News Briefs for April 26, 2023

•Breakthru Beverage Group has appointed Will Fulghom, Cristina Desmond, and Jeremy Tostrup to lead the company’s East, Central, and West regions, respectively. Fulghom joins Breakthru from Sysco where most recently he served as region president for the North Florida region, Desmond is a 20-year company veteran who was most recently market EVP for Breakthru Pennsylvania, and Tostrup has also been with Breakthru and its legacy companies for 20 years, most recently as EVP for Colorado. All three will report directly to Breakthru COO Julian Burzynski.

•Japan’s Nikka Whisky is debuting Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old, the first age statement offering from the brand in several years. The release commemorates 10 buildings located within the Yoichi Distillery site that received special designation within Japan’s “Important Cultural Properties” in February 2022, acknowledging Nikka’s historical contributions to Japanese whisky. Nikka Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old is bottled at 45% abv and is rolling out to select retailers at an SRP of $175 a bottle. Nikka is handled by Hotaling & Co. in the U.S.

•Delicato Family Wines has extended Bota Box with a new summer seasonal wine, a blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier. The wine is at 12.5% abv and carries a California appellation with the blend consisting of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. The new release is exclusively available in 3-liter boxes carrying a suggested price of $24. Bota Box Chenin Blanc & Viognier is rolling out soon with national availability beginning in May.

•The Bollinger Group has acquired Château d’Etroyes, a 50-hectare (124-acre) estate in the Mercurey and Rully terroirs of Burgundy for an undisclosed sum. With the move Bollinger will bolster its footprint in Burgundy and expand the offering of its existing holding Domaine Chanson. “With this acquisition Maison Chanson continues its value strategy by expanding its range of high-quality estate wines in these Village and Premiers Crus appellations,” said Bollinger Group chairman and CEO Etienne Bizot.

•Wilson Daniels is adding two new French estates to its national portfolio. From the Loire Valley comes Domaine du Nozay, known for Sancerre. The organic and biodynamic estate was founded in 1970 by Baron Philippe de Benoist and his wife Marie-Hélène. From Champagne comes Domaine Les Monts Fournois, a new project from winemaker Juliette Alips, under the mentorship of her cousins Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche. Releases in the U.S. will include six different Sancerre bottlings from Nozay, and a small selection of vintage Grand Cru Champagne from the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne from Les Monts Fournois, which will be followed by the Premier Cru Les Monts Fournois Monopole in a few years.

Tagged : Bollinger, Bota Box, Breakthru, Delicato, Domaine Chanson, Domaine du Nozay, Domaine Les Monts Fournois, Hotaliing & Co., Nikka, Wilson Daniels

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