Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/30945
FYI Beam Global Spirits & Wine has acquired the Skinnygirl spirits brand, created by reality TV star Bethenny Frankel. The brand’s flagship product, Skinnygirl Margarita is the spirits industry’s fastest growing ready-to-drink (RTD) product in the U.S. Distribution for Skinnygirl, launched in 2009 by Frankel and spirits veteran David Kanbar, is currently concentrated in the New York, Florida and New Jersey markets. Annual shipments already exceed 100,000 9-liter cases. Frankel will continue to serve as the brand collaborator, developer and marketer. “Skinnygirl offers an excellent high-return opportunity to enhance our portfolio and leverage our scale and agility to accelerate the brand’s future growth,” said Bill Newlands, Beam Global’s President North America.Newlands said. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed….Brown-Forman Corp. has agreed to sell Fetzer Vineyards to Chilean wine producer Viña Concha y Toro S.A. for $238 million. Brown-Forman acquired Fetzer in 1992 from the Fetzer family. In 2010, the brand sold more than 3 million 9- liter cases. Included in this sale of The Skinnygirl spirits brand has been purchased by Beam Global Spirits & Wine. Fetzer Vineyards are the Fetzer winery, bottling facility and vineyards, as well as the Fetzer brand and other Hopland, CA-based wines, including Bonterra, Little Black Dress, Jekel, Five Rivers, Bel Arbor, Coldwater Creek and Sanctuary. Also included in the sale is a facility in Paso Robles, California. The fiscal 2010 net sales contribution from these assets was $156 million, including excise taxes. The key facilities are located in Hopland, CA, and employ approximately 240 people. The sale does not include the superpremium Sonoma-Cutrer brand or the company’s long-term agency relationship with Korbel California Champagnes….Anheuser-Busch InBev has purchased Chicago brewer Goose Island for $38.8 mil- lion, one of several recent moves by the company to increase its presence in the fast-growing craft beer seg- ment. In addition to buying Goose Island, A-B InBev said it plans to increase its advertising spending this year by double-digit percentages on its Shock Top wheat ale, Belgian import Stella Artois, Landshark Lager and other specialty brews. Goose Island Beer Co., founded in 1988, has become a popular name in Chicago and other parts of the Midwest with such labels as Honkers Ale, 312 Urban Wheat Ale and Matilda…. Francis Ford Coppola has acquired the iconic Inglenook trademark. His celebrated Rubicon Estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley, will now be known by its historic original name, Inglenook, which he has acquired from The Wine Group. In addition, beginning this summer, renowned Bordeaux winemaker Philippe Bascaules will assume the position of Estate Manager and Winemaker at the newly renamed Inglenook…. Founded in 1814 in France, A. de Fussigny Cognac is back in the U.S. market imported by Castle Brands Inc….Geo. Garvin Brown IV has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Brown-Forman Corporation, reporting to Brown-Forman Chief Executive Officer Paul Varga, while continuing to serve as Presiding Chair of the Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Brown-Forman/Brown Family Shareholders Committee. In this new role, effective May 1, Brown will provide executive leadership and plan- ning on strategic and operational matters related to the Board of Directors and the Brown family, which controls a majority of the company’s voting shares of stock….Pabst Brewing announced the following appointments: John Cochran has been named CEO; and Chris Steffanci has been named COO….Rick Tigner has been named CEO at Jackson Family Wines….Pernod Ricard USA appointed Steve Chasen as Director, On-Premise Trade Marketing, and BJ Vorderer as Director, Off-Premise Trade Marketing…Wine industry veteran Christopher Lynch was named president of Terlato Wines The Charmer Sunbelt Group recently donated $25,000 to the charity CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees), meant to aid the chil- dren of those in the industry who have fallen on hard times. Here, CORE’s Brian Yost (left) presents a plaque to Greg Baird of the Charmer Sunbelt Group honoring the company for its support. International….Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has created a new Luxury and Imports Brand Group, which includes estates from California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, France and New Zealand. SMWE President and CEO Ted Baseler said that the Luxury and Imports Brand Group will focus on communicating the richness of each estate’s story as well as its place in history. Shawn Byrnes was appointed Vice President and Group Brand Director and will lead the marketing efforts; Jennifer J. Scott was named Director of Communications to oversee all publicity programs for the domestic and import brands; Joe Aschbacher was named Director of Luxury Wine Sales. 10 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • May/June 2011