Stephanie Gallo, Senior Director of Marketing

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 67 million (WBM Estimate)

Annual Global Sales Case Volume: 77 million cases (WBM Estimate)

E&J Gallo Winery is the world's largest family-owned wine company with a variety of wine programs and a global brand portfolio. The company celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008 and, as always, continues to focus on popular and premium domestic wines as well as on expanding a growing portfolio of imports.

Winemaker Ernest Gallo, who with his brother, Julio, built the company into one of the largest wine empires in the world, passed away in 2007 at the age of 97. The company's current chief executive is Joseph Gallo. Until 2003, when Constellation Brands, Inc. expanded through a merger, Gallo had been the largest wine producer in the world.

Gallo employs approximately 5,000 people and sells wine in more than 90 countries. Second- and third-generation family members are active throughout the privately held business, and Gallo continues to partner with family-owned wineries from around the world to import wine. The company is led today by CEO and co-president Joseph Gallo, the son of Ernest, while second- and third-generation family members are involved throughout the company. Senior director of marketing Stephanie Gallo is the granddaughter of Ernest Gallo.

"We are constantly listening to consumers to understand their needs and how we can produce wines that meet those needs," Stephanie Gallo said. "That means being willing to adopt and evolve. One of the hallmarks of our founders and second generation is that you must always be willing to adopt and change. At the end of the day we want to bring more consumers to the wine category at an affordable price.

"We are committed to being family owned and operated. It positions us well for the long term to compete in a global industry because you can make decisions that are great for the long term," Gallo said.

E&J Gallo sells and markets some 60 brands, including about a dozen imports. The company imports and markets wines from: France, Chile, Germany, Italy, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Spain. Recent import introductions include a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Bodegas Martín Códax Albariño from Spain; the company is putting considerable effort into Don Miguel Gascón Malbec from Argentina, and the Catena family recently announced that Gallo has additionally been named the U.S. importer for its Alamos line of wines. Other well known imports include Ecco Domani, Bella Sera Wines, Sebeca Wines from South Africa, Red Bicyclette from France and Da Vinci from Italy. The company also distributes Black Swan Wines from Australia in the U.S.

U.S. brands, among others, include: Redwood Creek, Frei Brothers, Gallo of Sonoma, Napa Valley Vineyards, Marcelina, Anapamu, Indigo Hills, André, Ballatore, Boone's Farm, Turning Leaf, Peter Vella, Carlo Rossi and E&J Twin Valley.

Gallo reportedly exported some 15 million cases of California wine to 90 countries around the world last year, is expanding in Russia and is starting to make efforts in China. In a rare newspaper interview, Joe Gallo recently indicated that the company is also taking a serious look at a tequila project.

In 2007, Gallo purchased the William Hill Estate winery from Beam Wine Estates as well as the Canyon Road brand. Those purchases followed the company's acquisitions of three vineyards totaling 182 acres in Chiles Valley from The California Wine Company. In 2002, Gallo purchased Louis M. Martini Winery in St. Helena, which included the 150-acre Ghost Pines vineyard in Chiles Valley.

Gallo introduced a limited release of Sonoma County-based wines under the Martha Stewart Vintage label two years ago. One Gallo-owned brand in particular that continues to see dramatic growth is Barefoot Cellars, which the company purchased in 2005.

David Kent, Chief Executive

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 56 million cases

The Wine Group (TWG) is a large privately held wine company that operates 13 wineries in California, New York, Australia and Argentina, producing such well-known brands as Franzia, Fish Eye, Big House, Corbett Canyon, Glen Ellen, Foxhorn, Mogen David, Almaden, Inglenook and Concannon, its flagship winery located in the Livermore Valley. The Wine Group markets wine primarily in North America, Northern Europe and Asia.

The Franzia boxed wine brand is the leading U.S. boxed wine, selling more than 22 million cases each year, and the company continues to expand in the boxed wine category. Last year, the company purchased the Almaden and Inglenook brands from Constellation Brands (in addition to a winemaking facility). The Wine Group has since eliminated all 187 ml glass bottles and three-liter glass jugs from those brands. It has repackaged Almaden as a 5-liter box wine consumers can trade up to. The Wine Group already was shipping more than 90 percent of its eight million cases or so of export in bulk for local bottling. Eliminating glass is another step toward being more carbon-efficient.

"We made progress as 'the world's most cost- and carbon-efficient vintner,'" The Wine Group chief executive David Kent said.

In 2006, TWG created a separate division, Underdog Wine Merchants, to market and sell an international portfolio of wines to millennial consumers. Early successes include California brands Fish Eye, Big House and Cupcake Cellars, as well as Pinot Evil (Corsica) and Herding Cats (South Africa).

One new national launch is a brand called Cupcake Cellars, previously sold only in Cost Plus World Market, including Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot from the Central Coast, as well as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The Wine Group acquired the historic Concannon Vineyard located in California's Livermore Valley in 2002, and the company's executive offices are now in Livermore. The Wine Group started construction on a brand new state-of-the-art facility at the Livermore site last year, a $30 million investment that will handle storage as well as bottling requirements. The winery was built in 1883, so it was in need of updated facilities.

Once part of The Coca-Cola Company, The Wine Group grew from a partnership put together in 1981 to buy Franzia Bros., Mogen David and Tribuno. The group bought the Concannon Vineyard and the Glen Ellen, Italian Casarsa, MG Vallejo and Morassutti brands in 2002. Production facilities are in Ripon, Sanger, Tulare, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo, California, and in Westfield, New York (Mogen David).

Jose Fernandez, President and CEO, Constellation Wines U.S.

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 46 Million

Annual Global Sales Case Volume: 95 Million

In the mid-1980s, the company that would become Constellation Brands was still a relatively small winery in Canandaigua, New York. Through a dramatic series of mergers and acquisitions, it has since transformed itself into the largest wine company in the world, a global player in wine, beer and spirits. Constellation didn't buy any new wineries or labels in 2008, however, and actually sold some wineries and brands to eliminate duplication, pay down debt and focus on premium wines.

