News Briefs for December 18, 2023
December 18, 2023•Pernod Ricard has announced “United is the New Gold,” the first U.S.-driven ad campaign for Chivas Regal. The campaign promotes the blended Scotch brand’s newest U.S. release, Chivas Regal XV, a 15-year-old blend, bottled at 40% abv and retailing for around $50. The lead ad, created with McCann London, features Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us” and is shot in black and white. It’ll air on streaming TV, social channels, and online video. The campaign also features out-of-home ads in markets like Dallas, LA, Miami, and New York City. Last year, Chivas Regal was at 239,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
•Bacardi has increased its stake in Ireland’s Teeling whiskey. Founders Jack and Stephen Teeling will continue to run the business and hold an ownership stake. Bacardi has handled Teeling in the U.S. since 2017, when it took its initial minority stake in the brand. With its increased investment—which the Irish Times reported gives it a nearly 80% share—Bacardi will now distribute Teeling across a number of European markets as well. According to Impact Databank, Teeling had U.S. volume of 27,000 cases last year.
•Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, a longtime Napa Valley winemaker who was best known for crafting the famed 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting of 1976, died on Dec. 13. He was 100. Over his decades in wine, Grgich worked at several trailblazing California wineries. He helped perfect several winemaking techniques in California, including cold sterilization and controlled malolactic fermentation. He also spearheaded research with U.C. Davis professor Carole Meredith into the roots of California Zinfandel, eventually tracing it back to his native Croatia. Wine Spectator has more on Grgich’s life and career.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
