As the only stand flying the flag for ‘Category Australia’ at the London Wine Fair, it was gratifying that Calabria Family Wines reported huge interest in a couple of its new brands – Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. For these are wines with a difference, both coming in highly unusual, innovative bottles.
Bélena – a ‘take’ on Italy… from Australia
First, Bélena whose name is an ode to second generation Bill and Lena Calabria, a family of Italian descent which has been making wine in the Riverina since the 1940s. The Bélena brand features two wines from 2025 – a Pinot Grigio and a Rosé – that both come in a classy crystal-glass bottle. Meanwhile, the family’s Kings of Prohibition red and white range comes in the sort of wacky cylindrical bottle in which you might expect to find a rum or a whisky.
Both style of bottles are eye-catching packaging, and have been selling well in markets where they have already been released – Australia, the United States, Belgium, Holland and Poland.
Bélena - innovate packaging to attract younger consumers
The two Bélena SKUs were listed by Asda in early May. It was too early for any sales data at the time of writing but Darren Mackey, Calabria Family Wines’ commercial manager for UK and Europe, revealed that buyers who had tasted both at the stand were very positive.
“Several buyers and journalists commented on the fact that the Pinot Grigio had far more depth and complexity than other Pinot Grigios at a similar price," Mackey said.
“That’s a really nice endorsement that we’re on the right track. Asda seemed very excited and enthused about listing the brand. We’re hoping from that there’ll be a lot more eyeballs on the brand. Asda are big and go to every global wine show, and for them to choose Bélena is a real feather in the cap of the company, a real boost to confidence. Raising of brand awareness is what we’re looking for.”
Bringing back an honest Aussie approach to wine – Greg Wilkins, Brand Phoenix MD
Brand Phoenix, perhaps best-known for being the sole UK importers of leading South African brands First Cape and Leopard's Leap, has been building up its Australian and New Zealand brands.
“I feel that in Australia, the market in the last decade has slightly altered,” said Greg Wilkins, Brand Phoenix’s managing director. “Suppliers have been going down the reduced alcohol route, changing packaging quite dramatically, and really changing the relationship UK consumers have had with Australian wine.”
“So what we trying to do with Calabria, and in particular with McWilliam’s [recently bought by Calabria], is bring back that honest Aussie approach, which is wines that have not been altered in any way, that are rock-solid and fruit-forward, and deliver week-in-week-out at a great price. Bélena is Calabria’s take on ‘Italy from Australia’ if that makes sense.”
Putting quality first - Andrew Calabria, sales and marketing director, Calabria Family Wines
Andrew Calabria, sales and marketing director for the Calabria Family Wines Group, which produces 80 million bottles per annum and exports to 40 countries, had to shelve plans to come to the London Wine Fair due to flight difficulties from Australia, but spoke to The Buyer from his home town of Griffith.
“We are simple winemakers and don’t try and over-complicate it.,” he declared. “Our remit is to over-deliver on quality. The Bélena Rosé, made from Shiraz and Nero d’Avola, and the Bélena Pinot Grigio are perfect fits for barbecues in the UK summer. Both have done well in Australia since coming to market four years ago, with the Pinot Grigio the number one brand in AU$15-20 range.”
As for the innovative bottling for both Bélena and Kings of Prohibition, Calabria explained the rationale behind it.
“We’re an 80-year old business but six or seven years ago, we saw a shift and were very worried with the lack of young consumers coming to wine,” he continued. “We said, ‘let’s take a gamble and do something a little bit unique with the packaging.’ Dad supported it but was adamant quality must come first, and we’ve had great success here and in the US.”
Calabria’s father, Bill, who was awarded the Order of Australia for services to wine, was responsible for driving the business to ever more success after his own father founded it.
Kings of Prohibition – varietal-driven VFM
Calabria owns vineyards in Riverina and the Barossa Valley as well as sourcing fruit from across the region
A Kings of Prohibition shipment is due to reach British shores in early June. There are three mid-market labels, all of which showed well - the red blend 2024 (14% abv), Chardonnay 2025 (12.5%) and ‘Lucky Luciano’ Shiraz 2025 (13.5%). Calabria revealed the company has been able to blend cross-regional fruit from elsewhere in New South Wales to increase quality significantly, with some Chardonnay coming from cool-climate Tumbarumba, and Shiraz from Hilltops.
“I'm excited about the Kings of Prohibition range,” Mackey said. “People go crazy over it at consumer shows. I’ve got some commitments from wholesalers and independent retailers.”
Also shortly available on the British market will be some of the extensive McWilliam’s range after a lengthy absence. It used to be distributed by Gallo until they sold the company in 2014, before Calabria Family Wines acquired it in 2021. Next year, McWilliam's celebrates its 150th anniversary, with Calabria planning some commemorative releases, notably from their collection of very rare old tawny ports and other old fortifieds.
"McWilliam's used to be in distribution in the majority of all major retailers in the late 90s/2000s, and we aspire to regain their position as one of Australia's leading wine brands in the UK," added Mackey.
Targeting national UK distribution by year end: Darren Mackey commercial manager UK and Europe, Calabria Family Wines
Mackey revealed that Calabria, while already established in the UK on-trade, want to expand more into the off-trade.
“That’s where Brand Phoenix and Greg come in,” he declared. “A year ago we signed a distribution partnership with Greg that they are distributors for McWilliam’s, Bélena and Kings of Prohibition. There isn’t a time pressure to achieve specific sales within a certain time period, as we want to grow organically and with the right partners."
He added: "We do have big ambitions for the UK market but most importantly, we are in this for the long-haul and appreciate we have to be patient. That being said, we are working extremely hard to ensure we have national distribution on each of these brands by the end of 2026."
