor distributor and producer New Zealand Wines & Spirits has changed its name and launched a dedicated fine-wine sales and marketing division.

The 40-year-old NZWS business yesterday become Lion Nathan Wines & Spirits NZ, a move the company says brings it into line with Lion's global wines and spirits structure.

Its fine-wine sales business has been separated into a new division - Distinguished Vineyards NZ - also mirroring the structure in Australia, where Lion distributes its fine-wine brands through a company also known as Distinguished Vineyards.

LNWS employs about 80 staff and is the country's biggest importer of spirits. Its portfolio includes Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker whisky, Black Heart rum and Gordon's gin.

It also holds about a 20 per cent share of the ready-to-drink spirits market, with brands including Smirnoff Ice and Stoli Ruski.

LNWS managing director Mark Brunton said the Distinguished Vineyards unit - which has a staff of 12 - would focus on the group's "wine-led" accounts such as restaurants. LNWS sales reps would continue to sell the company's wine range to its other customers.

LNWS' wine brands include Dom Perignon and Moet & Chandon champagne.

The company's wine portfolio - focused on the premium and ultra-premium category (retailing at above $15 a bottle) - also includes a number of premium Australian and New Zealand labels, among them the Delegat's Wine Estate range and Oyster Bay.

Lion-owned Marlborough producer Wither Hills, however, is distributed by Montana, under an agreement that pre-dates Lion's purchase of the business last year.

Brunton said Distinguished Vineyards was aiming to grow sales of its existing wine labels and also wanted to attract more wines into its distribution portfolio.

The LNWS operation reports to Lion Nathan Wines & Spirits Australian-based managing director, Peter Cowan.

"While the New Zealand Wines & Spirits name has a rich heritage in the market over many years, these changes reflect our entering a new era for the business," Brunton said.

"These moves also give us the structure to enable our staff to focus on their areas of expertise and provide better service to our diverse customer base.

"It also gives us scope to expand our portfolio."