The News
Artelium Wine Estate in Sussex has introduced a digital cellar door enabling customers worldwide to purchase its wines and receive them via international shipping. The platform offers wine club memberships and curated collections. The initiative allows visitors to experience Artelium wines at the estate or through tastings and then continue their journey with direct-to-consumer purchases anywhere in the world.
Artelium’s new digital cellar door illustrates how boutique estates can leverage technology to expand beyond traditional three‑tier channels. The launch is the first time an English winery has used CellarMe—a platform already serving South African growers like Thelema Mountain Vineyards—to create a global storefront for its own labels.
The move comes at a moment of heightened interest in UK wine tourism, with visits rising 55 % between 2022 and 2023. Artelium’s two Sussex sites—85 000 vines on chalk in West Sussex and 45 000 on clay in East Sussex, for a total of 130 000 vines—feed the digital catalogue that ships to 27 European nations. While not truly global, the network covers a substantial portion of Europe and signals tangible export growth beyond the UK.
The estate’s focus on wine‑club memberships is already a key driver: 39 % of its DTC revenue comes from clubs elsewhere. The new portal fuels this recurring stream by offering curated collections and club‑exclusive pricing, helping to raise customer lifetime value and reduce churn.
Because Artelium sidesteps the conventional wholesale tier, distributors who import from the 27 nations may consider adding the estate’s premium English wines to their portfolios. For on‑premise operators, the tasting room experience—combined with a digital presence that reaches international visitors—offers a halo effect that can attract patrons seeking authentic English terroir.
In short, Artelium demonstrates how a focused digital strategy, anchored in a sizeable vineyard base and supported by an established cross‑border platform, can unlock new distribution corridors and recurring revenue streams for boutique wineries looking to broaden their reach beyond domestic borders.
Original Press Release
Sussex winery makes it possible for wine tourists and collectors anywhere in the world to buy its wines directly, signalling a new era for UK wine tourism.
Sussex-based Artelium Wine Estate is pioneering a new model for English wine with the launch of a digital cellar door that allows customers around the globe to purchase its wines and have them delivered internationally.
The initiative comes at a time when UK wine tourism is on the rise, with domestic vineyards attracting increasing numbers of visitors eager to explore English still and sparkling wines. Traditionally, international sales have been constrained by logistics and distribution, particularly for small estates. Artelium’s digital platform overcomes these barriers, extending the vineyard experience beyond a single visit.
Visitors can now discover Artelium wines at the estate or through tastings and events, then continue their journey with direct-to-consumer purchases anywhere in the world. The platform integrates international shipping, wine club memberships, and curated collections, ensuring that wine tourism does not end when visitors leave the vineyard.
Artelium’s approach reflects a growing trend in the English wine industry: using digital innovation to complement tourism, enhance accessibility, and build long-term customer relationships. Boutique estates like Artelium, which combine high-quality winemaking with art and hospitality experiences, are ideally placed to benefit from this new model.
“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people who discover our wines, whether at the estate or abroad, to continue enjoying them. Year on year, we have seen growth in overseas visitors coming to Artelium, and this digital cellar door is the next step in connecting our visitors with our wines and delivering them to their door wherever they are in the world,” says Julie Bretland, owner of Artelium Wine Estate.
For trade buyers and international distributors, the platform offers a new way to sample and order boutique English wines, potentially reshaping how the UK wine industry reaches global audiences.
Sources consulted (web research):
- English Wine Goes Digital At Artelium
- Artelium Eases Path To International Sales Via 91digital Cellar Door 92
- Artelium Launches The Worlds First Global Cellar Door For English Wine
- English Wine Week Celebrating English Wine With Artelium
- Direct To Consumer Wine Sales
- How Sussex S Artelium Is Helping To Drive English Site Led Winemaking
Source: BevNET