New Zealand’s Yealands Estate Wines has launched its Babydoll brand exclusively to the UK on-trade, with Babydoll Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc now available through Matthew Clark. Already a major success in Australia and New Zealand for over a decade, the brand arrives in the UK with a clear brief: to connect with a younger generation of on-trade consumers and give venues a genuinely different wine to talk about.
For an on-trade still navigating the challenge of engaging Gen Z drinkers, who are seeking authentic stories and products that fit their lifestyle without compromising on quality, the proposition is well timed.
The story behind the brand
The Babydoll sheep are a genuine and ongoing part of how the vineyard operates.
The name comes from the miniature Babydoll sheep that graze year-round between the vines at Yealands’ Marlborough estate. Their short stature means they cannot reach the canopy, making them effective natural lawnmowers.
The Babydoll sheep are part of Yealands’ sustainability-first approach and help communicate Babydoll’s values without requiring further translation. Crucially, the sheep are not just a label concept, they are a genuine and ongoing part of how the vineyard operates. And also genuinely adorable.
Sustainability at the core
Sustainability is embedded in how Yealands operates rather than layered on top. Founded in 2008 with the ambition of becoming a world leader in sustainable wine production, the estate has since become one of New Zealand’s most prominent producers, exporting to over 65 countries.
Yealands runs a substantial solar panel installation feeding energy directly into the winery, with surplus returned to the grid. Staff electric vehicle charging and a whole-supply-chain sustainability framework completes the picture. All fruit sourced for the Babydoll range is certified under the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand programme. The wine is suitable for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free consumers, being fined with bentonite clay and filtered through a crossflow membrane.
In the glass
“It is a brand that we can have a lot of fun with,” Natalie Christensen, chief winemaker Yealands
Babydoll Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from selected sites across the Awatere and Wairau Valleys. It is a distinct blend, developed specifically for the Babydoll brand.
Chief winemaker, Natalie Christensen, describes the wine as having citrus blossom and classic green characters on the nose alongside blackcurrant leaf, with a mineral, textural palate and a saline finish. “Babydoll Sauvignon Blanc is almost like a citrus blossom,” she says. “Pure, classic, and a genuine expression of the site and the season.”
Christensen, who will also chair “New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2027” to be held in Marlborough in February next year, has kept the winemaking deliberately clean. Fruit is gently pressed into stainless steel, cold settled for 48 hours and fermented cool with selected yeasts to preserve varietal expression. The current 2024 vintage delivered stable conditions, strong natural acidity and clean fruit.
Built for the on-trade
The brand is positioned as a versatile, experience-orientated proposition rather than a straightforward wine listing.
“People don’t need to feel that they are dealing with something stuffy and traditional. They can interact with this wine however they want to,” says Christensen.
The UK launch, held at experiential venue Swingers Crazy Golf Club in London, introduced the Babydoll Sauvignon Spritz, a simple serve with elderflower, lemon and soda water that drew strong interest from those attending. Matthew Clark is supporting venues with bespoke point of sale and cocktail recipes.
On the food side, the wine’s acidity and mineral drive make it well suited to oysters, ceviche, goat’s cheese salads and fish and chips, giving it genuine range across gastropubs, hotel bars, brasseries, spas and experiential venues. The brand’s vision extends to festival settings and high-energy casual dining, anywhere a younger crowd is looking for quality without formality.
“We want to help on-trade venues by introducing a wine that is deliciously different and in tune with today’s younger consumer at social and celebratory occasions,” says Yealands UK on-trade sales manager, Dominic Webb.
A proven track record
The brand’s decade of organic growth in Australia and New Zealand, with consistent wine show recognition gives the UK on-trade a useful reference point. In New Zealand, Babydoll bars at the Splore sustainability festival ran cocktail making sessions overlooking the main stage, demonstrating the brand’s capacity to generate experiences beyond the pour.
Christensen is clear that Babydoll operates as a distinct brand from Yealands, with its own blend, its own identity and considerably more creative freedom. “It is a brand that we can have a lot of fun with,” she says. “You are not confined to traditional expectations of how wine should be enjoyed.”
Babydoll Sauvignon Blanc is available now exclusively to the UK on-trade through Matthew Clark. For venues looking to add something with a genuine story, versatility and broad consumer appeal to their lists, it is worth a conversation.
Dining and Cooking