News Bries for March 22, 2023

•Bordeaux grapegrowers are planning to tear out almost 23,500 acres of vines—and they’re thrilled.  After nine months of negotiations with local, regional and national government representatives, on March 1 the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) reached an agreement with Marc Fesneau, France’s minister of agriculture and food sovereignty, for financing the vine pull. These uprooting efforts will allow struggling growers to find new uses for their land and hopefully end a perpetual surplus of low-cost Bordeaux wines. Wine Spectator has the full story.

•Mionetto Prosecco is introducing a packaging refresh and other promotions in tandem with its 25th anniversary in the U.S. For the new labeling, the orange pantone design used on Mionetto Prestige Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut will expand to cover three more bottlings including Prosecco Rosé DOC, among others. Mionetto will also unveil its new hospitality center this summer, which is set to feature a wine shop, tasting bar, and large gardens. The brand is also expanding its event series Il Passaporto to additional markets. And Mionetto is holding a variety of sweepstakes throughout the year including monthly giveaways on Instagram and a retail contest for a trip to Italy.

•Glen Rock, New Jersey-based importer Opici Wines & Spirits is reintroducing its proprietary brand Alverdi with new packaging and status as fully organic. The brand’s lineup has been redesigned to emphasize a “going green” motif, with the new labeling featuring a floral pattern. The new packaging is rolling out next month. The current organic lineup includes Alverdi Pinot Grigio, Barbera, and Sangiovese (all $9 a bottle).

•González Byass USA has launched Nomad Outland Whisky Reserve 10 Years, a new blended whisky from Richard Paterson, longtime Whyte & Mackay master blender. The whisky spends its first six years maturing in Scotland in Sherry-seasoned American oak barrels. Next it matures for two years in Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks and then two more years in Oloroso casks. The whisky is rolling out now in limited quantities in the U.S., where it carries a suggested price of $80 a 700-ml. bottle.

•Pronghorn, the Diageo-backed investment company aimed at bolstering black-owned spirits brands, has announced four new investments. They include Greenwood Whiskey, a rye brand inspired by the legacy of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was destroyed in 1921’s Tulsa Race Massacre. Pronghorn has also invested in Red Hazel, a spiced rye whiskey founded in 2020 by sister and brother team TK Burtin-Johnson and Ty Johnson. The third brand is TCapri Tequila. It retails in the ultra-premium segment and has released Blanco and Reposado expressions. Finally, the accelerator has invested in IslandJon Vodka, which currently releases an unflavored vodka as well as guava and mango peach flavored spirits. Pronghorn has now backed 13 companies on its path to fund 57 in total.

Tagged : Gonzalez Byass, Greenwood, IslandJon, Mionetto, Nomad, Opici, Pronghorn, Red Hazel, TCapri, Wine Spectator

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