Bancroft Wines announces exclusive partnership with Brokenwood

Bancroft Wines is proud to announce their appointment as the exclusive UK agents for Australia’s revered Brokenwood Wines.

Founded in 1970 as a hobby venture by three Sydney-based solicitors, Tony Albert, John Beeston and Australian wine critic James Halliday, Brokenwood has since achieved global recognition for producing some of the finest Australian wines.

While they are based in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Brokenwood’s strategy of sourcing from ‘all the right regions for all the right reasons’, has added wines from McLaren Vale in South Australia, Beechworth in Victoria, Margaret River in Western Australia, and Orange in New South Wales to their portfolio.

Brokenwood is well-known for the Cricket Pitch label, which was first sourced from a 4-hectare block at the foothills of the Hunter Valley’s Brokenback Ranges. The block was originally earmarked as the local cricket ground before they decided to plant a vineyard instead. Similarly, Brokenwood purchased their neighbouring block, which was intended to be the local cemetery, and instead planted Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, becoming their critically acclaimed flagship wine, the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz.

Celebrating 35 vintages at the helm of Brokenwood, Chief Winemaker and Managing Director Iain Riggs AM introduced new winery equipment and facilities specifically for premium white wine production when he joined in 1982. Since 1983, white wine has been a significant part of the total production, and Brokenwood’s Semillon is widely recognized as one of the finest in the Hunter Valley and the world.

Bancroft Wines’ Buying Director Barney Davis comments:

“Brokenwood grew from a family-and-friends winery into a world-class operation and one of Australia's most respected producers. It is testament to Iain Riggs’ talent and competence that throughout their expansion they have managed to remain fiercely committed to producing such unique and high-quality expressions of Australian terroir. We look forward to building a long-term partnership with them in the UK”.

Iain Riggs AM, Brokenwood Chief Winemaker/Managing Director, comments:

“Brokenwood has been in the off trade and on restaurant tables in the UK since the late 1970s and we are thrilled to continue our distribution with Bancroft Wines. We look forward to a valuable partnership and maintaining the availability of premium Australian wine in the UK market.”