NFL GETS A NEW BEER
These are happy days for Bud Light. In one of the largest-ever league sponsorship deals, Bud Light will be the official beer of the NFL starting in 2O11. The deal is reportedly worth $1.2 billion over six years. Bud Light will replace Coors Light, which is brewed by rival MillerCoors,... Read More
FOSTER’S BREAKING UP BEER AND WINE
Perhaps breaking up isn’t so hard to do after all. Foster’s recently announced plans to spin off its successful brewing unit from its struggling wine operations in a structural overhaul that is expected to spur takeover interest from international brewers. Foster’s said the separation of beer and wine operations would... Read More
BORDEAUX AND PLASTIC, NOT A GREAT BLEND
Perhaps the notion that fine wine could be packaged in plastic was too good to be true. A recent major scientific study into the storage of wine in different forms of packaging has revealed that the bag-in-box, single-layer PET and small multi-layer PET altered the character of white wines when... Read More
GALLO HAS THE POWER
It’s good to be Gallo. Gallo Family Vineyards has been awarded the title of the most powerful wine brand in the world – for a fifth consecutive year. The award was given by a panel of leading, independent industry experts who researched nearly 1O,OOO brands in the spirits and wine... Read More
CHAMPAGNE MAKES A COMEBACK
Break out the bubbly, there’s a reason to celebrate! Just call Champagne “the comeback kid”. After a grim couple of years, worldwide Champagne sales volumes rose 19.4% in the first quarter of the year on the same period in 2OO9, reflecting the end of destocking on the part of importers... Read More
THE MULTI-PURPOSE WINE BOTTLE
How many wine bottles a year do you throw away? Do you even want to know? Although wine bottles can be recycled, all too often they get tossed into the trash, especially at bars and restaurants. But what if your wine bottle could offer you something in return? (Besides five... Read More
BACARDI
SILVIA LAGNADO has been named both the company’s Chief Marketing Officer and President of Bacardi Global Brands. Lagnado replaces Stella David, who left Bacardi last August to become Chief Executive of William Grant & Sons. Lagnado will join Bacardi by September 1 and will be based in the Bacardi Global... Read More
PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL
BOB MacNEVIN has been appointed Vice President, National Sales Manager-Spirits. In this position, MacNevin will develop and lead a dedicated national spirits sales team, driving growth in the distribution, brand visibility and volume of Palm Bay’s spirits portfolio. He will work closely with wholesalers, broker networks and Palm Bay sales... Read More
MAKER’S MARK
KELLY DOSS has been appointed to the newly created position of Maker’s Mark Vice President-Global Marketing. Doss joined the company in 2OO2 and has held a number of brand marketing positions with increasing responsibility. For the past two years, she has served as Senior Director-US Bourbon and Whiskeys.
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF WINEGRAPE GROWERS
JOHN AGUIRRE has been appointed President for the organization. In this role, Aguirre will lead the association in serving as an advocate for California’s winegrape growers, whose crops contribute more than $2 billion annually to the state’s economy. Aguirre will also oversee the association’s membership, legislative, regulatory and marketing activities.