AV Brands to carry Amarula and Durbanville Hills stateside

Distell's move comes in the wake of AV Brands' success with Two Oceans, which it has succeeded in listing with several leading grocers' chains in the US. These include Hyvee, with 220 stores in the mid-west; Fortune 500 chain Publix in 200 of its stores, mostly located in the south; and 500 Food Lion stores in the south and mid-Atlantic.

Based in Columbia, Maryland, AV Brands currently sells over a million cases of international brands a year, including famous sherry brand Tio Pepe, as well as a range of wines from Spain, Italy, Argentina and Chile. Amongst the high-profile brands it represents are Luna di Luna (Italy), Caliterra (Chile), and Quara (Argentina). The importer/distributor, one of the top 20 in the US in terms of turnover, was recently acquired in a multi-million US dollar deal by the Cordoniu Group of Spain, producers of 11 still and sparkling wine brands in Spain, Argentina and California.

Says Gallow: “AV Brands has rapidly developed the Two Oceans footprint across the US. We believe it has the potential to do the same with the additional two brands, particularly given its new leadership that enjoys an excellent reputation in major brand building.”

AV Brands president, Roy Danis says: "We are proud to represent more of Distell's portfolio in the US, strengthening the relationship between our two companies and our long-term commitment to each other. We believe both Amarula Cream and Durbanville Hills have great potential in the US and we shall continue to build on the strong foundation started by Brown Forman."

Amarula is reportedly South Africa's biggest international liquor brand with an extensive global reach. It is the second biggest liqueur of its kind globally.

Distell was recently listed as the world's tenth biggest wine marketer by international beverage data specialists Impact Databank.