Hambledon takeover offer confirmed - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

News:

The proposed acquisition of English sparkling wine brand Hambledon has been accepted by the company's shareholders, the company announced today (08/11/2023). In September 2023, Berry Bros. & Rudd and Atlantis Wine Holdings, a member of the Symington Group, announced their intention to acquire the estate bought by Ian Kellett in 1999. According to the buyers, "The bid has received 90% shareholder approval and has been declared '\'unconditional'\', triggering a mandatory buyout of the remaining shares and will result in a 100% takeover." The acquisition is a joint venture between the two companies in equal shares.

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Lizzie Rudd, chairman of Berry Bros. & Rudd, commented, "We are delighted''To confirm this exciting joint venture with Symington Family Estates. Together we are committed to sustainable viticulture and winemaking and we believe that this company, which was the first commercial English vineyard of the modern era, has the foundations and potential to become a leader in English sparkling wines. "We are two family companies that have collaborated and been friends for many years.

Today Hambledon produces wine from 200 acres of vineyards; it is one of the few English producers with the capacity to produce over 500,000 bottles per year of sparkling wines of its own''production. "It will take something very special for us to launch wine production in a new country, having had port and wine production in Portugal for five generations. After a long analysis of the English sparkling wine category, we are delighted to acquire one of the leading producers in partnership with Berry Bros. & Rudd," said Johnny Symington, chairman of Symington Family Estates. "The quality of the wines is simply spectacular and reflects the fantastic terroir of Hambledon - with classic Champagne varieties grown exclusively on chalk soils and in an extremely favorable microclimate, located in Hampshire close to the English Channel. We believe these are superb sparkling world-class wines that will play a leading''role in the development of English sparkling wine globally'.

Hambledon English sparkling Symington Family Estates Lizzie Rudd Ian Kellett