C. Mondavi & Sons’ Divining Rod Sees Big Upside For Oregon Pinot

When it hit the market in 2012, The Divining Rod marked the first new wine brand for C. Mondavi & Sons in more than 60 years. For the company’s fiscal year ending in August, the label will total about 40,000 cases, and C. Mondavi co-proprietor Marc Mondavi tells SND its new Oregon Pinot Noir offering has the potential to drive significant growth in the years ahead.

The Divining Rod is named for Mondavi’s second career as a water dowser—on the weekends he uses divining rods to discover underground water sources for farms and private individuals, doing as many as 80 jobs a year. The brand includes a Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay ($15 a 750-ml.), Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($18) and a Lodi Zinfandel-based Divine Red ($13), as well as the recently released Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($19), which marks the Peter Mondavi family’s first foray outside California.

“Right now, the Cab is leading the way, and the Divine Red is also doing well,” Mondavi tells SND. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pinot Noir passes the Cab in the next two years. It’s doing better than we anticipated. For the first vintage we did about 7,300 cases, and we’ll bump that to about 15,000 cases for the next release, which hits the market in September. Assuming its momentum continues, we might boost it to 25,000 cases next year.” —Daniel Marsteller

Tagged : C. Mondavi, wine

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