Gilbeys & Bibendum to partner up

Irish wine merchant Gilbeys and one of the UK’s largest wine suppliers Bibendum are to launch a new partnership in the Republic of Ireland from 1st March.

As part of the C&C Group’s ownership the partnership will combine Bibendum’s premium and artisanal wines with the established Gilbeys wine brands.

At the same time the ‘Bibendum’ brand will be launched in Northern Ireland with a new and exclusive range, also available to customers there from 1st March.

Dating back to the 1850s, Gilbeys is the largest wine distributor in Ireland and a cornerstone of the Irish wine trade.

The Gilbeys-Bibendum partnership will benefit both new and existing customers, using Gilbeys’ distribution service to deliver the new range of Bibendum wines.

“Bibendum’s portfolio offers a huge variety of wines from around the world, with countries of origin that are not easily sourced in Ireland,” commented Gilbeys Sales Director Duncan Millar of the new arrangement, “The addition of new, artisanal producers will add excitement and variety to any outlet’s offering. Having access to these new wines gives us the opportunity to expand conversations with luxury hotels, quality restaurants and premium, wine-led venues. This partnership with Bibendum will increase our business in Ireland, potentially doubling our wine sales over the next three years.”

With a portfolio of over 350 wine suppliers Bibendum’s Chief Executive Michael Saunders added, “The Gilbeys brand is iconic in Ireland and we’re thrilled to be able to work with them to bring some of our best-loved wines to the market. Feedback from on-trade customers tells us that they want even more choice and diversity, in particular premium and artisanal wines.

“This is a huge strength in our portfolio and recognised with the accolade of ‘Merchant of the Year’ in both 2017 and 2018 at the Sommelier Wine Awards.”

Bibendum also brings its award-winning, in-house training to trade customers.

The Gilbeys and Bibendum partnership launches with a series of exclusive tasting events for customers in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Belfast at the beginning of April.

Please contact events@gilbeysofireland.ie (RoI) or events@bibendum-wine.co.uk (NI) for more details.