BY MELISSA DOWLING

The 2023 Spirits Supplier of the Year is Brown-Forman , which had eight winning spirits this year . The 2023 Wine Supplier of the Year is Constellation Brands , which had five winners on the wine list . The Suppliers of the Year awards are given annually to the companies whose Growth Brands winners showed the most growth , as determined by the Beverage Information Group ’ s data team .

Hall of Fame brands must receive at least 15 Growth Brands Awards during the past 25 years , in any category . We welcome three brands to the Hall of Hame and congratulate all the winners !

THE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023 On the spirits side , we congratulate Wild Turkey , which won an Established Growth Brand this year , on entering the Hall of Fame this year . and Kim Crawford and Real Sangria on the wine side .

Wild Turkey , a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey , dates back to the late 1890s , but wasn ’ t sold under the Wild Turkey name until the early 1940s . As the legend goes , a distillery executive shared some samples of the bourbon with friends on an annual hunting trip for wild turkey , and that ’ s what they began calling it .

Master Distiller Jimmy Russell joined Wild Turkey in 1954 ; his son Eddie Russell , started at Wild Turkey in 1981 and worked his way up . Eddie Russell officially became a master distiller in 2015 , making Jimmy and Eddie one of the only active father-and-son bourbon master distiller teams in the world . ( Eddie ’ s son , Bruce Russell , now serves as national ambassador of Wild Turkey .)

The brand , which has been owned by Campari since 2009 , is known for its high-rye mash bill , charred barrels and longer aging periods . It was also early to the flavored-whiskey party , introducing Wild Turkey Honey liqueur in 1976 . That product was renamed American Honey in 2006 .

Wild Turkey in 2016 hired actor and bourbon enthusiast Matthew McConaughey as creative director and spokesperson , which helped bring in a new audience . McConaughey worked with Eddie Russell on the creation of Longbranch , a small-batch bourbon refined with Texas mesquite and American oak charcoals , released in 2018 .

The Russells use their combined 100 years of collective experience at the Wild Turkey distillery to constantly innovate , from the award-winning Master ’ s Keep series launched in 2015 to Rare Breed Rye , which came out in 2020 . The limited-edition Master ’ s Keep Unforgotten , the seventh offering in the annual release , was unveiled in September .

3 through contract wineries . The company began exporting to the U . S . in 1998 and quickly became a leader in New Zealand wine . It eventually caught the attention of Constellation Brands , which acquired Kim Crawford in 2006 .

Kim Crawford has expanded beyond its signature sauvignon blanc . The lineup now includes a New Zealand rosé , launched in 2017 , and a French rosé , first released in 2022 .

The brand unveiled a slim can version of its sauvignon blanc in late 2019 and a ready-to-drink Iced Tea Wine Spritz in 2022 . Also in 2022 , the brand came out with a prosecco made from grapes harvested from vineyards throughout Italy ’ s Veneto region .

Tapping into the better-for-you beverage trend , Kim Crawford in late 2020 unveiled Kim Crawford

A NEW ZEALAND WINE PIONEER When Kim Crawford and his wife , Erica , launched their winery in 1996 , they couldn ’ t have imagined the impact the brand would make on New Zealand wine — sauvignon blanc in particular . Kim Crawford , founded in Auckland as a virtual winery , was one of the first businesses in New Zealand to source grapes

8 • Fall 2023 www . cheersonline . com