News Briefs for May 20, 2022
May 20, 2022•California-based Bread & Butter Wines is launching Canned Pinot Noir. The new addition to the lineup is made with the same Pinot Noir as Bread & Butter’s bottled version. It’s priced at $5 a single 250-ml. can or $20 a 4-pack and is rolling out now for national availability. Part of WX Brands, Bread & Butter received Impact “Hot Brand” honors for its performance last year, which saw sales rise 32% to reach nearly 1.2 million cases. The brand has approximately quadrupled in size from as recently as 2018.
•Republic National Distributing Company announced the appointment of Chris Little to SVP, national and strategic accounts-retail, effective immediately. Little has been with RNDC since September 2020 as VP supplier business development for the Sazerac portfolio. Prior to joining the company he held sales leadership roles at Heineken, Red Bull, and Altria. In his new role, Little is responsible for RNDC initiatives related to sales strategy and execution for national retail accounts, as well as customer and supplier relations, reporting to Jenn Engel, chief commercial sales officer.
•Luxco has announced the newest release in the El Mayor family of Tequilas. The new spirit—El Mayor Extra Añejo Port Cask Aged—is bottled at 40% abv, made from estate-grown agave, and matured for 42 months in Port casks before bottling. Only 6,000 bottles will be allocated across the U.S., with a suggested retail price of $130 a 750-ml. The new release was distilled and aged at Destiladora González Lux and will be available beginning in July. Luxco is the brands division of MGP.
•Champagne Henriot is debuting its latest vintage offering, Millésime 2012. Retailing at $115 a bottle, the newcomer is a blend of 54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir derived from the house’s Grand and Premier Cru vineyards located in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs. Millésime 2012 is available nationwide beginning this month, imported by New York City-based Maisons & Domaines Henriot America.
•Australian distiller Starward has launched Octave Barrels in the U.S., a new single malt whisky that brings together Australian winemaking and distilling. The 48% abv whisky is matured in 100-liter barrels that were previously used to age Yalumba winery’s the Octavius Shiraz. Octave Barrels is the first U.S. release from the distillery’s experimental Starward Projects and is available in select locations across the U.S. for a suggested price of $80 a 700-ml.
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