Constellation purchased Robert Mondavi Corporation in 2005, global wine group Vincor International in 2006, and the most recent big acquisition was the November 2007 purchase of Clos du Bois in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley along with other wineries that had been owned by Beam Wine Estates. In June 2008, though, the company sold the other assets it had acquired in that deal, including Geyser Peak Winery, Buena Vista Winery, Gary Farrell Wines, Atlas Peak and XYZin. Those assets were sold to a new company, Ascentia Wine Estates, and Constellation also threw two other major properties into the deal: Columbia Winery and Covey Run Winery (including Sunnyside Winery) in Washington state, and Ste. Chapelle Winery in Idaho, which had been acquired in 2001 from Corus Estates and Vineyards.

Moreover, Constellation sold some huge wine brands to The Wine Group this year: Almaden Vineyards and Inglenook Vineyards, as well as Paul Masson Mountain Winery, which account for roughly 10 million cases of production, for about $134 million.

In another moved aimed at eliminating debt, Constellation in January 2009 announced the sale of its "value" spirits brands for $334 million to Sazerac Company, a sale that simplifies its business as it will eliminate 40 brands and 600 SKUs.

Constellation is also divesting of some wineries and vineyards in Australia, an ongoing process involving three wineries, 23 vineyards, three wine production centers, cutting down on product offerings and shedding staff.

Constellation did not launch any new brands this year, but did make a few new product introductions, including a lightly oaked Woodbridge Chardonnay, a Franciscan Estates Sauvignon Blanc and an Arbor Mist sparkling wine.

"If you look at what Constellation has done in the last year, the overall strategy has revolved around 'premiumization,'" U.S. wine division chief executive Jose Fernandez told Wine Business Monthly. "Look at our portfolio compared to where we were five years ago. We're a much transformed company."

As a big wine company, Constellation leverages scale in grape sourcing production and inventory management while it has a huge portfolio of wineries and brands that are all kept largely independent. Whether big or small, though, they tap into some of the advantages of being part of the world's largest wine company. Constellation also has a huge business in Europe and is by far the largest supplier of wine to the U.K. market.

Size and diversity also give the company shelter from the ups and downs of grape supply and exchange rates. Last fall, for instance, the company announced it would realize $50 million in after-tax cash proceeds from the settlement of foreign currency hedge transactions. It closed out certain foreign currency hedges to take advantage of a strengthening U.S. dollar.

Being diversified is seen as insulating the company from market changes. Constellation doesn't have to convince the world to drink any particular wine: If Australia is taking market share, they are there; if California wines are strong, they are there. Strong brands on- and off-premise help shield the company from economic ups and downs.

Fred Franzia, Chief Executive

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 20 Million (WBM Estimate)

Bronco Wine Company makes wines under the Forestville, Estrella, Montpellier, Grand Cru, Silver Ridge, Rutherford Vintners, Hacienda, Fox Hollow and Napa Ridge brands, among many others. The company has more than 50 brands, including Harlow Ridge, Santa Barbara Landing, Fat Cat, Crane Lake Forest Glen, Forestville, Foxbrook, JW Morris, Quail Ridge, Sea Ridge and Silver Ridge.

With thousands of acres of vineyard holdings, this is a bulk wine producer with more than 100 million gallons of capacity. Bronco makes wine in Ceres and Napa, California, under contract to Barrel Ten Quarter, which it owns. In 2003, Bronco purchased a production facility in Escalon, California, from Constellation Brands. Bronco may be best known as the company behind Charles Shaw, nicknamed "Two-Buck Chuck" because it sells for as little as $1.99 in many Trader Joe's locations.

And while Bronco mostly operates at the low end of the price spectrum, many people don't realize that Bronco is also a leading seller of Napa Valley wines by volume.

Bronco controls more than 30,000 acres of California vineyards. It produces around 20 million cases of wine, though much of it is sold in bulk to other wine companies. More than half of the wine Bronco sells is sourced with grapes it controls.

Bronco is led by Fred Franzia, a nephew of Ernest Gallo. The Franzia family (which has no relationship to Franzia brand boxed wine) has made wine in California for more than 100 years.

Bronco is continually planting vineyards and adding tanks. Not surprisingly, the company continues to plant Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Riesling, French Colombard and Shiraz.

Bronco is also known for a long-running legal issue involving the use of the name "Napa" on wine labels, which ended in 2006 when the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a court ruling that upheld a California law requiring any wine with the word "Napa" on the label to be made from at least 75 percent Napa County grapes. Three brands--Napa Creek, Napa Ridge and Rutherford Vintners--had been used for wines not made from Napa County grapes.

"We continue to do what we are already doing," Fred Franzia said of his company's business strategy. "We're growing our customer base by making wines available that people are buying. Our emphasis on Pinot Noir, Riesling and Pinot Grigio has been very helpful."

Scott Weiss, Managing Director, Foster's Americas

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 18 Million

Annual Global Sales Case Volume: 38.7 Million

Foster's Wine Estates is a public company based in Australia, and its wine portfolio includes an incredible collection of some of the world's leading premium wine brands with such iconic names as: Beringer Vineyards, Lindemans®, Wolf Blass, Penfolds, Rosemount Estate, Wynns Coonawarra Estate and more.

Foster's continues to digest the 2005 purchase of Southcorp, the acquisition of which formed Australia's largest wine company. The U.S. division of Foster's Group is Foster's Americas; the wine division is Foster's Wine Estates. Foster's Wine Estates has been integrating Lindemans^®, Rosemount Estate, Penfolds and others into their portfolio. The company's U.S. wineries are: Beringer Vineyards, Etude Wines, Stags' Leap Winery, St. Clement Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean, Chateau Souverain, Asti Winery and Meridian Vineyards.

As a publicly-traded company, Foster's has faced a perception among financial analysts that it overpaid for Southcorp Wines. Much has been written in the press about this in the last couple of years, and there's been speculation that the company's wine assets could be spun off or that the entire company could be acquired down the line. Foster's announced publicly last year that it was conducting a review of its wine strategy that it expected to complete in early 2009. It also recently named a new chief executive in Australia.

Scott Weissjoined Southcorp Americas in 2004 with experience overseas at Procter & Gamble and The Clorox Company. He became managing director of Foster's Americas in July 2005.

Recent initiatives in the Foster's wine division include new packaging for the company's oldest and most broadly distributed brand--Beringer--with a new look to Beringer at every price-point. The company introduced several new items, including a range of wines under the Beringer California Collection tier last year, as well as several vineyard-specific luxury offerings from such wineries as Etude and St. Clement.

Another growing new brand is Bohemian Highway, in addition to a new brand called Festival 34, commemorating the end of Prohibition. Other new initiatives include Beringer Third Century, honoring the third century of winemaking at the Beringer facility.

