Future growth will decline as baby boomers retire, according to Silicon Valley Bank
January 17, 2014
Silicon Valley Bank, a provider of commercial banking services to the innovation sector and the wine industry, released its “Annual State of the Wine Industry Report,” which forecasts growth of U.S. wine for 2014 but a decline in future years.
McGah Family Cellars introduced the two newest vintages of its estate wines: the 2011 Scarlett Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2012 1070 Green Sauvignon Blanc.
Growth in single-malt Scotch continues despite overall decline in on-premise spirits sales
January 14, 2014
Restaurant Sciences LLC, a Newton, Mass.-based firm that tracks food and beverage sales throughout the North American foodservice industry, reported that single-malt Scotches grew 3.1 percent in U.S. dollar sales and 3.6 percent in case volume sales in the three months ending November 2013 versus the same three-month period in 2012.
Transaction expected to close in second quarter of 2014
January 13, 2014
Osaka, Japan-based Suntory Holdings Ltd. and Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc. jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Suntory will acquire all outstanding shares of Beam for $83.50 a share. This translates to a total consideration of approximately $16 billion, including the assumption of Beam’s outstanding net debt. The transaction consideration represents a 25 percent premium to Beam’s closing price of $66.97 on Jan. 10, 2014; a 24 percent premium to the volume-weighted average share price during the last three months; and a multiple of more than 20 times Beam’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2013.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc.’s Sauza Tequila brand partnered with actor and pop music artist Justin Timberlake to launch Sauza 901 super-premium tequila. The new product builds off of Timberlake’s previously launched 901 Silver Tequila and incorporates the same spirit under the Sauza brand name. The co-branded partnership blends the creativity and personality of the 901 brand’s founder, Timberlake, with the quality and history of Sauza Tequila to craft a lifestyle spirits brand.
Joint venture follows strategic alliance on Ciroc ultra-premium vodka
January 8, 2014
Norwalk, Conn.-based Diageo will expand its relationship with rap artist and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs to acquire the luxury tequila brand DeLeon.
Brown-Forman Corp., Louisville, Ky., reported financial results for the second quarter and first half of its fiscal-year 2014, which ended Oct. 31. In the second quarter, the company’s reported net sales grew by 6 percent to nearly $1.1 billion and reported operating income grew 19 percent to $311 million compared with the prior-year period. For the first six months of the year, reported net sales increased 4 percent and reported operating income increased 9 percent.