ROCHFORT REES JOINS EPOCH WINE GROUP

Epoch Wine Group will take on up and coming wine producer, Rochfort Rees, to represent the New Zealand region in its growing portfolio of premium wine brands. Rochfort Rees is the brainchild of Oliver Rees Scutts, an enterprising twenty something with a family background in wine and strong ties to the Central Otago region, with his great-great grandfather, William Gilbert Rees being regarded as the founder of Queenstown. 

Rochfort Rees will bring a two tiered range to the Epoch portfolio - RR by Rochfort Rees with a Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, a trio sourced from the Marlborough region and providing excellent value for money for the mainstream consumer, and a super premium Regional Selection with a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Awatere Valley and a Central Otago Pinot Noir.  

“I think it’s better to focus on what people want to drink, not what you can produce,” says Rochfort Rees Managing Director, Oliver Scutts, “You need to be able to change with the market but never compromise on quality and what your core brand philosophy is.”

Rochfort Rees was established in 2008 with the simple philosophy of showcasing the best possible wines from New Zealand’s leading wine regions. Grapes are sourced from premium growers in the Marlborough and Central Otago regions and crafted under the guidance of experienced winemaker, Glenn Thomas, who has been instrumental in the success of the Marlborough wine region. Already making inroads in the top end of Auckland’s on premise market, Rochfort Rees is looking to make its mark on Australia’s wine loving consumers.

“With NZ wines taking up a significant proportion of both retail space and wine lists, it was essential for Epoch to include a premium NZ brand in the portfolio,” says Epoch CEO, Sam Mete, “What we had to do though was find a brand that represented all the quality cues our customers were after – from the premium presentation to the flavour profile of the wines. For us Rochfort Rees ticked all the boxes.”

Established in April 2013, Epoch is one of Australia’s newest and most dynamic liquor distributors, evolving out of the partnership between Cumulus Estates Wines from Orange and the Berardo Group of Portugal. Epoch works under a unique partnership model whereby brands have an equity stake in the company, and a vested interest in securing sales opportunities across all channels. Brands within the portfolio are hand selected from key regions around Australia and internationally. Epoch currently distributes the Cumulus Estate Wines brands including Climbing and Rolling, Flying Fish Cove from Margaret River and a range of spirits and liqueurs from Victorian based Bacchus Distillery. 

Epoch Wine Group will commence national distribution of Rochfort Rees from 1 September 2013.