Nyetimber 2020: A Year of Demand for English Sparkling Rosé

• Demand for Nyetimber Rosé Multi-Vintage hits new heights with U.K. sales up 34%
• Record online sales in the U.K via Nyetimber’s ecommerce platform; sales of Nyetimber Rosé Multi-Vintage increased tenfold on the platform
• Bottling volume of Rosé Multi-Vintage set to double in 2021
• Total international exports of Nyetimber’s range of sparkling wines grew more than 90%
• Nyetimber harvested 640 acres of vines representing the largest area of any English Sparkling Wine producer

WEST SUSSEX – 15 February 2021. Nyetimber, the leading English Sparkling Wine brand saw soaring demand for rosé in 2020 together with a record acreage of vines harvested and expansion of the vineyards on the estate. Nyetimber, and the English Sparkling Wine industry in general, continues to be a UK success story.

Soaring Demand for Rosé
In line with increased sales seen at UK supermarkets and specialist wine merchants in 2020, consumer demand for Nyetimber’s highly regarded sparkling rosé wines exceeded all expectations. On and off trade sales of Nyetimber Rosé Multi-Vintage (MV) increased 34% year on year, with sales in national retail stores up 50% and in independent retailers up 20%. Online sales of Nyetimber Rosé MV in the period June-December 2020 increased tenfold compared to the same period in 2019. As a result, when bottling of the 2020 harvest begins in April this year, Nyetimber plans to almost double the number of Rosé MV bottles when compared to the 2019 harvest.

Commenting on the year’s performance, Eric Heerema, CEO and Owner of Nyetimber, said: “Despite significant challenges presented by the pandemic, Nyetimber achieved many positive milestones in the continued growth and evolution of the brand and the business. We are particularly pleased that our sparkling rosé is fast becoming a standout iconic drink within the UK. Consumers clearly recognise the world class quality of our sparkling wines, and sales (both at home and abroad) continue to grow at a reassuring rate, which gives us confidence in the future.”

2020 Harvest
It took 13 days to harvest a record 260 hectares (640 acres) of Nyetimber estate-owned vineyards in West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent. This represents the largest area of harvested vines of any English Sparkling Wine producer and is expected to yield one million bottles when bottling commences in April 2021. Temperatures in late September across South East England were warmer than all recent years, helping Nyetimber’s grapes to reach optimum ripeness earlier. As a result of the good weather, it was the second earliest start date for Nyetimber’s harvest after 2018. Besides overcoming the challenges of ensuring an appropriately socially distanced harvest by 300 hand pickers, Nyetimber also had to contend with a late spring frost in May which caused mixed ripeness in certain blocks of grapes.

Estate Vineyard Growth
In May, Nyetimber planted 195,000 vines covering 42 hectares at a new site in Kent. Along with the replanting of 10,000 vines covering 2.5 hectares at the estate’s main vineyard in West Sussex, this will enable Nyetimber to produce on average an additional 220,000 bottles per annum when the new vines reach maturity in 2023-24. Nyetimber now has eleven vineyards covering 327 hectares across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent.

Outlook
Nyetimber forecast production to reach two million bottles by approximately 2025 as more of its vineyards bear fruit. It also expects to sell two million bottles a year by 2030 which would mark a significant uplift on current levels. Nyetimber predict the entire English Sparkling Wine industry will produce at least 20 million bottles by 2030.

Nyetimber, and the English Sparkling Wine industry in general, continues to be a UK success story. In 2019, total production of English Sparking Wine was 7.7 million bottles. In terms of sales, 3.7 million bottles were sold in 2019, an increase of 70% over the prior year – and international sales accounted for 10% of this. The total area under vine in the UK now stands at 3,579 hectares, up 83% since 2015.