Effective from May 1, Casella Family Brands has appointed Giesen Wines NZ as the exclusive importer for Peter Lehmann Wines (PLW) in New Zealand.

Casella Family Brands said it chose Giesen for its expertise in sales and distribution in New Zealand and saw Giesen’s existing relationships with the on- and off-premise channels as valuable for leveraging PLW in the market.

In addition, John Casella, Managing Director of Casella Family Brands said he saw value in partnering with another family owned businesses.

“The Giesen team have a wealth of experience in the New Zealand market and are highly regarded in the trade for providing highly quality wines. As a family company we are delighted to be working with another business that shares similar values. Casella Family Brands believes in creating long term partnerships in our major export markets and we are extremely excited about having the Peter Lehmann portfolio represented by Giesen.”

Like Mr. Casella, Theo Giesen of Giesen Wines also said he was pleased with the partnership: “Not only does Peter Lehmann have a rich history and heritage in New Zealand, now with the ownership held by an Australian winemaking family, there is a commitment to the brand well into the future. We share many similarities as a business and our wine portfolios complement each other in a market dominated by New Zealand and Australian wines.”

To begin with, Giesen will distribute just a selection of the PLW portfolio, including Art n Soul, Portrait, Clancy’s, Futures and the Peter Lehmann Masters Series (8 Songs, Mentor and Stonewell).