Craft + Estate, a Member of The Winebow Group, is Appointed Exclusive U.S. Importer of Burch Family Wines

RICHMOND, Va., July 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Craft + Estate, a member of The Winebow Group, has announced that it is the exclusive U.S. importer of Burch Family Wines and their range of award-winning wines. Burch Family Wines is a family-owned and operated company producing Howard Park, MadFish and Marchand & Burch wines from Western Australia's premier grape growing regions of Margaret River and Great Southern. They are an inaugural member of Australia's First Families of Wine, a collection of 12 multi-generational family-owned wine producers.

"We are truly honored to represent these distinctive wines in the U.S. market," said Liz Mathews, senior vice president of Craft + Estate. "At a time of renewed interest in Australian wine, Craft + Estate has taken a significant position with the 'cool climate' Australia category by adding these dynamic properties."

Since its inception in 1986, Howard Park Wines has a very simple mantra when it comes to production – premium wine can only come from excellent fruit. Its Margaret River vineyards and winery carry certification from the Winemakers Federation of Australia's EntWine initiative for environmentally conscious practices. Not only are chemicals and pesticides avoided, but the winemaking facilities are 100% water sufficient, vineyard pests are kept under control by roving guinea fowl and sheep serve as environmentally friendly weed management. The Howard Park insignia celebrates the creation of the vine and its forbidden fruits in a reference to the Garden of Eden. The union of its "Tree of Life" symbol and intertwined winged dragon signify the essential creative balance between the experience of temptation and ultimate enlightenment.

The MadFish wine range was first released in 1992. Nearly 25 years later, MadFish wines have attracted a large and loyal following across Australia and the world. MadFish has always been about simple enjoyment, and the wine inside the bottles retains its consistency, style and quality. These contemporary wine styles are made from cool climate fruit and are noted for their pure, fresh and clean characteristics in which the flavor of the fruit is the primary character.

Marchand & Burch's roots began when two men – winemaker Pascal Marchand and Jeff Burch, vigneron and owner of Howard Park and MadFish Wines – met in a small village in Burgundy. They instantly connected through their passion for Pinot Noir and the friendship bloomed into a partnership under the Marchand & Burch label, producing small parcels of handcrafted Australian wines that express individual personalities, reflective of where they have come from and how they are grown. Only the very best vine clones and vineyard sites have been selected with good aspects, ancient soils and ideal altitude. They endeavor to follow the best viticultural practices to have low yields of high quality fruit. The winemaking is traditional yet modern with minimal intervention to allow the wines to become true expressions of their natural source.

Craft + Estate will import seven wines from Howard Park: Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon, Flint Rock Shiraz, Leston Shiraz, Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon, Miamup Chardonnay, Miamup Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon and Scotsdale Cabernet Sauvignon; four wines from MadFish: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Vera's Cuvee Sparkling White; and two wines from Marchand & Burch: Porongurup Chardonnay and Villages Chardonnay.

About Craft + Estate
Craft + Estate offers a portfolio of fine wines, craft spirits and artisanal sake that is guided by the belief that quality is the result of passion, talent and terroir. Representing centuries-old producers, modern visionaries and a growing international community of artful distillers, Craft + Estate invites discovery and guarantees a memorable experience.

SOURCE Craft + Estate