England’s leading winemaker, Chapel Down, today announces an exciting new chapter of growth with its launch in the U.S.A. Partnering with luxury wine and spirit company, ABCK Corp, Chapel Down has shipments totalling 10,000 bottles planned between now and the end of the year.

Chapel Down CEO, Frazer Thompson, will host a launch party at the residence of New York British Consulate General, Antonia Romeo, on the 11th of October. Press and trade partners will be in attendance and will sample a number of Chapel Down sparkling wines, including its IWSC Gold medal winning Three Graces 2010.

Frazer and Mark Harvey, Chapel Down Managing Director, will then travel across key East and West Coast states during October to introduce more and more Americans to the growing congregation of Chapel Down fans. Mark comments: “There is a genuine sense of excitement amongst sommeliers, great restaurants and bars and high quality retailers about the significant opportunity that lies ahead for English sparkling wines. We are looking forward to getting started!”

ABCK Corp has been selected as Chapel Down’s long-term partner on the strength of its experience and success across the luxury wines and spirits sector. Led by Champagne and sparkling wine expert, Arnaud Brachet, the team is based in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas and has extensive experience in delivering strong awareness and growth for leading Champagne brands and luxury spirit companies. Arnaud comments:  “We have been truly impressed by the quality of Chapel Down’s sparkling wines and by the integrity of their team at every single level. We have started to introduce Three Graces to some of the best restaurants, bars and retailers in the US. Their reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are now under pressure to ship more bottles to the US! Chapel Down brings a new quality standard for sparkling wines in the industry, with a British sophistication and wit that resonate very well with American wine lovers.”

With an ambitious growth plan for the US, Chapel Down will be working closely with ABCK Corp to raise the profile of English wines, and in particular Chapel Down, through a series of ongoing events and in-market support.  During the launch phase, Chapel Down will also work with its British theatre partner, The Donmar Warehouse, on a series of events in conjunction with its award-winning shows on Broadway.

The US becomes the latest in a list of international markets that Chapel Down exports to, with its award-winning wines already available in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Copenhagen and Helsinki.  Chapel Down is at the forefront of new food and drinks exporters seeking to build their businesses abroad with the support of the UK government.

Recently appointed Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Andrea Leadsom, comments: “There is no doubt there is a global thirst for our wine and this latest milestone from Chapel Down is further proof of the opportunities in the US for our top class producers. Thanks to the innovation and hard work of our wine growers, the English wine industry is going from strength to strength with production more than doubling in the last five years. It’s fantastic to see our vintners flying the flag for British produce overseas – showing our wine trade is very much open for business.”