Bob Torkelson, President and COO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 12 Million cases

Trinchero Family Estates is the largest remaining family-owned winery after E&J Gallo and Bronco Wine Company, and is the largest based in Napa Valley. Brands include Sutter Home, alcohol-free Fre Wines, Montevina Winery, Trinchero and Trinity Oaks. Sutter Home wines still account for much of the volume, though the company has diversified in recent years, launching various new brands and winemaking projects.

A couple of years ago, Trinchero Family Estates expanded its fine-wine profile with the purchase of Folie à Deux Winery of St. Helena, California, which included the Ménage a Trois brand, a brand that has been growing quite rapidly. The Folie à Deux site has been converted to the Trinchero Winery. Trinchero also owns the Reynolds and Little Boomey brands and produces them as part of a supply arrangement with Angoves Winery.

Montevina is focused on Zinfandel and some Amador County vineyard designates. Montevina, though, is being renamed Terra D'oro, and The Terra D'oro label includes some high-end vineyard designates. The Montevina line has gone to screw caps. The property itself will be called Terra D'oro Winery while Montevina will be a sub-brand instead of the other way around.

Trinchero Family Estates owns 7,000 acres of vineyards in California, about 250 in Napa, along with one large Napa Valley production facility. Bob Torkelson has served as president and COO since May 2004.

The company markets and distributes the Three Thieves brand, produces Wild Bunch, targets a younger demographic and is sealed with screw caps.

In 2006, the company acquired Napa Cellars in the Napa Valley, which will become the Folie à Deux and Napa Cellars tasting room. Construction of the Trinchero Winery started last year, a $20 million project that will house the Trinchero brand in St. Helena at the former Folie à Deux Winery.

In 2006, the company also got into the organic wine business with a brand called True Earth through the partnership with Three Thieves. Yet another new brand is The Show. The company also released a new line of wines with its Australian partners and yet another new brand, Red Belly Black, from Angos. Also new at Trinchero are Paul Newman wines, a whimsical Pinot Noir brand Jargon, and Sea Glass, a Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Barbara. The Napa Cellars Brand Trinchero purchased from Rombour a couple of years ago also continues to ramp up.

At a time when some wine companies are shedding assets, Trinchero has been increasing its percentage of company-owned vineyards. In 2007, the company purchased three vineyards in Napa's Atlas Peak area and on Mt. Veeder as well as a 1,000-acre ranch in Lodi adjacent to its existing Circle K Ranch, where it continues to plant.

Last year, Trinchero sold a major production facility on Zinfandel Lane in Napa to a new venture that will be using it for custom crush services. Trinchero is renting the facility while it completes a construction project at its Westside facility in Lodi where it is adding crush and fermentation capacity. The company expects to crush grapes there for the 2009 harvest.

"We had a very good year and are cautiously optimistic about the future," president and COO Torkelson said.

Ted Baseler, President and CEO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 6 million

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is the dominant wine company in Washington state, though it has relatively recently expanded its presence in Oregon as well. The company was founded in 1986 to accommodate a growing portfolio. Its Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery is Washington's oldest. The company has expanded vineyard holdings to nearly 4,000 acres in Washington and California. While there are over 500 wineries in Washington, the company accounts for more than half of the state's wine production.

Ste. Michelle has long been owned by UST, the smokeless tobacco company, though under the terms of a deal announced last year, UST has been sold to Altria Group, Inc., another large tobacco company (previously Philip Morris). 

Ste. Michelle continues to see record sales growth. As part of a public company, it regularly releases earnings and has an impressive track record with double-digit growth every year for the last four years.

In addition to Chateau Ste. Michelle, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates includes Columbia Crest, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Snoqualmie, Northstar Winery, Stimson Estate Cellars and Red Diamond Wine. The company also produces Col Solare Winery in partnership with Tuscany's Marchesi Antinori family. It owns Conn Creek of Napa Valley, California, as well as Villa Mt. Eden. Newer brands include Red Diamond, 14 Hands Winery from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Washington and Distant Bay Winery from Monterey County, California. The company has 23 wineries, some with multiple brands.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has exclusive importing rights for Antinori wines from Italy in the U.S. market, which, when combined with its U.S. wineries, gives it the distribution clout of a six-million-case wine business. In addition to the joint partnership with Col Solare, where a 27,000-square-foot winery opened its doors last April, the partners in 2007 purchased Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, one of the world's most highly regarded winery estates.

Ste. Michelle bought Erath Winery in Oregon in 2006 and has since been expanding vineyard sourcing and distribution. The company also continues to ride the wave of the increasing popularity of Riesling. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates anticipated that the Riesling market would be growing a few years ago, so it gave growers incentives to plant it while offering long-term contracts, spurring plantings to ramp up.

"We're having an excellent year and are on track for record sales growth," president and CEO Ted Baseler said. He said the company's "string of pearls" business approach has been successful in expanding outside of the company's core business with estate vineyards. Ste Michelle emphasizes the winemaking legacy of each winery, and each is essentially a local operation. Sales, however, are handled by a national team.

The last year has seen line extensions with Columbia Crest, including Vineyard 10 blended red and white wines in addition to its new Horse Heaven Hills ultra-premium product tier with wines known as "H3." There have also been a number of smaller product introductions with the Antinori line.

Ray Chadwick, President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 5.7 million cases (WBM estimate)

Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines produces and markets Beaulieu Vineyard (BV), Sterling Vineyards, Sterling Vintner's Collection, Solaris Winery, Century Cellars, Moon Mountain Vineyard and F.E. Trimbach. In the U.S., the company is the largest importer of fine classified Bordeaux and is the exclusive importer of Barton & Guestier as well as other French wines. In addition to the Beaulieu and Sterling vineyards, Diageo operates winemaking facilities in Sonoma and on California's Central Coast.

Its core brands are BV, Sterling, Chalone Vineyard, Acacia Vineyard, Edna Valley Vineyard and Rosenblum Cellars.

In the last five years, the company has launched 50 new SKUs that now account for 25 percent of sales revenue. Its most recent acquisition was the purchase of Rosenblum Cellars in 2007.

Diageo's latest marketing and distribution agreements for imported wines are with Navarro Correas from Argentina, a winery the company owns, and Alma Viva of Chile, a joint venture of Château Lafite Rothschild of France and Concha y Toro. Also new is an agreement to be the importer of Sacred Hill from New Zealand.

