News Briefs for February 18, 2014
February 18, 2014•Delicato Family Vineyards has introduced a new millennial-targeted California wine brand, Belle Ambiance, into national distribution. Retailing at $9.99 a 750-ml., Belle Ambiance, which translates to “beautiful place,” is aimed at an “aspirational, yet economically-conscious Millennial audience who are continuing to drive the growth of the popular premium category,” according to Delicato president and CEO Chris Indelicato. The Belle Ambiance portfolio includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Red Blend and Pinot Grigio.
•Excelsior Wines has unveiled a new boutique project under the Concha y Toro brand, Frontera Specialties. The new label’s concept is to “source hand-picked grapes from small growers and independent co-ops dedicated to preserving lesser-known Chilean varietals and Chile’s winemaking heritage,” according to Excelsior. The first wines in the Frontera Specialties line, debuting nationally next month, will include Pedro Jimenez, billed as a soft white and including small amounts of Moscato and Sauvignon Blanc; Pais, a juicy red composed of 100% Chilean Pais grapes; and The Original Tinto, mostly Syrah with small amounts of Cabernet and Merlot. The Frontera Specialties wines will retail at $8 a 750-ml. bottle.
•In the wake of its pending $16 billion acquisition of Beam Inc., announced last month, Japan’s Suntory says it intends to leverage Beam’s global brand recognition to expand its presence in the worldwide spirits market. Suntory sees the Beam deal, expected to close in the second quarter, as markedly boosting its profile in spirits markets like the U.S., Europe, Brazil and India. At a news conference in Tokyo Suntory managing executive officer Kozo Chiji pointed out that up to now the company’s spirits business has been centered mainly on the Japanese market. With Beam’s namesake Bourbon and its other global brands helping to drive progress, Suntory has set a goal of doubling its overseas sales—also including its food and soft drink units—to Y1 trillion ($9.8b) from Y500 billion ($4.9b) currently. For the full year through December, Suntory’s beer and spirits unit saw net sales rise 3.4% to Y571 billion ($5.6b).
•Online wine retailer Wine.com has added two e-commerce veterans to its executive team. Former Shutterfly chief marketing officer Peter Elarde has been named Wine.com’s chief marketing officer, while former Williams-Sonoma exec Greg Tatem has been appointed vice president, engineering. In their new roles, Elarde will be charged with overseeing marketing, corporate sales, product management and user experience, and Tatem will be responsible for leading platform architecture, engineering design and development and internet operations. Wine.com, which is majority owned by Baker Capital, currently offers unlimited wine delivery for $49 a year under its Steward-Ship program.
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