Laithwaites is "Victorious for Voltis" in UK First

[January 2026]

Laithwaites has now gone live with Victorious by Les Malandes (RRP £16.99), a wine made from 100% Voltis – a new hybrid grape grown for its resistance to disease, and hailed by Laithwaites Wine Director Liz Smith as “a grape potentially poised to shape the future of sustainable winemaking”.

Voltis has been created by France’s INRA and Germany’s Julius Kühn as part of a project launched in 2000 to develop PIWI (fungus resistant) varieties needing little or no use of treatment products in the vineyards and fewer tractor passes, helping to prevent soil compaction.      

“Voltis is not just a new grape - it’s a step towards cleaner, greener wines without compromising on taste,” says Liz. “We know January is about drinking more mindfully for many and we think this is a fantastic way to ‘drink better’ while supporting an important environmental innovation.”  

The wine has been sourced by Laithwaites buyer Jennie Perry who found that one of her long-term suppliers, Richard Rottiers in Beaujolais, has a tiny plot of these vines in Romaneche-Thorins. “This particular vineyard is surrounded by houses, and he felt uneasy spraying anything so near homes - even organic treatments, which can involve copper and sulphates. So, he decided to trial Voltis which needs little-to-no-treatment - something we were fully on board with.”    

Even the grapes from the 2024 vintage - which was warm and wet across the whole of France, perfect for mildew - required only one round of organic treatments as opposed to the dozen needed in other vineyards. The wine is then made by Richard’s sister Amandine Marchive at Domaine des Malandes in Chablis in order to take advantage of her team’s white wine making facilities and expert know-how.

Jennie adds: “We have worked with Amandine, and before her, their Mother Lyne, for around 25 years.  Great people, really passionate about their white wines and staunchly committed in their attitudes to the environment and their vineyard and winemaking practices.”

Voltis Fact File

• Not marketed as a varietal anywhere else in the UK (yet!)
• Only 3000ha are grown in the whole of France
• Most of it is blended in Champagne
• It is currently not permitted in other AOCs (production likely to expand once it is).
• A top pick for the “mindful drinking” trend this January and beyond.  

“Victorious by name and by nature… it’s delicious,” adds Jennie. “It lies somewhere between a complex, leesy Chardonnay and a super-charged Muscadet, with a touch of spice and bags of white pear fruit.”

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Note to Editors – About Laithwaites Wine

Laithwaites Wine was founded in 1969, when Tony Laithwaite drove a van of Bordeaux wine to England to share with family and friends.  Laithwaites has since grown to become one of the UK’s largest wine merchants, yet remains family-owned and still gives pride of place to smaller producers.

The Laithwaites wine team tastes over 40,000 wines a year before selecting the best buys for customers. Laithwaites offers 1,200 wines from 26 countries, ranging in price from £4.99 up to £1,200 a bottle and all covered by a 100% guarantee of enjoyment.  They also offer an extensive gifts range, complimentary Wine Advisor service, and host a range of events.

Laithwaites Wine is the only UK wine merchant to win the Service Mark accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service and has twice been awarded Online Retailer of the Year.

Laithwaites is delighted to be one of ten leading retailers which have signed up to the 'SWR Bottle Weight Accord'.  Founded in 2021, the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is the only global independent multistakeholder roundtable in wine.  Jancis Robinson is a founding member and with now more than 100 members from around the world, the SWR has become the centre for collaborative action across the wine supply chain.