Wine Magazine's West of England Wine Merchant of the Year, Great Western Wine, is launching its first exclusive agency portfolio on Stand F16 at the LIWSF, offering the trade the chance to taste a selection of wines from the portfolio and meet principals and winemakers from seven individual estates.

Great Western Wine is renowned for supplying top quality; hand tested and tasted wines from selected 'boutique' estates to the on trade, niche independent retailers and private customers in the South West. The company is now offering distributors in the Midlands, North of England, Scotland and Ireland the chance to profit from the increasing trade and press recognition enjoyed by its outstanding portfolio of exclusive wines. Great Western Wine is also expanding its own sales area to cover the on trade in London and the South East.

"Our growing reputation reflects Great Western Wine's policy of offering customers 'a world of difference' from the big brands, co-operative and negotiant wines supplied by other wholesalers and the supermarkets," says Philip Addis, Managing Director.

"We’re using this year's London International Wine & Spirit Fair to showcase a variety of wines from our agency portfolio which are new to the Fair, demonstrating the outstanding quality, breadth of styles and price points we offer to those who want to stock something just that little bit different."

Seven winemakers and principals from 12 producers will be on hand to meet members of the trade at the Great Western Wine stand (F16). Ben Glaetzer, the charismatic winemaker son of renowned Barossan winegrower Colin Glaetzer, will fly in to unveil the latest wines from his Mitolo label, of which the G.A.M. McLaren Vale Shiraz 2001 has just been awarded 94 points by Robert Parker. Wines from the Glaetzer Heartland estate in Limestone Coast will also be on taste.

Franck Bijon - previously winemaker at Château Latour - will present his wines from the two Bordeaux estates within Larose Trintaudon, Château Larose Perganson and Château La Tourette and unveil the new vintages from the estate's Chilean venture, Casas del Tocui.

Englishman, Jonathan Saxby, will be bringing home the wonderfully fruity 100% Pinot Meunier wines from Champagne Jean Moutardier, where he is now manager and proprietor. Champagne Jean Moutardier is one of the oldest Houses in the Vallée de la Marne and also produces a traditional style rosé champagne made using the maceration method, which will also be on taste at the stand.

US winemaker, Eric Aafedt, is making his first visit to Europe to present the wines from Bogle Winery in California at the LIWSF. Bogle Winery has achieved a number of impressive accolades in the States recently, including a string of 'Best Buys' in Wine Spectator.

Other principals showing wines on the stand include Cristian Beltrame, winemaker at La Tenuta Beltrame in Friuli, Italy; Emanuela Negro from Negro Angelo e Figli in Piemonte; Claude Chevalier from Domaine Chevalier in Burgundy and Murray Burton, owner of Ferngrove estate – the most recent addition to the Great Western Wine portfolio.

Wines will also be on taste from Vallobera, an estate in the Rioja Alavesa, and from Cruz de Piedra - a northern Spanish venture involving winemaker Jesus Nevasquez.

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For further information please contact:

Bryony Wright
Jefferson Hunt Communication Consultants
Tel: 0117 909 1834/ 07974 741764
Email: bryony@jeffersonhunt.co.uk