William Grant & Sons was the lucky winner of C&C Group

Things are starting to look up. Both Pernod Ricard and Fortune Brands said today in their earnings results that they’re seeing signs of improvement in the US – most notably at the on-premise. Declines in traffic and trading down at restaurants and bars have been a big drag on the industry but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. As a result, both companies plan to increase brand investment into the future.

California Congressman Mike Thompson held a tele-press conference today to discuss HR 5034, or the CARE Act, pushed by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. You might recall that Mike testified at the House Judiciary subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy hearing in March, which dealt with similar issues as this legislation. Wholesalers say the CARE Act gives states ultimate authority in alcohol regulation (as long as it’s not facially discriminatory) and places the burden in litigation on the plaintiff. Wineries and other suppliers feel there is more sinister intent, and that wholesalers are only trying to protect their businesses and dismantle direct shipping.

The CARE Act, or HR 5034, has gotten a lot of flack over the past two weeks as wineries and other suppliers view it as an attempt by wholesalers to gain undue power over state alcohol regulations. The WSWA’s Craig Wolf issued a statement today asking members of Congress “to ignore inflammatory rhetoric which falsely characterizes the plain language, intent and purpose of the legislation.” He points to the recent letter signed by 40 state attorneys general asking Congress to “strongly support legislation that will bring to a stop the erosion of state alcohol laws by reinforcing the states’ ability to regulate alcohol as it sees fit.” He says the CARE Act is meant to do just that.

“We don

Like other wine and spirits companies, Remy Cointreau reported a much stronger fourth quarter compared to the rest of the fiscal year. During the quarter, Remy benefitted most from “strong growth” in China and South East Asia, while the United States “proved more resilient and there was a marked recovery in Europe.”

During an uncertain time for many wine producers, Ste. Michelle was a star performer in Altria

The wholesale beer industry converged on Washington DC for the NBWA’s Spring Legislative Conference on Sunday night. The Conference is a heated one, since there is some angst between brewers and distributors as the NBWA got their draft legislation (H.R. 5034) filed in the House of Representatives last week, a bill that hasn’t sat completely well with brewers. One brewery exec said he liked parts of the bill, and didn’t like other parts, which mirrors the feelings of other big brewers and small brewers.

That’s what Diageo cmo Andy Fennell said in a Premiumization Seminar held Friday. He describes the current economic environment as the

Yesterday afternoon, a draft of the House bill which had been floating around (pushed by the National Beer Wholesalers Association), H.R. 5034, was filed with the US House of Representatives. Here we give a rundown of the bill, called the CARE Act, and provide a link so you can check it out yourself.

“States should have the ability to craft legislation that reflects the concerns of that specific state and its citizenry,” said WSWA chief Craig Wolf in a statement today that addresses a number of new developments in the industry. The big question at hand is whether the 21st Amendment gives states absolute power in regulating alcohol.

We had an opportunity to sit down with Rocky Wirtz, outgoing chairman of the WSWA and head of Wirtz Beverage Group, at Italian restaurant Rao last week at the WSWA convention. Obviously a lot has happened to the industry over the past year with Rocky at its helm so we took the chance to pick his brain for a bit. The first thing we asked Rocky was his thoughts on Warren Buffett entering the wine and spirits business.

Wine and Spirit Distributors of Illinois say they have skin in the game. WSD has learned that WSDI has filed a motion to intervene in Anheuser-Busch’s lawsuit against the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. You’ll recall that the Commission issued a declaratory ruling last month baring A-B from acquiring the remaining 70% stake in Chicago wholesaler City Beverage, which would essentially make A-B a supplier and wholesaler in the state. That’s because the Commission believes out-of-state brewers can’t hold a distributors license, but in-state brewers can. As you’ll see below, WSDI disagrees with this assertion. A-B then filed a lawsuit against the Commission in a federal court, claiming its ruling violates the Commerce Clause and that all brewers should be able to hold a wholesalers license in the state. If the judge allows WSDI to intervene, then A-B will be suing both the LCC and WSDI.

The direct shipping game is heating up, folks, now that the Attorneys General are getting involved. WSD has learned that AGs from 39 states signed a strongly-worded letter to the Hon. Hank Johnson, who chairs a House Judiciary subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, asking for relief from “the growing threat” of deregulation. The letter is dated March 29, so it was sent just a few weeks after the controversial Capitol Hill hearing on states’ rights regarding alcohol beverage laws.

“We accomplished a great deal in fiscal 2010,” chief Rob Sands said this morning when announcing the company’s fiscal results. They’re not kidding. Constellation sold its value spirits business and “successfully” integrated the remaining spirits brands into their North American wine unit. But their biggest initiative, as you know, was consolidating distributors.