Beverage World - May 2008 - (Page 27) reach (see sidebar on Page 28). The company now operates 60 wineries, distilleries and distribution facilities around the world and markets its brands in 150 countries. Constellation Wines North America, the wine division of Constellation Brands, produces 110 million 9-liter cases of branded wine annually and is steadily increasing its focus on the fine wine market, taking advantage of the ongoing consumer trend of trading up to higher quality wines. With the addition of the Beam Wine Estates portfolio, including top super-premium brand Clos du Bois, Constellation now offers wines that represent a comprehensive spectrum of wine styles and price points. Earlier this year, the company sold the Almaden and Inglenook wine brands and the Paul Masson winery to increase its focus on faster-growing, higher-margin wines. On a dollar basis, Constellation’s wine portfolio is now 85 percent premium, notes Sands. BEVERAGEWORLD.COM » ROBERT SANDS, Constellation Brands’ president and CEO, is continuing a legacy of strategic growth that has made the company a leader in the beverage alcohol industry for the past 63 years. The company’s commitment to being the leader in the US premium wine market extends to its Project Genome consumer research project that examines premium wine consumers’ buying habits (for more on Project Genome, visit beverageworld.com). “Insight into the premium wine consumer is important given our recent growth and the divestment of our value wine business,” notes José Fernandez, Constellation Wines CEO. “We pride ourselves on not only having this rich and diverse portfolio of wines and wineries, but also on our customer service and this industry-leading research can help us in many areas from marketing to consumer education.” During the Fortune Brands integration, CWNA reorganized its sales and marketing structure into three business units, each with a distinct focus on specific consumer segment opportunities. Vine One focuses on premium and super preMAY 2008_BEVERAGE WORLD_27 http://beverageworld.com http://BEVERAGEWORLD.COM
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