Diageo acquired much of the old Seagram drinks business in late 2001 and consolidated distribution with one wholesaler in each state. Chosen distributors were required to create separate sales divisions dedicated exclusively to selling Diageo products.

In 2004, Diageo purchased Chalone Wine Group, a collection of small, high-end wineries, adding Chalone Vineyard, Edna Valley Vineyard, Acacia, Canoe Ridge Vineyard, Jade Mountain, Sagelands Vineyard, Echelon Vineyards, Hewitt, Orogeny, Provenance and Dynamite Vineyards to the portfolio.

In 2006, Diageo created a line extension with Chalone's Monterey line. The company also introduced Archetype from Australia, a Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend and a reserve Shiraz. "A" by Acacia is a relatively new line of California appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with wines from California's Central Coast.

Other new wine introductions include the launch of New Harbor Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Diageo's first wine from Italy, a Pinot Grigio, Stellina di Notte. Diageo is also now the exclusive importer of Almaviva, the highly regarded Chilean wine produced jointly by Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA and Viña Concha y Toro SA.

Diageo just invested nearly $7 million to create a self-contained, state-of-the-art winemaking facility dedicated solely to the production of Beaulieu Vineyard's flagship wine, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The company has also invested in equipment at Sterling with a "winery within the winery" approach.

"Our strategy has been in place for a number of years," Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines president Ray Chadwick said. "It starts with making top-quality wines, and we are very focused on the premium wine category, which we define as $10 and above at retail.

"We want to grow our core brands, continue to innovate and will continue to look at any acquisitions that meet our payback criteria," Chadwick said.

Clay Gregory, President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 5 Million

Jackson Family Wines is a family-owned wine company with more than 1,200 employees globally and three dozen wine brands. Divisions include Kendall-Jackson Vineyard Estate (primarily Kendall-Jackson), Artisan & Estates, Jackson Wine Estates International and White Rocket, serving the under $10-per-bottle category and introducing young adults to wine.

Artisan & Estates includes various estate-based brands, including: Cardinale, Atalon, Lokoya, Carmel Road, Cambria, Hartford Family Wines, Matanzas Creek, La Crema, Stonestreet, Vérité and Archipel.

In late 2005, Jess Jackson announced that he was strategically repositioning his top brand, Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, by increasing the price, reducing production and using only estate-grown fruit to improve the quality of the finished product. To further embellish and market this image, the new Vintner's Reserve label features the phrase, "Jackson Estate Grown," in reference to fruit grown on property either owned or controlled by the company. Repositioning Vintner's Reserve as an "affordable luxury brand" has been an extraordinary undertaking.

Jackson, who owns 14,000 vineyard acres in California, expanded in 2006, paying about $100 million for Freemark Abbey Winery in Napa Valley, the Arrowood Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma and the Byron Vineyard and Winery in Santa Maria. Jackson additionally purchased the Murphy-Goode Estate Winery in Geyserville, California, Robert Pecota Winery in Napa and La Jota Vineyard Co. in Napa. He also moved ahead with plans to build a small winery in Knights Valley and leased the 400-acre Huichica Hills Vineyard in the Carneros AVA from Vintage Wine Trust. Jackson Family Wines has also planted additional acreage to Pinot Noir, a category where it is a leader.

In 2007, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke increased their holdings in Napa Valley again, with the purchase of Chateau Potelle Winery's assets on Mt. Veeder. Other new projects include Pelton House, a Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and Kinton, a Santa Barbara County Syrah.

New initiatives include a sustainability program across the company and several new programs in which winemakers focus on individual vineyard block designates. The company has changed out 30,000 light fixtures to be more efficient and greener and has audited energy use at all facilities. The newest Anderson Valley Pinot Noir from the company is Maggy Hawk, in addition to a Pinot Noir project in Monterey. The White Rocket division also continues to launch new brands.

"Our vision is to become more of a luxury wine company, and we're getting there by focusing on smaller, higher-end wineries--not worrying about volume but about quality," said Clay Gregory, president of Jackson Family Wines.

Andrew Varga, Senior VP, Director of Marketing, North America

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 4.5 Million

Annual Global Sales Case Volume: 6 million

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Brown-Forman Wines is part of Brown-Forman Corporation, which markets Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Canadian Mist, Fetzer Vineyards, Korbel Champagne Cellars, Sonoma-Cutrer and Bonterra. The flagship brand is Fetzer Vineyards.

"We continue to fuel our premium and super-premium brands that we believe provide the best growth opportunity and consumer differentiation," senior vice president, director of marketing Andrew Varga said.

New brand introductions during the last few years have included: Virgin Vines; Gala Rouge, with a vintage poster label and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from France, and a suggested price of $9.99; and Little Black Dress, California wines intended to appeal to women. In 2008, the company didn't launch any new brands, but did some line extensions, including adding a Pinot Noir under the Little Black Dress label as well as a Sauvingon Blanc and Róse under the Bonterra Label.

Bonterra, made from organic grapes, continues to grow and is up some 30 percent in restaurants this year. Sonoma-Cutrer now includes a Sonoma Coast wine sold off-premise, the largest selling Chardonnay over $20.

During the last couple of years, Brown-Forman has shed some non-strategic assets. The former Fetzer Vineyards' Valley Oaks Hospitality Center and organic garden in the southern Mendocino County town of Hopland were sold. The company announced its intent to sell its Paso Robles, California winery facilities and vineyards. Brown-Forman sold its Bolla wine production facility in Pedemonte, Italy to Gruppo Italiano Vini in 2006 while retaining ownership of the Bolla brand trademark. In 2008, Brown-Forman sold the Bolla and Fontana Candida brands to Gruppo Italiano Vini too.

"The trick for us is to create the right kind of differentiation to make sure they buy our brands over others," said Varga.

Chris Indelicato, President and CEO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 2.5 Million

The Indelicato family has been making wine for more than 75 years and owns more than 10,000 acres of vineyards along the Central Coast and near Lodi, California. Delicato Family Vineyards also farms grapes for other wineries and has an outsourcing business where it does custom winemaking for many leading wineries in addition to its own branded case goods business. Exports account for nearly a quarter of volume.

