News Briefs for July 30, 2024
July 30, 2024•Maison Ferrand is introducing Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum. The newcomer draws from four of the main rum-producing Caribbean islands historically used in Navy blends—Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana, and Jamaica. The rums were aged first in ex-Bourbon barrels in their countries of origin before traveling to France for further aging in used oak barrels and extensive oxygenation in large, open wooden vats, intended to replicate the humid environment of the British docks. Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum is a limited edition bottled at 55.7% abv and retails at $36 a 700-ml. Planteray has almost tripled in size since 2017, nearing 180,000 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank.
•Washington state’s Avallé is introducing new wines from its Jaine brand, which focuses on white and rosé offerings. The new entries include a Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($24), Columbia Valley Rosé from the Ravenscliff Vineyard ($24), Thunderstone Vineyard Rosé ($27), and Columbia Valley Chardonnay ($24). They’re available online and in select on- and off-premise accounts. Avallé, which also includes the Matthews, Tenor, Blackboard, Single Barrel, and From the Sky Down brands, is a collection of wines from Washington’s Otis family, and totals 50,000 cases across 25 wines from 20 different vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA.
•Loca Loka, a new Tequila brand from Indian actor Rana Daggubati and Indian musician Anirudh Ravichander, has launched in the U.S. The brand’s name is a combination of the Spanish word for crazy (Loca) and the Sanskrit word for world (Loka) and makes its debut with both Blanco and Reposado expressions, retailing for $46 and $55, respectively. Loca Loka is now available in Los Angeles, New York City, and New Jersey, with an expansion to Illinois, Florida, and Texas beginning in August.
•M.S. Walker chairman and past president Harvey Allen passed away late last week at the age of 86. Allen played a major role in expanding the business of the fifth-generation family-owned company, which last year celebrated its 90th anniversary. Based in Massachusetts, M.S. Walker serves as a wine and spirits importer and distributor, a spirits bottler, and a national supplier. It serves on- and off-premise outlets throughout the Northeast with its distribution business, which includes direct operations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island and brokerage operations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
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