Importer Pacific Highway Wines On A Double-Digit Growth Trajectory

North Carolina-based importer and marketer Pacific Highway Wines, jointly owned Australia’s Oatley family and New Zealand’s Giesen family, has assembled a growing portfolio in recent years, led by the Giesen brand, an Impact “Hot Prospect” that increased 18% to 120,000 cases in the U.S. last year. Led by its Marlborough estate Sauvignon Blanc, Giesen is now among the top 10 New Zealand wine brands in the U.S. market.

Overall, Pacific Highway’s volume is currently at 420,000 cases, up 17% year-on-year. President Mark Giordano tells SND the goal is to top a half-million cases in the next 12 months, adding that the company successfully pivoted to key off-premise channels amid the pandemic. In the 10 months through April, Pacific Highway’s total off-premise sales were up 27%, including a 38% rise in supermarkets and a doubling of its e-commerce business. “We’ve had strong growth in the calendar year-to-date and were up 73% in depletions in April 2021 versus April 2020, an indicator of the recent on-premise openings and ongoing retail business,” Giordano says.

Innovation and portfolio additions have also contributed to growth. Pacific Highway added French sparkling brand Le Grand Courtage last fall, and its Blanc de Blancs offering ($20 a 750-ml.) has been well-received. Giordano is bullish on Le Grand Courtage’s 187-ml. ($8) and Brut Rosé ($20 a 750-ml.) variants this year.

Within the Southern Hemisphere portfolio, Pacific Highway has introduced a new Minimalista range under the Argento brand from Argentina, including Pinot Grigio, Rosé, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon retailing at $9. The Minimalista rollout has far surpassed its initial projections and been one of Pacific Highway’s most successful launches to date. Garzon, from Uruguay, and Santa Ema, from Chile, are likewise on the rise, with Santa Ema led by its Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and ultra-premium Amplus Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Merryvale brand from California, including the Starmont label, is also performing well, with Merryvale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) leading the charge. The winery’s Starmont offshoot, known for its Carneros Chardonnay ($23), is now at around 45,000 cases in the U.S. Spain’s Faustino, another key brand in the range, is at 20,000 cases, with its Gran Reserva and Reserva bottlings showing strong double-digit depletion growth this year. Faustino is now rolling out an updated entry-level tier, Faustino VII Art Series, retailing at around $15.—Daniel Marsteller

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