News Briefs for December 18, 2013

•Diageo is amping up Bulleit Bourbon’s marketing spend as the Impact “Hot Brand” targets international expansion. Diageo NA chief marketing and innovation officer Peter McDonough, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, said Bulleit now has a marketing spend in the millions of dollars, compared with nothing five years ago. With Bulleit on a steep growth curve in the U.S.—up 27% to 235,000 cases in 2012, according to Impact Databank—the brand will launch in 14 global markets next year. Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes said in recent weeks that the company sees the once under-the-radar brand as having the potential to reach 1 million cases over time.

•Chicago-based auction house Hart Davis Hart says it netted $36.07 million over the course of its seven wine auctions in 2013, an 37% increase from 2012. Five of the group’s auctions this year were 100% sold. Most recently, Hart Davis Hart’s two-day December auction was 99% sold, and drew $6.34 million against a pre-sale estimate of $4.5 million-$6.6 million. Highlights of the December sale included a world record price of $107,550 for three magnums of 2005 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, against a pre-sale estimate of $60,000-$90,000.

•In anticipation of upcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations, Grey Goose Vodka is releasing a limited-edition “Night Vision” bottle for top nightclubs in major U.S. cities. Grey Goose Night Vision’s bottle is coated in blue lacquer with a goose in frosted glass that is illuminated by LED lights hidden in the base. Pricing will vary by venue, the company tells SND. Select nightclubs in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Chicago and Atlanta will feature the limited edition for VIP bottle-service as guests ring in the new year.

•Southern Wine & Spirits has named Mel Velez vice president, demand planning and logistics, joining Southern’s supply chain management team. Velez has 22 years of experience in leadership roles across various industries, including as general manager for AT&T Global Business Systems. Most recently he was group director of global procurement and accounts payable at software firm Citrix Systems, Inc. In his new role, effective immediately, Velez will report to Phil Morsing, SWS’s vice president, supply chain operations.

Tagged : auctions, Bourbon, Bulleit, Diageo, Grey Goose, Hart Davis Hart, New Year's Eve, Southern Wine & Spirits, vodka

GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 2021 DATA AND 2022 PROJECTIONS FOR THE WINE AND SPIRITS INDUSTRIES. ORDER YOUR 2022 IMPACT DATABANK REPORTS. CLICK HERE.