Portugal-based Quinta de la Rosa’s wines will be distributed by Thorman Hunt in the UK from the start of next month.

The London-headquartered distributor takes over distribution from local peer Bibendum Wine.

Based on the banks of the Duoro Superior region, Quinta de la Rosa's range includes a variety of red, white and port wines under the labels La Rosa, Tim Grande Reserva and Passagem, to name a few.

Sophia Bergqvist, proprietor of the winery and her son, Kit Weaver, expressed gratitude to Bibendum “for the efforts in the market in recent years”.

Charlie Hunt, director at Thorman Hunt, said in a statement: “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Quinta de la Rosa and to be working with Sophia and Kit.”

“We very much look forward to beginning our Portuguese journey - a first for Thorman Hunt. The addition of Quinta de la Rosa is perfectly complementary to our range.”

Hunt told Just Drinks that the goal for Quinta de la Rosa is “to be distributed amongst the UK’s independent merchants and restaurants”.

The winemaker’s products are currently available in restaurants in the UK including Hawksmoor, Galvin Restaurants and Rick Stein. It is also sold through retailers such as Harvey Nichols, The Wine Society, BBR and Wood Winters.

Upon being asked about Thorman Hunt's next steps for growing the Portuguese brand's presence in the UK, Hunt said: “Expanding the list of customers [of Quinta de la Rosa] is a current topic”.

Bergqvist said one of the reasons Quinta de la Rosa chose Thorman Hunt as its UK distributor is because both of the businesses are family-owned, and both of their “next generation” have entered their companies. “On our side, my son, Kit Weaver, joined the in 2019 and is heading up the UK market,” she said.

She added that Thorman Hunt had an "extraordinary portfolio" and that the company was "well respected within the trade and has a wealth of experience in both the on-trade and independent retail space".

Thorman Hunt, founded in 1978, is headquartered in London. The company is a specialist wine importer and its portfolio includes winemakers like Vincent Paris, Vieux Télégraphe, Christian Moreau and Michel Niellon.

Quinta de la Rosa was founded in 1906, with the Bergqvist family having been involved in the port trade business since 1815.

The vintner owns two vineyards in the Duoro region, the Quinta de la Rosa and Quinta das Bandeiras.

Since 2017, the group has also produced a range of craft beer under the La Rosa Beer brand.

While the beers are currently only sold to the Portuguese on and off-premise, Quinta de la Rosa's wine portfolio is distributed worldwide.