The company's main brand is Delicato. Others include Bota Box, King Fish, Night Owl, Twisted and Gnarly Head Cellars. While the winery ships nearly 2 million cases per year under its own brands, it has a significant bulk business, annually producing the equivalent of approximately 12 million cases of wine. The company continues to add capacity and plant additional vineyards.

Delicato Vineyards named CFO Chris Indelicato as CEO in June 2004. Chris Indelicato is the grandson of Delicato founder Gasparé Indelicato and, prior to holding the CFO post, was national accounts manager.

New launches include Twisted, priced at $12.99 in 1.5 liter bottles, and Irony, a Napa Valley brand priced at $14. The company recently introduced 337, which stands for Clone 337. It also started importing Chateau Maris, a biodynamic wine from France. New brands in the early stages include: Joe Blow for the younger crowd and Loredona from Monterey, a brand that includes Pinot Grigio as well as Riesling from the San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey and Viognier from Lodi. Other new entries this year include: Brazin, an old vine Zinfandel from Lodi, and Foghead Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Bota Box has a new, environmentally-friendly package, too.

Delicato has shifted its focus toward the $10 to $15 price-point throughout its business, an initiative that began about a decade ago. The company appears to be benefitting from people "trading down" to that category: Case sales are up by 21 percent year on year.

Gary Heck, Chairman, President, Chief Executive

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 2.5 Million

F. Korbel & Bros. includes Korbel Champagne Cellars, Kenwood Vineyards, Korbel Brandy, Valley of the Moon Winery and Lake Sonoma Winery.

Korbel Champagne Cellars was established in 1882. The Heck family has owned and managed Korbel since 1954, and the brand has been marketed by Brown-Forman since 1965. Korbel also makes brandy in a separate facility. Kenwood, Valley of the Moon and Lake Sonoma continue to grow and now account for roughly 600,000 cases.

As the leader by volume in the domestic sparkling wine category, Korbel promotes sparkling wine with continual promotions, often involving holidays and special occasions. The company will likely spend $5 million on advertising this year. Marketing efforts are continual, including test marketing to Hispanics via Univision, Telemundo and Alma Magazine. Korbel continues its partnership with NBC Sports, opening the door of network advertising and brand recognition during the prime selling season.

Kenwood is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and Korbel California Brandy has been repackaged with a more up-to-date look.

Sparkling wine remains a drink many consumers associate with special occasions, and Korbel's marketing reflects that. Another trend in the marketplace is sparkling wine being used in mixed drinks, which also plays into Korbel's marketing efforts involving mixability.

Chief executive and chairman Gary Heck said that the Sparkling Róse category continues to grow. One of the newest product introductions has been a Sparkling Róse in 187 ml bottles.

Jim DeBonis, CEO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 2 Million

Ascentia Wine Estates is a partnership that was created in 2008 when the venture purchased a group of wineries from Constellation Brands, Inc. that had previously been part of Beam Wine Estates.

The wineries and brands are Geyser Peak Winery, Buena Vista Winery, Gary Farrell Wines, Atlas Peak, XYZin, Columbia Winery, Covey Run and Ste. Chapelle Winery.

The partnership includes Jim DeBonis, the former chief operating officer of Beam Wine Estates, W.J. Deutsch & Sons, one of the largest marketers of wine in the U.S., and GESD Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm.

Since Jim DeBonis served as chief operating officer for Beam Wine Estates, he was already very familiar with most of the wineries. He said the company's short-term goal is to continue to focus on the core strengths of each winery in the group or to "stay the course."

"Each one of these brands has a real and authentic purpose to exist in the wines that they deliver, and that was a big part of my desire to acquire these," DeBonis said. "It's been exciting getting these brands out in the sunlight so they're not over-shadowed by a large corporation."

Don Sebastiani, Sr., Proprietor

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 1.75 Million

Don Sebastiani's grandfather started what is known today as Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery. Beginning in 1986, Don Sebastiani ran the company that was founded by his grandfather. He stepped down in 2000 to create a new wine company and soon recruited his two sons, Donny and August, to assist him in the creation of Don Sebastiani & Sons.

While it does own and operate a small winemaking facility, Don Sebastiani & Sons mostly acts as a negociant, buying and blending bulk wines. The company has grown extremely quickly. Core brands include Mia's Playground, Aquinas Napa Valley, Smoking Loon, Pepperwood Grove and Screw Kappa Napa.

Don Sebastiani & Sons is known for whimsical packaging, its use of alternative closures and for having a separate division focused on direct sales, The Other Guys.

While it has grown very quickly in the past few years, Don Sebastiani said the company these days is looking at being "more profitable but perhaps a little less aggressive," which, among other things, means taking prices up and volumes down.

Peter Mondavi, Jr., Vice President and Treasurer

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 1.2 Million

Charles Krug Winery, the first winery founded in the Napa Valley in 1861, is owned by the Peter Mondavi family. There are two brands, CK Mondavi, of which roughly 1 million cases of California wine are produced, and the Charles Krug brand, involving about 80,000 cases of premium Napa Valley wine.

CK Mondavi operates in an extremely competitive segment of the market against a focused group of competitors and is among a handful of companies vying in the California varietal magnum category. It's the only truly family-owned winery besides E&J Gallo competing in that category.

The Charles Krug brand has been repositioned in recent years as an estate-brand for Bordeaux-style reds. The brand with volume that puts the winery on the WBM Top 30 list is CK Mondavi, a California-based brand with an emphasis on Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These are wines typically priced at $5.99 and $6.99 for 750 ml bottles or $12.99 for magnums.

Charles Krug Winery recently invested millions in upgrading vineyards and upgrading winemaking equipment. The most notable milestone this year was the completion of a restoration of two historical buildings, the carriage house and redwood cellar.

The winery has replanted over 450 acres in the Napa Valley and is converting all to CCOF organic certification. The family will be among the largest certified organic landowners in Napa Valley.

Jerry Lohr, Proprietor

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 1 million cases

Jerry Lohr owns more than 3,000 acres of vineyards. In addition to various wines made under the J. Lohr name, wines include Crosspoint, Painter Bridge, Cypress Vineyards (with screw caps) and Ariel Vineyards (non-alcoholic).

In 1972 and 1973, Jerry Lohr planted 280 acres of winegrapes in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County and in 1974 completed his winery in San Jose. In 1988, property near Paso Robles was purchased, which now encompasses 2,000 acres of vineyards, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other red varietals. An adjacent winery and barrel facility was also built. In 1988, he began expansion of his vineyards in the Arroyo Seco, which now include 900 acres of Chardonnay and other cool-climate varieties, such as Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Valdiguié.

