Kingsland, Soul Tree to form JV, UK set for bulk wine imports from India

We believe there is a clear market opportunity for Indian wine, especially in the Indian restaurant sector, said Ed Baker, managing director at Kingsland Drinks

A joint venture between Kingsland Drinks and Indian wine producer Soul Tree will result in the very first shipment of bulk wine from India to the UK this month.

Soul Tree and Kingsland Drinks, one of the UK's independent drinks companies, are set to launch a duo of wines which will be available for the cheaper house wine market on Indian restaurant wine lists in Britain.

We believe there is a clear market opportunity for Indian wine, especially in the Indian restaurant sector, said Ed Baker, managing director at Kingsland Drinks.

Comprising of Soul Tree Red and Soul Tree White, the pair of wines are designed to drink alongside Indian food and join the brand's existing varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Ros and Cabernet Sauvignon. The new wines will be bottled, packed and distributed from Kingsland Drinks full-service site in Irlam, Greater Manchester.

The entire Soul Tree wine range will carry a brand-new look, designed by Kingsland's in-house design team in conjunction with Soul Tree, which it says builds on the brand's existing identity.

Adam Marshall, buying controller at Kingsland Drinks, told Retail Times': The Soul Tree range represents the very first Indian wine in our portfolio and a fresh segment for the category; India is now officially on the map as a bulk wine producer, and we're excited to lead the way by bringing Soul Tree wines in bulk directly to the UK on-trade.

Alok Mathur, co-founder and director of Soul Tree wines, added: We are really proud to put Indian wines on the bulk wine map, and the joint venture with Kingsland Drinks presents the opportunity to be part of one of the widest portfolios available to the UK market.

The collaboration builds on our existing varietal range and offers the opportunity to grow our footprint even more so in the UK.

The new Soul Tree wines are targetted at the house wine tier on restaurant wine lists in Britain and will be available through various wholesalers.