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Beverage Media
October 2012
reflective of the vintage. The inaugural
blend is predominantly Merlot, Syrah
and Petite Sirah with small amounts of
Malbec and Mourvèdre.
The new Hess Select Pinot Noir
and Treo will begin shipping in Sep-
tember, and new packages should be on
the shelves in most markets during the
holiday season. The Pinot Noir is being
introduced first in nine key markets, in-
cluding CA, CO, TX, IL, NY, NJ, MA,
FL and AZ. Slated for an early 2013 re-
lease, the Hess Select Malbec will feature
fruit from Hess Family Estate vineyards
a mile above sea level in the Calchaquí
Valley in Salta, Argentina.
AnewpartnershipwiththeMonterey
Bay Aquarium and its Seafood Watch
sustainability program will be featured
in 2013 around the theme “Sustainable
Wines Pair With Sustainable Seafood.”
The winery’s three-decade history as a
leader in sustainability will receive in-
creased attention, Bromley noted.
Makeover for Robert
Mondavi Private Selection
Drawing on its extensive vineyards in
the Santa Lucia Highlands and Paso
Robles, Robert Mondavi Private Selec-
tion has returned to its roots by elevat-
ing its grape sources to focus on Central
Coast vineyards. The decision to change
from a California appellation and dis-
continue supply of grapes from other
vineyards outside the Central Coast ap-
pellation allows for focus on the grape
quality from these well-known vine-
yards during the relaunch of the Robert
Mondavi Private Selection brand.
To mark this change, line packaging
was redesigned to reflect the new posi-
tioning and quality of the Robert Mon-
davi Private Selection wines. These
newly-appellated wines are just now
coming to market.
Josh Cellars Joins Supports
Operation Homefront
In recognition of military families
throughout the nation, California wine
brand Josh Cellars will donate one dol-
lar from each bottle of wine sold in No-
vember and December, up to $50,000,
to Operation Homefront, the nation’s
leading charity for military families.
“
We want to help make the holidays
brighter for our soldiers who sacrifice so
much to protect our country. Operation
Homefront provides aid where it mat-
ters: to the homes of military families
who need support every day,” said Jo-
seph Carr, producer of Sonoma-based
Josh Cellars. The brand was named af-
ter Carr’s father, nicknamed Josh, who
served in the army.
“
Operation Homefront’s focus is
the families of our military personnel,
giving them the assurance that there is
an organization ready and able to serve
their needs while their loved ones serve
our nation. It is support from compa-
nies like Josh Cellars that enables Op-
eration Homefront to help these fami-
lies at times when they need it most,”
said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of
Operation Homefront. A 501(c)3 not-
for-profit, nationally 94% of Operation
Homefront’s total revenue goes directly
to assist service members. Since its in-
ception in 2002 Operation Homefront’s
4,500
volunteers have met the needs of
more than 590,000 military families.
Josh Cellars offers two varietal
wines, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet
Sauvignon, sourced from California’s
North Coast appellation, each with
SRP $14.99.
Testa Wines of the World
adds new wines to portfolio
Testa Wines of the World has announced
agreements to represent two new wines
in New York State: Undurraga, the first
Chilean wine ever exported and the for
many years the #1 Chilean wine in the
U.S.; and the aptly name Fin Del Mundo,
situated “at the end of the world” in the
far south Patogonia region of Argentina.
Family-owned and founded in 1885,
Undurraga produces a broad range of
wines—including sparkling and late-
harvest wines—sold in 70 countries
around the world. Of special note,
the T.H. line (T.H. stands for “Terroir
Hunter”) is a unique, long-term project
which transcends traditional winemak-
ing boundaries in its search for excep-
tional terroirs across the rich and diverse
Chilean geography.
The ultra-modern Bodega del Fin
Del Mundo is is making a case for Ar-
gentina’s potential above and beyond
Mendoza. Varietally, in addition to sev-
eral Malbecs, Fin Del Mundo produces
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,
Viognier and Semillon. They also make
a classic sparkling wine of Chardonnay
and Pinot Noir, and distinctive single-
vineyard and reserve-level blends using
red varieties.
SPIRITS
New Amsterdam Vodka
Hits 1 Million Cases
New Amsterdam Spirits announced in
September that it sold more than 1 mil-
lion cases of vodka in its first 12 months
in market, making it the fastest spirits
brand in history to do so.
“
We are thrilled to have met the
one million case mark so quickly and
are grateful to our distributor network
and retail partners for all their effort
and commitment in helping us reach
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