Sonoma’s Cline Family Ups Southern Glazer’s Partnership To 33 States

Cline Family Cellars has long been known for Zinfandel, which remains the anchor of its business four decades after its founding, but the Sonoma County-based winery, founded by Fred and Nancy Cline, is now branching out into new price points and varietals. Current volume for the Cline brand is now around 250,000 cases annually, with the mix shifting into higher price tiers and newer labels within the portfolio.

In recent days, Cline Family announced an expansion of its alliance with top U.S. distributor Southern Glazer’s, adding 13 new states to the partnership, which now numbers 33 markets. The new states include FL, SC, KY, DE, DC, MD, IL, MN, IN, NH, PA, WY, and UT. “Our relationship with Southern Glazer’s has delivered strong growth in states where we’ve locked-arms,” noted Hilary Cline, who serves as vice president of marketing and DTC. “An example of this is Texas, where despite market headwinds we grew materially in 2024.”

The move coincides with Cline’s efforts to revamp its portfolio and position for future growth. While nodding to the winery’s roots with the Cline Ancient Vines series, the stable now also includes an “affordable luxury” range called the Sonoma AVA Collection ($25-$30), as well as Seven Ranchlands, aimed specifically at the on-premise and selling at $9-$11 by-the-glass. In 2025, a new Cline County Collection will debut at retail.

Meanwhile, luxury brands like Gust ($40-$45) and The Sneak continue to be part of the mix, as is an “entry-point” Farmhouse label and a collection of family-owned Italian wines including Casadei, Castello Del Trebbio, and Olianas.—Daniel Marsteller

Tagged : Cline, Southern Glazer's

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