News Briefs for September 12, 2023

•Napa-based importer and marketer Demeine Estates is launching Haynes Vineyard wines into national distribution this fall, targeted to fine wine retailers and fine dining establishments. Offerings will include Corazon Chardonnay ($250), Forgeron Chardonnay ($150), Vigneron Chardonnay ($125), Forgeron Pinot Noir ($150), and Forgeron Syrah ($150). Located in Napa Valley’s Coombsville AVA, Haynes Vineyard is a 43-acre parcel that includes 27 acres planted to vine. The brand is a creative collaboration between Lawrence Wine Estates CEO and master sommelier Carlton McCoy and winemaker Nico Cueva.

•Avaline, the organic wine brand from Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power, is adding a Pinot Noir to its range. Retailing at $26 a bottle, the newcomer is sourced from France and is available exclusively on the brand’s website. It joins a portfolio of six wines, including red and white blends, and a Sauvignon Blanc, among others. Avaline grew 46% to 80,000 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank. The brand recently launched in 500 Whole Foods markets across the U.S.

•New York-based importer and distributor Skurnik Wines & Spirits has begun handling South Africa’s Beck Family Estates in several markets across the U.S. The new collaboration, which includes the flagship Graham Beck Méthode Cap Classique collection, launched on September 1 in Skurnik’s East Coast and Midwest markets including NY, RI, PA, OH, KY, and IN. In addition to the Graham Beck wines, Beck Family Estates includes Steenberg in Constantia, South Africa as well as Abbott Claim and Angela Vineyards from Oregon, which Skurnik will also be representing.

•Diageo will open its new Guinness Open Gate Brewery Chicago on Thursday, September 28. Located at 901 W Kinzie, the taproom, restaurant and bakery is housed in a 15,000-square-foot former rail depot in the West Loop. The venue will feature rotating experimental draughts brewed on-site and exclusively available in the taproom, alongside signature offerings like Guinness Draught Stout from Dublin. Diageo Beer Co. USA was up 1.5% to just under 40 million (2.25-gallon) cases overall last year, according to Impact Databank, with its volume rising rapidly from less than 29 million cases in 2017.

•Santo Spirits partners Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri are opening their first Santo Spirits Visitor Center in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Located a few minutes from Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina, the new venue offers the full Santo lineup of tequilas, including Blanco, Reposado, Blanco 110 Proof, the recently released Añejo, as well as Mezquila, the brand’s Mezcal/Tequila blend. It will be open open 10 am to 9 pm daily. Santo Spirits is represented by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in 44 markets across the U.S.—Daniel Marsteller

Tagged : Avaline, Beck Family Estate, Demeine Estates, Diageo, Guinness, Haynes Vineyards, Santo, Skurnik

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