British sparkling wine producer Black Chalk has recently secured distribution rights in Japan for the first time, and is looking to hire a dedicated team in Tokyo to handle distribution.
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The initiative was spearheaded by Kenya Matsumoto, a patron of Black Chalk and director of the company, which owns two Japanese restaurants, Cube and Roketsu, in London"s Mayfair.
Matsumoto's agency, Frontive Holding, will handle the distribution of Black Chalk's wines in Japan. The company also intends to target other key markets in Asia, such as mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
The Black Chalk wine brand will invest heavily in the Japanese market, where the company is already listed in Michelin-starred restaurants, including Kikunoi and Gion Kawakami in Kyoto, Sushi Sho in Tokyo and Nakashima in Hiroshima. It is also listed in luxury department stores Mitsukoshi-Isetan and Hankyu.
The Frontive organization will also sell Black Chalk's wines directly to consumers through online channels. The first shipment of Black Chalk's wines will arrive on Japanese shores this month in time to be showcased at fall trade fairs in Tokyo and Osaka, including the 2015 Classic Reserve and the 2017 Rosé.
Jacob Leadley, winemaker and CEO of the Black Chalk wine brand, comments: "We've had Japan as our target export market from the start. There is a strong synergy between English sparkling wine and Japanese cuisine, and Japan is a market that places a high value on quality and boutique brands.
Over the last few months we have been affected by the ban, as has the rest of the UK wine industry. This is a very positive move for us and highlights how important the export market will be.
The Black Chalk wine brand's Classic series has a suggested retail price of 5,800 yen, while the rosé has a suggested retail price of 6,300 yen.
