Delicato Family Vineyards Preps New Rollouts Amid Ongoing Growth

One of the fastest-growing companies across the California wine industry in recent years, Manteca-based Delicato Family Vineyards (DFV) saw marked advances on several of its key brands in 2013, and the company tells SND it has plenty in the new-product pipeline for the first half of this year.

DFV’s largest brand, three-liter boxed wine label Bota Box, jumped another 14% from a sizeable base in 2013, nearing 2.6 million cases, according to Impact Databank. That performance extends a run that’s seen Bota Box—which is geared to the eco-conscious millennial consumer—add more than 1.6 million cases to its total in three years’ time. Retailing around $20, Bota Box is adding a Pinot Noir to its line this month. DFV president and CEO Chris Indelicato says he believes the new entry will be the first nationally-distributed three-liter-box Pinot Noir on the market. Among other key brands in the portfolio, DFV saw continued success with its Twisted (+19% to 435,000 cases), Noble Vines (+35% to 405,000 cases) and Gnarly Head (+9% to 660,000 cases) labels among others in 2013.

DFV is also eyeing the hot Pinot Noir segment with one of its upscale brands, Black Stallion. The Napa-based estate winery, acquired by DFV in 2010, is debuting a new Carneros Pinot this spring, positioned at $28 a 750-ml. bottle. Black Stallion was also on the rise last year, with depletions up 40% to 32,000 cases.

Indelicato expects California’s strong, high-quality harvests in 2012 and 2013 to enable continued growth in Pinot Noir. “I think the $8-and-above price point is going to grow rapidly as people trade up for the ’12 and ’13 vintages,” he says.

In addition to the Pinot extensions above, DFV has hit the market with a completely new brand proposition in recent weeks, launching female and millennial-targeted Belle Ambiance at the $9.99 price point. DFV is focusing first on the off-premise with the Lodi-sourced brand, which includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and a Red Blend.

Along with the growth in Pinot Noir, Indelicato sees the red blend craze continuing full steam ahead this year. “Red blends are just part of a larger movement in the beverage alcohol category where you have flavored vodka and craft beer. Their appeal to the consumer is in the flavor and slightly higher alcohol content,” he observes.

Tagged : Belle Ambiance, Black Stallion, Bota Box, Delicato Family Vineyards, Gnarly Head, Noble Vines, Twisted, wine

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