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For Immediate Release: April 10, 2006 3 BLIND MOOSE Hot new wine brand offers popular white varietal to its growing herd of fans Canandaigua, NY – 3 blind moose, among the hottest new entries in the rapidly growing ‘adventure brands’ segment of the U.S. wine market, has added Pinot Grigio to its roster of whimsically labeled, “unmoosetakably good” super-premium wines, which also includes Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. All four are vintage-dated blends of choice grapes from California’s Central Coast and Lodi growing regions, with a suggested retail price of $9.99 per 750 ml. bottle. Launched last September, 3 blind moose charged out of the gate, shipping 180,000 9-liter cases during its first six months in distribution. Adding Pinot Grigio to the mix will amplify that number, as the variety grew faster in U.S. supermarket sales last year than any other white wine, registering 25% increases in both volume and dollar sales compared to an overall growth rate of 10.3% for the table wine category as a whole.* Moosively impressed by the brand’s performance, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), which tracks and analyses wine sales throughout the U.S., recently ranked 3 blind moose third on its list of “2005 Top 30 Brand Performers,” a compilation of the wine trade’s 30 most influential table wine brands.** “We’re very excited about adding Pinot Grigio to the 3 blind moose portfolio,” states Centerra Wine Company Vice President of Marketing Gary Glass. “Between the growing popularity of our brand and the unmoosetakable appeal of the variety, 3 blind moose Pinot Grigio will surely moosemerize the palates of American wine lovers.” 3 blind moose 2005 Pinot Grigio was produced primarily from grapes grown in the Lodi region of northern California, which has emerged as an outstanding source of high-quality Pinot Grigio. The fruit was night-harvested to maximize its purity, pressed directly to stainless steel tanks and cold-fermented to extract and preserve the variety’s bright fruit flavors. Bottled early to maximize its freshness, the wine boasts fragrant pear, floral and stone-fruit aromas and smooth, refreshing flavors. The moose suggest pairing it with sushi, shellfish, broiled and grilled seafood, crab cakes, Caesar Salad, Asian shrimp rolls and cream-sauce pastas. 3 blind moose is a prime example of the ‘adventure brands’ now driving the growth of the U.S. wine market and comprising over 25% of its super-premium table wine sales. These wines appeal especially to 25-to-34-year-old consumers attracted to brands with memorable names and labels—brands that make wine fun rather than stuffy. Such consumers increasingly are embracing wine as part of their lifestyle, significantly boosting per capita wine consumption in the U.S. “With delicious wine in the bottle, a memorable brand name and a crowd-pleasing label,” says Gary Glass, “wine lovers are falling head over hooves for 3 blind moose.” 3 blind moose is made by Centerra Wine Company, the popular-priced and premium wine producer of Constellation Wines U.S., which is part of Constellation Wines, the world’s largest wine business, an operating division of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B) ("CBI"). Constellation Wines U.S. encompasses four of CBI's U.S. wine businesses: Icon Estates, Centerra Wine Company, Pacific Wine Partners, and North Lake Wines. Leading brands include Alice White, Arbor Mist, Cook’s, Covey Run, Inglenook, Ravenswood Winery, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Talus Collection, Vendange, and Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi. # # # *IRI, 52 weeks ending 12/25/05 |
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