In 2006, J. Lohr really established the Cuvée series at the top of the line and prepared to expand the "vineyard series" from four items to 10. The company did this by expanding its production capabilities for processing small lots to showcase vineyard designates.

J. Lohr also partnered with UC Davis on flavor-sensory work and is supporting other ongoing research, including a study of wines under extended hang times, comparing wines fermented with grapes from the same vineyards at various Brix levels.

Jerry Lohr has long been involved in giving back to the wine industry. He served as chair of Wine Institute more than a decade ago and was a co-founder of Wine Vision. Recently he's made efforts to be much more supportive of research and particularly of efforts to share the results for the greater good of the California wine industry. He's part of the executive committee of the American Vineyard Foundation, was the founding chair of the National Grape and Wine Initiative and is a member of the Board of Visitors and Fellows at the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis.

Last year, J. Lohr acquired additional land 16 miles west of downtown Paso Robles, where it will plant Rhône varietals. The company also acquired two vineyard properties in Monterey, one it already sourced fruit from and another to be planted.

Jay Shoemaker, Chief Executive

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 900,000 (WBM Estimate)

Rubicon Estate Winery is owned by filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and his wife, Eleanor. Gustave Niebaum, a retired sea captain from Finland, fell in love with Napa and built the stone winery in 1887, naming it "Inglenook." Until the 1950s, its wines were considered among the best in California, but the winery fell into corporate ownership and quality declined. The Coppolas bought part of the estate in 1975 and purchased the original winery building in 1995.

Estate wines include Rubicon and Edizione Pennino Zinfandel, named after Coppola's grandfather. Non-estate wines include the Director's Cut series, the Francis Coppola Reserve series, the Diamond Collection Series and Sofia.

While it makes relatively small amounts of high-end, estate-bottled wines from Napa, The Coppola Companies sell large quantities of wine under the Diamond Collection Series label and the Rosso and Bianco labels.

Coppola closed on the purchase of a large Sonoma County winery in February 2006. The Geyserville winery, which had been home to the Chateau Souverain brand, is a landmark in northern Sonoma County. In 2007, the winery was renamed Rosso & Bianco, and it is home to the Diamond Series, Rosso and Bianco wines, among other brands. Plans awaiting county approval would see the winery transformed into a resort with a large outdoor pool with cabanas, a family-friendly destination. Much of the company's focus has been on getting the permitting rights and starting construction.

The Sonoma winery emphasizes innovation while the Napa winery emphasizes tradition.

One notable new wine from Coppola is Encyclopedia which "adds its own spin to the story of wine. Encyclopedia pays tribute to the advancements made in the wine industry over the last two millenniums with a custom bottle shape and closure." The varietal offerings under Encyclopedia are meant to vary from year to year. The brand started with a Bordeaux, a Tempranillo and a Riesling. Malbec is coming up next year. Another new offering is Sante, a Sonoma-based Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Patty Bogle, Proprietor

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 850,000

The Bogle family has been farming since the mid-1800s, and in 1968, the father and son team of Chris and Warren Bogle planted their first winegrapes in Clarksburg, California. Bogle Vineyards farms over 1,200 acres of winegrapes in the Delta region. The winery was established in 1978. Patty Bogle became involved in the early years of the vineyards with her late husband, Chris, when they planted fields in the early 1970s. She took over operation of the winery in 1989. Her daughter Jody is involved in the business as is her son Warren.

Bogle Vineyards continues to grow, especially with Cabernet and Syrah. Bogle is probably the biggest producer of Petit Sirah.

Tom Klein, Proprietor

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 800,000

Tom Klein

Tom Klein's family has been farming for more than 100 years in the Stockton, California area, and has a diversified family farming business growing nuts, fruits and vegetables. The business also sells grapes to other wineries. The winery was founded in 1959 by Rodney Strong. Strong had taken his wine company public before it was purchased a few years later and then taken private by the company's largest shareholder. The Klein family purchased Rodney Strong Vineyards from Guinness, the Irish brewing company, in 1989.

Rodney Strong Vineyards makes six varietals and about 15 different wines, all of them from Sonoma County.

Over the last few years, the winery has purchased or planted about 600 acres of new vineyards. More than half of the company's wines come from its own estate vineyards. Two years ago, Rodney Strong Vineyards installed a solar energy project that supplies 40 percent of its energy needs.

Rodney Strong completed the installation of a new "winery within the winery" in 2006, focusing on Reserve Cabernet, Symmetry and Reserve Pinot Noir, the best lots of lines.

Other news at Rodney Strong include the launch of Sonoma Vineyards, its 2007 purchase of the Davis Bynum brand and an overall focus on the high-end of the winery's portfolio, its reserve and single vineyard wines and Symmetry.

Tom Klein said the winery continues to focus on single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings from Alexander Valley, on the winery within a winery started in 2006 and will soon release a new wine called Brother's Ridge.

Tom Selfridge, President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 650,000

The Hess Collection is owned by Swiss businessman Donald Hess, who also owns Peter Lehman Wines of Australia, a 650,000-case brand worldwide. Hess also owns Glen Carlou of South Africa and Bodega Columé in Argentina, a project that Donald Hess has focused on and where he is a true pioneer, working the highest planted vineyards in the world.

Though it is in very small quantities, Hess also makes Artezin, a Zinfandel brand and blend sourced from Mendocino. Hess owns roughly 1,000 vineyard acres in California, all of it in Napa Valley except the Monterey vineyard that supports its Appellation series, including the Monterey Chardonnay program.

Tom Selfridgewas named president of The Hess Collection in 2005 and before that served as chief executive at Chalone Wine Group. Hess has since been focusing more on its wines from Mt. Veeder and on its vineyard estate-grown wines from Napa--the Suskal and Allomi Vineyards.

Since joining Hess as president in 2005, Selfridge has been increasing the winery's emphasis on its roots in Napa and Mt. Veeder. The winery is investing approximately $30 million on a five-year revitalization plan. With 30 years of experience, the company understands which rootstocks and clones fit the different slopes and soil exposures of Mt. Veeder. Malbec, for instance, does very well there and will become a key blender. The winery's marketing focus will put more emphasis on the Mt. Veeder collection and its Napa Valley estate-grown varietals.

