News Briefs for August 2, 2017

•South Africa’s wine appellations are numerous, complex, and can be daunting to outsiders. The country has had a rigorously legislated Wine of Origin (WO) system in place since 1973. It organizes distinct wine-producing areas into larger regions, then districts, then wards within them. Now, some producers have an additional option—the new Cape Town WO—that they hope will appeal to international consumers without confusing them. Wine Spectator has the full story.

•Pernod Ricard has completed its acquisition of a majority stake in Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal. Del Maguey ($35-$200 a bottle) specializes in super-premium mezcals from Mexico’s Oaxaca region and sells under 50,000 cases in the U.S. The brand will join Pernod Ricard USA’s New Brand Ventures division, an incubation unit that also houses Smooth Ambler, Lot 40 and Aberlour whiskies, Monkey 47 and Plymouth gins and Lillet aperitif.

•E.&J. Gallo has been tapped as the exclusive U.S. importer for New Zealand’s Saint Clair Family Estate wines, effective immediately. Saint Clair Family Estate owns 15 vineyards located throughout the Wairau, Awatere, and Omaka Valleys of Marlborough, as well as Hawkes Bay. The Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc will retail for $28. Currently the brand is in select states, with a national rollout planned for early 2018.

•Pernod Ricard has unveiled a new recipe for its J.P. Wiser’s Rye blended Canadian whisky. The label has upped its rye proportion to 60%, while still featuring column-distilled corn and column- and pot-distilled wheat. The blended whisky also continues to be aged in three different types of barrels, including Canadian whisky, American Bourbon and virgin oak casks. The updated J.P. Wiser’s Rye formulation is available nationwide, retail priced at $19.99 a bottle.

•Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has been named the preferred on-trade sales partner for the Coravin Wine System. Through this partnership, restaurant customers of Southern Glazer’s can now order Coravin products at wholesale prices through their local Southern Glazer’s sales representatives. Southern Glazer’s will also work with restaurants on creating Coravin wine lists, training their staff on Coravin products and printing custom lists made to highlight Coravin offerings. The partnership is taking effect across 18 states.

Tagged : Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, E.&J. Gallo, J.P. Wiser's Rye, New Brand Ventures, Pernod Ricard, Saint Clair Family Estate, South African Wine, Wine of Origin

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