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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/504798
www.cheersonline.com 29 May 2015 • CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE Ste. Michelle Wine Estates 15 Growth Brand Awards 2014 Cases sold: 3.04 million Opened in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the founding winery of Washington state and owns 3,500 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley. The Ste. Michelle Wine Estates brand was named a Comeback Brand for 2015, in addition to being the only wine inducted into this year's Hall of Fame class. The winery has been producing European varietals under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967 and is overseen today by head winemaker Bob Bertheau. Its vineyards include Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek, which are both LIVE and Salmon Safe certified. The brand targets two types of consumers, according to vice president/brand director Jan Barnes. One is the "approachable aspirer," who enjoys everyday wine experiences based on quality and value, while the other is a more sophisticated wine lover, who skews toward red wines, loves to share wine knowledge and entertains at home. Because of its large volume, Chateau Ste. Michelle has two winery facilities. Canoe Ridge Estate is dedicated to red wine, using state-of-the-art winemaking technology including a research winery to improve quality. The brand's facility in Woodinville, WA, near Seattle, is dedicated to white wine. "Woodinville also has the beautiful chateau and grounds that welcome over 300,000 visitors per year," Barnes adds. The biggest trend in wine that Chateau Ste. Michelle is reacting to is a move toward premiumization. "We're well positioned to meet that need with various tiers and popular varietals, which deliver quality and value at every price point," Barnes says. CROWN ROYAL Diageo 18 Growth Brand Awards 2014 Cases sold: 4.28 million First introduced in 1939 and available in the U.S. since 1964, Crown Royal is the category leader in Canadian Whisky. It was developed in Canada to mark a visit from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The founder tested more than 600 blends before creating the whisky. The bottle was wrapped in a purple cloth bag and presented to the British monarchs. The brand caught on with the Canadian people within two years and its original production of 100 cases was expanded to wider distribution. More than 50 million bottles of Crown Royal are sold globally each year. "We're proud to uphold the same tradition of producing the finest quality whisky just like the first 100 cases back in 1939," says Yvonne Briese, vice president, North American whisky for Diageo. "Crown Royal's uncompromising standards of quality are what set it apart from other whiskies on the market." Today the brand is available in seven expressions, each packaged in different colored bags, including green for the newest, Regal Apple. "The growth of and interest in the Canadian Whisky category is fueled by a consumer mindset that whisky is more approachable than in years past," Briese says. "We love this! With the resurgence of classic cocktails like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned, as well as new flavored whiskies, consumers have a lot more options and reasons to responsibly enjoy whisky." Crown Royal plans to keep introducing new products in the coming years, including increased distribution of the Hand Selected Barrel program, which allows retailers to purchase straight-from-the-barrel whisky featuring the Coffey Rye at the heart of the Crown Royal Deluxe blend. "There is great growth potential among our family of products to continue to propel forward our stake in the category," Briese says. GROWTH BRANDS HALL OF FAMERS