The PRisoner , Unshackled Grew nearly
22 % in 2022 .
Spirits
3
Wine Supplier of the Year :
Constellation Brands
BY MELISSA DOWLING
Constellation Brands ’ wine portfolio is looking a little smaller these days . After all , the company sold more than 30 wine brands to E . & J . Gallo Winery in 2021 , and in October of 2022 , it sold six more to The Wine Group .
What ’ s left ? An innovative , higher-end portfolio with distinctive brands and products , the company says . The more-focused set of wine brands includes Meiomi , Kim Crawford , The Prisoner Wine Co . and The Robert Mondavi family of brands , among others .
The shift is a move to focus on consumer preferences , including the premiumization trend , the company has said . And judging by its five Growth Brands Awards in 2023 , and being named our Wine Supplier of the Year , the move appears to be paying off .
ROLLING OUT THE BARRELS The company started out in 1945 , when 21-year-old Marvin Sands purchased Canandaigua Industries in upstate New York and sold bulk wine in barrels to bottlers in the East . The company , which later changed its name to Canandaigua Wine Co . and went public in 1973 , made numerous acquisitions and grew rapidly over the decades .
By 1997 the company had reached $ 1.1 billion in sales . That year it became known as Canandaigua Brands , parent company of Canandaigua Wine Company and Barton ( which it acquired in 1993 ). It changed its name to Constellation Brands in 2000 to better reflect its broad range of brands across wine , spirits and beer .
Today , Constellation Brands , with locations in Victor , NY , and San Francisco , is also known for its Modelo Mexican beer brands , acquired in 2003 , and spirits such as Svedka vodka ( bought in 2007 ), Casa Noble tequila ( acquired in 2014 ), and High West whiskey ( purchased in 2016 ), among others . But wine remains a key part of its business .
SIGNIFICANT WINE ACQUISITIONS Constellation added Robert Mondavi and Kim Crawford to its portfolio in 2003 . Kim Crawford , launched in 1996 , helped put New Zealand sauvignon blanc on the map for many Americans .
The brand , which produces a number of other white and red wines , rolled out a rosé in 2017 , a prosecco in 2022 , as well as ready-to-drink and canned wine products . Kim Crawford sold more than 1.8 million nine-liter cases in 2022 .
The PRisoner , Unshackled Grew nearly
22 % in 2022 .
12 • Fall 2023 www . cheersonline . com