Dear Client:IRI has released its annual report on the top 30 brand performers in table wine based on scanner data from grocery and drugstores. In the 52 weeks to January 4, E&J Gallo topped the charts with the top 3 brands on the list, as well as 4 others. Constellation Wines also had 4 brands … Continue reading “E&J Gallo Tops Brand Performers List”

Dear Client:WINE IN GROCERY STORES. One of the biggest issues the wine industry has faced in recent months is legislation that could allow the sale of wine in grocery stores. Liquor stores are against it and grocery stores are for it. Officials in New York, Tennessee and Kentucky all have proposed plans to allow wine … Continue reading “A Recap on State Laws, Legislation and Rulings”

Dear Client:Michael Mondavi and Maurice Kanbar have made capital investments in Partida Tequila and also joined the board of directors, the company said today. Terms of the investments were not disclosed. Michael Mondavi – who co-founded the Robert Mondavi Winery with his father and recently founded Folio Fine Wine Partners – said in a statement … Continue reading “Michael Mondavi and Maurice Kanbar Invest in Partida Tequila”

Dear Client:Diageo today affirmed rumors that it’s further integrating its beer (Diageo-Guinness USA) and wine (Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines) businesses in North America which will result in 150 lay-offs, effective mid-April. Diageo has roughly 3,700 people working at its North American company. The “total beverage alcohol approach” is meant to cut costs and “will … Continue reading “Diageo Announces 150 Lay-offs”

Dear Client:As predicted by many analysts, Foster’s Group said today that it plans to keep its wine business which it aims to improve through various actions. Right now is not the time to sell and instead the company will work at making the wine biz more attractive. It also plans to separate its wine and … Continue reading “Foster’s Will Retain Wine Business”

Dear Client:Pernod’s new chief Pierre Pringuet called the company’s first half results (July 1-December 31) “flattering” today once it was revealed that Pernod outperformed analysts’ estimates. The company’s strategy of implementing price increases helped grow its 14 strategic brands, which grew by 1% in volume and 6% in value overall. Malibu, Kahlua and Perrier Jouët, … Continue reading “Pernod’s Results “Flatterin””

Dear Client:Like others in the industry, Diageo felt some pain in the second quarter as consumer spending softened even more than expected. Chief Paul Walsh said he expects consumer confidence to further deteriorate, making the outlook in the second half “more difficult to predict.” However, the company said it gained more value share in the … Continue reading “Diageo’s Premium Spirits Prompt Growth”

Dear Client:Luckily for California grape growers and wineries, the 2008 harvest is smaller than the year before which should be helpful in the current economic downturn. The California 2008 wine grape crush has totaled just over 3.05 million tons, according to the California Agricultural Statistics Service. It came as a bit of a surprise to … Continue reading “California Grape Harvest Hits 3 Million Tons”

Dear Client:Retailers and restaurants have been in the news a lot lately as businesses try to find ways to stay afloat in the recession. We’re seeing a trend of consumers increasingly shopping at bargain retailers and big box stores in hopes of saving money, but it looks like Wal-Mart could be the big winner. The … Continue reading “A Lesson from Wal-Mart”

Dear Client:Absolut broke new ground Sunday night by airing a 30-second TV spot during the third hour of the Grammy Awards, which broadcasted on CBS. The commercial ran in 15 of the largest media markets on many CBS owned and operated stations, reaching 31% of all U.S. TV households. Not only is this a big … Continue reading “Absolut Ad Airs During Grammys”

Dear Client:The Wall Street Journal’s David Kesmodel published an interesting piece that features Patron’s new ultra-premium Ultimat vodka, which the company has decided to launch despite declines in that price category. At $40 a bottle, it is more expensive than Grey Goose (about $30) and Ketel One ($23). Sales of Grey Goose fell -0.3% in … Continue reading “Patron Braves Recession With New Vodka”

Dear Client:Despite economic hardships in 2008, traffic in U.S. restaurants grew slightly – 0.2% to $61.5 billion – in the year ended November. It is the weakest showing since the recession of 2002-2003, according to market research company NPD. The group’s chief food industry analyst, Harry Balzer, said strong promotional activity at restaurant chains and … Continue reading “Fast Food and Big Box See Gains”

After reporting yesterday on the fastest growing spirits brands in 2008 by citing IRI scan data, we’re now going to shift over to wine. It was a good year to be a domestic wine as imports from Europe and New World countries were forced to raise prices for several reasons (one being the weak U.S. … Continue reading “Barefoot and Other Wines Storm Through 2008”

Many brands in the wine and spirits industry still managed to generate a lot of growth in 2008 and seemed altogether unharmed by the recession. So after reporting on last year’s trends over the past couple of weeks, it’s time to take a look at the fastest growing brands in the spirits sector. Out of … Continue reading “Spirits Brands that Weathered the Recession”

If there’s one thing the past couple of weeks has taught us, wine and spirits consumption is still going strong despite the recession. Jon Fredrikson, president of Gomberg Fredrikson & Associates, told listeners at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium that wine consumption is still expanding in the U.S., particularly among millennials. Recall that Vinexpo … Continue reading “A Year in Wine”