Hallgarten Enhances Iberian offering with Bodegas Bhilar and Quinta do Vallado
Specialist wine importer, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, has continued the expansion of its portfolio of wines available to the UK’s premium hospitality and retail sectors with the addition of boutique Rioja producer, Bodegas Bhilar, a family-run winery with a strong focus on sustainability. Also joining Hallgarten’s growing range is Quinta do Vallado, from the Douro, a famous Quinta dating from 1716 and steeped in history.
Bodegas Bhilar, located in the small town of Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa, is run by a husband-and-wife team, David Sampedro and Melanie Hickman. They have worked organically for over 20 years, biodynamically for more than 15, and horses have replaced tractors in the vineyards since 2014. Their terroir-driven range highlights indigenous grape varieties and the wines are high-quality, full of personality, and perfectly capture the characteristics of the high altitude, cool climate vineyards they are produced from.
Bodegas Bhilar commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Hallgarten and their dynamic team who truly understand the passion and artisanal care that goes into our unique range of wines. Their energy and excitement is palpable and we look forward to the opportunity to have them represent a wider selection of our premium wines, some of which have not previously been available in the UK. With Hallgarten's commitment to outstanding customer service and their dedication to supporting small producers like us, we're confident that our wines will reach wine enthusiasts who share the same values of quality and sustainability.”
It is not only Hallgarten’s Spanish range being augmented, as they have also welcomed Quinta do Vallado, from Portugal, to their portfolio. Initially a Port specialist, with a long and distinguished history in the region, they have also been making exceptional still wines for over 30 years and this is now 80% of their production. Some of their oldest vineyards date back to the 1920s and much of their more recent plantings are farmed organically.
Steve Daniel, Hallgarten’s Head of Buying, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome these two producers to our portfolio. We see Spain and Portugal as hugely exciting and dynamic wine-producing countries with the ability to create wines that would fit into any wine selection. Bodegas Bhilar is unique and a true pioneer of minimal intervention, maximum expression wines in the region, and have are able to accurately express the terroir, grapes and the passion of the winemaker owners. Their sustainable approach is a way of life and a means of truly expressing their distinctive vineyards. Quinta do Vallado is a wonderfully historic Quinta, with exceptional fortified and still wines, and is able to offer something extremely enticing for the trade.”
