News Briefs for August 28, 2019

•Retail giant Total Wine & More is attempting to expand into New York City. The company has its eye on a location in the city’s College Point, Queens neighborhood, near Flushing, according to QNS.com. The location would comprise two separate stores—one for wine and spirits, the other for beer and food—to stay in compliance with New York liquor laws. The company, however, is already facing opposition, with retailers banding together to fight the move. Last December, Total attempted to open a location near White Plains, New York and was rebuffed by local lawmakers.

•Bonterra Organic Vineyards has launched Young Red, a red wine that’s meant to be chilled. Young Red is a blend of certified organic, California-sourced Grenache, Syrah, and Malbec that sees no malolactic fermentation or barrel aging prior to bottling. The new wine is available in 750-ml. bottles ($16), as well as 4-packs of 250-ml. cans. Mendocino, California-based Bonterra, which is owned by Concha y Toro’s Fetzer Vineyards, had U.S. volume of 419,000 cases last year, according to Impact Databank.

•Highland Park has unveiled a new whisky, released in collaboration with photographer Søren Solkær. The 26-year-old single malt is matured in first fill Sherry-seasoned American oak casks, first fill Bourbon casks, and refill casks before blending and bottling at 40.5% abv. The whisky is packaged with a leather-bound book of Solkær’s photography and an essay on visual storytelling. Only 1,206 bottles are available worldwide, with just 249 bottles allocated to the U.S. market. Edrington-owned Highland Park was up 1.3% to 23,100 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank.

•Madera, California-based Quady Winery is releasing two of its moscatos in 250-ml. cans. The winery’s leading brand, Electra Moscato, will release Electra (4.5% abv) and Red Electra (5.5% abv) in cans in select markets across the country. 4-packs will retail for $16. In addition to the winery’s tasting room, canned Electra will be available in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Colorado, and California, with plans to increase can production and distribution in 2020. Electra Rosé debuted earlier this year.

Tagged : Bonterra Organic Vineyards, Concha y Toro, Edrington, Electra Moscato, Highland Park, Quady Winery, Total Wine & More

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