Andrew Browne, CEO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 600,000

Founded in 2003 by Andrew Browne and a team of industry veterans, Precept Brands is probably the fastest growing wine company in Washington. Browne was president and chief executive of Corus Estates & Vineyards, until 2001, when Canandaigua Wine Company (Constellation Brands) acquired most of the Corus portfolio (Alice White, Covey Run, Columbia Winery, Paul Thomas and Ste. Chapelle).

Precept has grown through acquisitions and organically, and it operates as a brand incubator with few production assets but a knack for effective sales and marketing. The company has launched several domestic and joint venture import brands since its inception.

Brands sourced from Washington include: Avery Lane, Barrelstone, Big Sky, Grizz, Pine and Post, Pavin and Riley, Washington Hills, Sol Duc, Sweet Pea and more. Brands imported in joint ventures from Australia include: Shingleback, The Gate, Red Knot, Screwed, Sinplicity and Outback Chase. Another brand, Fauna, is from New Zealand. European brands include: Bloom and Struktur from Germany, Ciao Bella from Italy, El Paseo and Solo from Spain, as well as Red Beret Côte du Rhône from France.

Precept also has a joint venture with Allen Shoup called "Pendulum," a 2003 Columbia Valley red wine that made its debut in 2005.

Precept Brands and The Magnificent Wine Co. of Walla Walla, Washington have a partnership, with Precept providing marketing, sales and administrative duties. Charles Smith of K Vintners and The Magnificent Wine Co. are working with Precept's team to grow Magnificent's wine brands, particularly House Wine red and white blends from Columbia Valley.

Much of Precept's focus of late has been on Waterbrook Winery of Walla Walla and a major new winery facility to support it. Another new brand is Primarius Pinot Noir from Oregon. Andrew Browne said the company has been working on being vertically integrated. By the end of next year, the company will have more than 1,000 acres of grapes and two production facilities, one in Prosser, the other in Walla Walla.

Dennis Carroll, President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 515,000

The Purple Wine Company was founded by Derek Benham, who with his brother launched Codera Wine Group and saw success with the Blackstone brand, ultimately selling it to Constellation Brands. Benham learned an important branding lesson: make a good wine with a good price-point synonymous with a varietal--as he had with Blackstone Merlot--and the wine almost brands itself. The lesson carries over into the Purple Wine Company, with brands including Mark West, Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon, Rock Rabbit and Bex--all reasonably priced. The Purple Wine Company continues to grow its distribution base, primarily on-premise and with broad market retailers.

Purple Wine Company's sister is Sonoma Wine Company, a major custom crush wine facility that shares employees.

Benham repurchased the original Blackstone facility later in 2002 as well as its contract bottling business. The facility, now the Sonoma Wine Company, continues to produce nearly 2 million cases of wine annually for Blackstone along with over 25 other producers.

Purple Wine Company is focusing primarily on Mark West California Pinot Noir, which it was on track to sell about 300,000 cases last year, which may make it the largest single Pinot Noir SKU. The winery will likely sell another 150,000 cases of Avalon California and Napa Cabernet Sauvignon this year (see "WBM's Hot Small Brands" list, page 70, for more on Avalon Cabernet).

Stephen Kautz, President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 500,000

Starting in 1948, John Kautz became a winegrape supplier, eventually amassing more than 5,000 acres of grapes in Lodi and the Sierra Foothills, becoming one of the top 10 winegrape growers in California. The Kautz family started making wine in 1981 and broke ground on Ironstone Vineyards in September 1989. Another leading brand from the Kautz family is Leaping Horse. The company also purchased the Sonoma Creek brand and inventory in 2003, which continues to ramp up. Ironstone is now sold in 40 countries.

Most recently, Ironstone has focused on its reserve program with grapes from Calaveras County and is receiving some good scores from critics. One of the latest brand introductions is Dog Tail, with a retail price-point of $9 to $10.

Strategically, the company continues to move up the price-point ladders, with new packages and products. Among the new initiatives is Christine Andrew, a brand named after the great-grandchildren from the family's fourth generation and priced in the $12 to $15 retail segment.

The company is also a major exporter and has moved toward exporting more wine in bulk to be bottled overseas.

Ironstone continues to update its labels and packaging for a fresh look, emphasizing family and environmental sustainability.

Bill Foley, CEO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 500,000

Founder of Florida-based Fidelity National, Inc., one of the nation's top insurers, Bill Foley II established Foley Wine Group (FWG) in 1996, buying Lincourt Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, named for daughters Lindsay and Courtney. He then founded Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County. In 2007 he purchased Ashley's Vineyard, formerly owned by Fess Parker, in Santa Rita Hills, followed by Firestone Vineyards & Winery in Santa Ynez Valley, as well as its sister winery in Paso Robles. Foley has made acquisitions with the goal of developing a "multi-brand sales strategy," similar to Jess Jackson's Artisan Estates Group. FWG also owns Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Washington, and Merus in Napa.

Last December, FWG purchased Sebastiani Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, providing additional infrastructure for the company to grow its brands. Sebastiani Vineyards is a 300,000-case winery, which puts the company on the WBM 30 and which is likely to get FWG more attention from the national distributor network. "I've captured a couple of large brands that give me the base to grow boutique wineries off of," Foley told Wine Business Monthly. "I'd like to have 12 to 15 smaller labels."

Foley said he is currently looking for a property in Oregon for a Pinot Noir project and that future announcements about his company will involve smaller projects. "I feel like my two big acquisitions were Firestone and Sebastiani," he said. "Now it will be much more boutique-oriented, with a focus on ultra-premium quality.

"I'm all over it, I love it, I'm a perfectionist," said Foley of his second career, indicating he's willing to spend whatever it takes to improve quality. "I told all my winemakers that if something is not right, it should never be that they didn't have the right piece of equipment or the right resources."

At press time, Foley was in the process of hiring a president for the wine group to handle operating activity.

Steve Riboli, Vice President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 500,000

The Riboli family has operated the San Antonio Winery for 90 years, a milestone. During Prohibition, the winery survived by making sacramental wine, a niche that is still very important to the winery. San Antonio is the only winery located in downtown Los Angeles. Much of the production is jug wine; but there are several fine-wine labels, including Maddalena Vineyard, San Simeon, Riboli Family Vineyard and San Antonio and the San Antonio Artisan Series.

