Beverage Alcohol Industry News

Category: Wine
Sokol Blosser is Earth Friendly
12 solar panels, tractors running on biodiesel, and recycling everything from coffee cups to palette wraps has earned Sokol Blosser winery an award for Sustainability from the city of Portland, OR.

Category: Beer
Wine and Beer at NASCAR
Marketers for wine and other luxury items have discovered the traditionally blue collar NASCAR circuit to be a high-end vehicle for advertising to their target market.

Category: Wine
Paterno Now Terlato
Paterno Wines will now be called Terlato Wines International, according to CEO William Terlato. You can read the whole family history by clicking on the link.

Category: Beer
BeerCampus.com Launched
Beer distributors can now learn how to better market their product through an online training program developed by ej4, a provider of short-form, rapid-deployment training and communication solutions for the beverage industry.

Category: Marketing News
Foster's to Reduce Portfolio
In order to avoid a possible takeover bid, Australia's Foster's Group is planning to cut its product portfolio by 20 percent. With beer operations already cut back, it's expected that Foster's wine brands will be affected. Foster's absorbed 50 wine brands in their purchase of Southcorp last year.

Category: Wine
AZ Lawyer to Challenge New Shipping Law
An Arizona attorney is preparing to challenge the new direct shipping law in that state, which he says is "overtly discriminatory" and protective of wine distributors.

Category: Wine
Rovani Leaves Wine Advocate
With the departures of Pierre Rovani and Daniel Thomasas from Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate, Parker has announced new appointments to his staff.

Category: Beer
Kirin Now Part of Anheuser-Busch
For ten years, Kirin Beer has been brewed and distributed by Anheuser-Busch. Now, A-B has full and complete control of the brand, with Kirin retaining trademark rights.

Category: Wine
Both Red and White Wine Good for Heart
Researchers have discovered that white wine is just as heart-healthy as red wine, based on studies that show antioxidants are contained in the grape's pulp. Previously it was believed the health benefits came only from the skins.

Category: Wine
Sebastiani Publishes Podcast
Don Sebastiani and Sons claims to be the first winery to publish a podcast on its website. If you know what a podcast is, or would like to learn, click the link.

Category: Wine
Mondavi Joins Delicato
Michael Mondavi, son of Robert, has joined the board of directors for Delicato Family Vineyards.

Category: Beer
Earnhardt Jr. on Bud Cans
If you haven't yet grown tired of seeing star Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s face, you'll be happy to learn that he (and his car) are now gracing Budweiser cans and aluminum bottles, through the NASCAR season.

Category: Wine
Wilson Daniels Adds Gundlach-Bundschu
Wine importer / marketer Wilson Daniels, Ltd. has officially added Gundlach-Bundschu to its portfolio (effective July 2006). The marketing partnership is designed to enhance Gun-Bun's national distribution and sales.

Category: Wine
Bolla Going to GIV
Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV), Italy's largest wine company, is close to completing a deal with Brown-Forman to acquire Bolla.

Category: Marketing News
Michael Graham Joins Terlato
Michael J. Graham, formerly CFO EVP of Aegis Communications and VP/Controller for Sears Roebuck, has been named CFO of Terlato Wine Group (TWG). The appointment was made by TWG President and CEO William A. Terlato, with the goal of further strengthening TWG's foothold on the luxury wine market.

Category: Spirits
Brown-Forman to Consolidate Sales
Brown-Forman has announced the decision to combine its Wine and Spirits marketing divisions, in effect creating one team that sells the entire portfolio. As of July 1, wine snobs will be peddling liquor, spirits reps will be trying to correctly pronounce Chassagne-Montrachet, and somewhere between 35-65 jobs will be eliminated.

Category: Wine
E&J Gonzo As Gallo Rebrands
These days, so few people know what the E&J stands for, that Gallo is now rebranding the company as Gallo Family Vineyards. Previously, the company was named for brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo, but from now on the new name will be positioned on all labels in the company's line, accented by a double rooster logo. ("Gallo" means rooster in Italian)

Category: Wine
New Vintage Rule for US Wines
Wines produced in the USA moved one step closer to becoming nothing more than a soda pop formula, as federal regulators have loosened the standards governing vintage-labeled wines. Currenly, a wine must contain at least 95% of the grapes from a specific year in order to be labeled with that vintage. The new rule drops that percentage down to 85%.

Category: Beer
New Package for Guinness
Guinness beer bottles and cans will be sporting a new suit this spring. The traditional packaging will receive a slight makeover, with treatments and adjustments to make the design appear more sleek and modern.

Category: Spirits
Grape-based Vodka Launched
California-based Beam Wine Estates has announced the launch of Roth Vodka, a luxury vodka made from premium wine grapes.