Coterie Plans to Buy Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Wholesale Wine Business in Japan

Coterie Holdings said Wednesday that it plans to acquire the Japanese wholesale business of Berry Bros. & Rudd, a move that would expand Coterie’s distribution network in Asia and shift a significant part of Berry Bros. & Rudd’s wine import operations in Japan to a Coterie-owned company.

Under the agreement, Berry Bros. & Rudd’s wholesale activities in Japan would transfer to The Wine Experience, Coterie’s specialist fine wine importer, along with most of the producers currently represented by Berry Bros. & Rudd Japan, according to details released by the companies and reported by Harpers Wine & Spirit. The companies did not announce financial terms.

The transaction would leave Berry Bros. & Rudd’s private client business in Japan unchanged. That business will remain with the London-based wine and spirits merchant and continue operating as it has since 2008, the company said.

The deal marks a notable change in how high-end wine reaches Japanese buyers. By moving Berry Bros. & Rudd’s wholesale activities and many of its producer relationships to The Wine Experience, the agreement has the potential to reshape one of the channels used to bring premium wines into Japan. It also points to continued consolidation in international drinks distribution, especially in fine wine, where scale, logistics and access to producer portfolios can be decisive.

Berry Bros. & Rudd Chair Lizzy Rudd said Japan would remain an important market for the company even after the planned sale. She said the transaction would allow the merchant to focus more closely on its private client service in Japan and across Asia, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. She also said the company was working with Coterie Holdings to ensure a smooth transition.

For Coterie, the acquisition would strengthen its position in one of Asia’s largest economies and deepen its reach in the region’s fine wine market. In a statement, Chief Executive Michael Saunders said the immediate priority would be a seamless transition for customers of Berry Bros. & Rudd Wholesale Japan. He said Coterie looked forward to serving those customers in the future.

The agreement fits with Saunders’s broader strategy for Coterie. He has previously described plans to build a multi-market business spanning distribution, merchanting and support services. Adding Berry Bros. & Rudd’s wholesale operations in Japan would give the group a larger customer base in the country and a wider set of producer relationships, both of which can matter in a market where imported fine wine depends heavily on trusted local distribution.

Japan has long been a key destination for premium wine producers because of its established consumer base, strong restaurant sector and appetite for imported labels. In that context, control over wholesale routes can influence which brands gain shelf space, restaurant placements and visibility with trade buyers. The transfer of most of Berry Bros. & Rudd Japan’s represented producers to The Wine Experience suggests the change will affect not only ownership of a business unit, but also the structure through which many wineries reach the market.

Berry Bros. & Rudd’s decision also reflects a narrower strategic focus. Rather than operating across both wholesale and private client channels in Japan, the company is choosing to retain its direct relationship with private customers while stepping back from part of the trade-facing side of the business. That approach may allow it to concentrate resources on advisory, allocation and client service work for collectors and high-spending buyers in Japan and elsewhere in Asia.

For importers, distributors and producers watching the market, the announcement is significant because it combines a long-established merchant’s repositioning with an expansion push by a buyer that has made no secret of its ambition to grow across borders. If completed as planned, the transaction would leave Coterie with a stronger platform in Japan while Berry Bros. & Rudd keeps its presence in the country through its private client operations.