Greg Popovich, Founder and President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 450,000

Greg Popovich

Castle Rock Winery owns no vineyards and no winery. Though it initially took advantage of great opportunities on the bulk wine market, the vast majority of its fruit is sourced via long-term grape contracts. Castle Rock sells limited quantities of many different appellation-specific wines for less than $12, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Napa Valley and Pinot Noir from the Russian River. Pinot Noir accounts for 65 percent of sales. Founder and president Greg Popovich said the company grew sales volume by 22 percent last year. To the amazement of many in the industry, the company has just six employees and outsources where it can.

Popovich has long attributed the brand's growth to the quality in the bottle. He has also worked with smaller wholesalers where he stands out as a brand, and his business model is predicated on low overhead.

Timing played a role in Castle Rock's success. The brand started 13 years ago when many in the trade were emphasizing more expensive wines and was well positioned when the emphasis among many shifted to "value." The brand was also well positioned when sales of Pinot Noir surged because it was already producing quality Pinot Noir at attractive prices. The popularity of Pinot Noir has also forced Castle Rock out of the negociant model so that it is now making about 80 percent of its wine from grapes purchased under long-term contracts.

Wines are made on a contract basis at a number of custom crush facilities, including one owned by Francis Ford Coppola in Geyserville, California.

Steve Lindsay, General Manager

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 450,000

Adler Fels Winery was founded in Sonoma Valley in 1979 by David and Ayn Coleman and soon established itself as a producer of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay from Sonoma County and particularly from the Russian River Valley. Adler Fels later expanded its sourcing but has been very active in creating custom and private label brands for more than 100 clients. Adler Fels has been owned by the Adams Wine Group since 2004 and continues to produce Adler Fels estate wines, as well as negociant brands: Big Ass, Leaping Lizard, Coastline and Coyote Creek.

Alder Fels does lots of custom bottling in the form of control labels and private labels for large retailers, similar to other ventures such as Winery Exchange, Sonoma Wine Company and Rutherford Ranch. Its own brands probably account for 120,000 cases of volume, with the rest made for such retailers as Trader Joe's, Cost Plus World Market, Costco, Target and others.

Steve Lindsay joined the company in 2005 and, before that, worked for Trinchero Family Estates, Golden State Vintners and Winery Exchange.

"We have our own brands and continue to sell them, but our focus long-term and our business mission is to grow the custom winemaking business for large, off-premise retailers," Lindsay said.

Malcolm Dunbar, CEO

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 440,000

Domaine Chandon is the Napa-based arm of France's giant Moët & Chandon (part of the Moët Hennessy Group) and is the second-ranked U.S. méthode champenoise producer by volume after Korbel Champagne Cellars.

Domaine Chandon has enjoyed double-digit growth for the past five years and plans to maintain strong growth despite an increasingly competitive environment. Newton Vineyard has also enjoyed considerable growth in recent months. Recent initiatives include rationalized and refreshed labels to make the brand architecture clearer for consumers. International markets are growing with 15 percent of Newton wine being sold overseas.

2007 included various new product launches and revisions to the existing wine portfolio, including offering still wines in limited amounts. In 2008, the company focused on following through on those new projects for organic growth. One new initiative, though, has been the launch of a cocktail program for sparkling and still wines as cocktails are very much back in fashion.

Chandon continues to focus on its core range of Brut Classic, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé and Riche and advertises across the U.S. with major trade support and initiatives, starting with Valentine's Day and running throughout December into the New Year's holiday.

Bill Leigon, President

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 400,000

Hahn Family Wines makes wines under Hahn Estates, Cycles Gladiator, Smith & Hook and Huntington Wine Cellars labels.

New this year are Hahn SLH wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, with four different estate-bottled wines. Also new is Luciene, a high-end Pinot Noir sold in six-packs. Bin 36 is another new brand, a national launch of Chardonnay Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir.

Six years ago, Wimbledon Wine Company (which changed its name last year) was a medium-sized winery, but it grew to more than 400,000 cases of HRM (His Royal Majesty) Rex Goliath in 2004 before selling the brand to Constellation Brands.

The winery has since been focused on Cycles Gladiator, which it did about 200,000 cases of last year and is exported to 30 countries and is committed to Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. The winery has about 650 vineyard acres in the Santa Lucia Highlands, 160 acres in Paso Robles and roughly 350 vineyard acres in Arroyo Seco--about 1,200 acres in total.

The company didn't have a single vine of Pinot Noir in 2002 but is now a leader there, selling fruit to other small wineries.

"My goal is to establish us as the leader in the Santa Lucia Highlands," president Bill Leigon  said. "And Nicky Hahn helped create the appellation."

Next year the company will begin importing a Chilean wine, Copa del Rey, a joint venture with the Canavaggio family.

Morgan Zaninovich, vice president and general manager

Annual U.S. Sales Case Volume: 380,000

Rutherford Ranch Vineyards and Winery is owned by Marko Zaninovich. Zaninovich also owns ASV wines of McFarland, California. ASV provides bulk wine, bottled products and custom services to wine marketers.

Zaninovich owns Sunview Vineyards, one of California's three largest table grape-growing operations, and ASV operates two California wineries: one in the Central Valley and another on the Central Coast. It has made private label wine since the 1970s. ASV deals in bulk truckloads of wine. Converted to nine-liter cases, those truckloads represent more than 800,000 cases of wine. Rutherford Ranch Vineyards and Winery and ASV are part of an international enterprise.

The family-owned company Casa Cristal includes a grapevine nursery, laboratory services, package manufacturing, fresh table grapes and other fresh fruits.

One new brand from Rutherford Ranch is Scott Family Estate, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the family's estates. The winery has added a Pinot Grigio to Round Hill, in addition to an oak-free Chardonnay, The winery has also been enhancing the property at its estate in Rutherford, upgrading its tasting room and direct to consumer channel.

Zaninovich bought Rutherford Ranch Vineyards and Winery in May 2000. The winery also focuses on private label wines, mostly for casual restaurant sales. The winery has long been active in the private labeling business, primarily for restaurants. One of the newest brands launched by the winery is Grand Pacific (with a locomotive on the label) red and white blends. Much of the recent focus has been on the core Rutherford Ranch label, which has seen double-digit growth.

Zaninovich said the winery has also been focusing its educational efforts on explaining its emphasis on sustainable agriculture and promoting ethical and ecological awareness as land stewards across California.