History
2006: Constellation Brands acquires Vincor International, Inc. and create Joint Venture with Grupo ModeloJuly 2006, Grupo Modelo and Constellation Brands create a joint venture for the purpose of importing and marketing Modelo's Mexican beer portfolio in the United States and Guam for a 10-year period, effective January 2, 2007.
June 2006, more than 95 percent of Vincor International Inc. shareholders overwhelmingly vote in favor of the arrangement transaction in which Constellation Brands acquires all of the shares of Canada 's premier wine company.
May 2006, Constellation sells its Strathmore bottled water business to A.G. Barr, the Scottish-based U.K. soft drinks business. Strathmore is seen as a non-core part of Constellation's beverage alcohol portfolio.
2005: Constellation turns 60 and Richard Sands is named the most influential figure in wine by Decanter magazine.
December 2005 marks the 60 th anniversary of Constellation Brands and the company also embarks on “Project Genome” to help better understand the profiles of wine consumers in order to market and develop wines targeted to their lifestyles.
October 2005, Barton Brands acquires Cocktails by Jenn, a line of premium vodka cocktails and Constellation Brands completes acquisition of the Rex Goliath wine brand from California 's Hahn Estates.
July 2005, Standard & Poor's adds Constellation Brands to its S&P 500 Index of companies. The listing attests to the success of the Company's true growth strategy and increased stockholder value.
July 2005, Richard Sands is named No. 1 on Decanter's Power List of the top 50 people influencing wine styles today.
March 2005, the Company sells the Arrowood Vineyards & Winery and the Byron Vineyard & Winery, both part of the 2004 Robert Mondavi acquisition, to the Legacy Estates Group.
Spring 2005, Constellation adopts a Global Code of Responsible Practices for Beverage Alcohol Advertising and Marketing. The Code covers brand advertising, consumer communications, trade advertising, promotional events, packaging, labels, distribution and sales material, and product placements.
January 2005, Constellation donates $150,000 to tsunami relief efforts in southeast Asia following a devastating earthquake.
2004: Constellation acquires The Robert Mondavi Corp. and purchases 40% of Ruffino.
December 2004, Constellation acquires The Robert Mondavi Corp. for $1.03 billion. Mondavi wines are among the most respected premium and super-premium New World wines and the purchase complements the Company's premium wine portfolio.
December 2004, Constellation Brands purchases 40% of Ruffino, further enhancing the Company's portfolio of fine European wines.
2004, Effen Vodka, a luxury, high-end import from Holland , is added to Constellation's spirit portfolio.
2004, A $6,000 investment 25 years ago in what's now Constellation Brands, has grown to a value of $1 million in 2004.
2003: BRL Hardy acquisition completed making Constellation the world's largest producer of wine.
April 2003, Constellation completes the acquisition of BRL Hardy Ltd. Pacific Wine Partners, a 50/50 joint venture of Constellation and BRL Hardy, now becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary and the Australian part of the business is renamed Hardy Wine Co. It commands 25% of the domestic Australian market and exports to more than 60 countries. With the acquisition, Constellation becomes the world's largest producer and marketer of wine, and the first truly international wine company with annual sales in excess of 80 million cases of wine annually. Appropriately enough, in 2003, Hardy Wines celebrates its Sesquicentennial.
2002: Constellation International is formed and Constellation is named Large Beverage Company of the Year.
May 2002, Beverage Forum names Constellation “Large Beverage Company of the Year” as Constellation is recognized for its solid growth in all areas of the alcohol beverage business.March 2002, Constellation International, based in England, is formed to coordinate most export activities. The new business unit will increase worldwide consumer access to Company products, while providing better market insights.
2001: Turner Road Vintner's, Corus Brands Inc. and Ravenswood acquisitions. Formation of Pacific Wine Partners and Blackstone Winery acquisition
July 2001, Ravenswood, the best selling premium red zinfandel in the US., is acquired making Franciscan Estates one ofthe most sought after wine portfolios in the industry. Theformation of Pacific Wine Partners creates a joint venture shared by BRL Hardy and Constellation withdistribution rights for the following brands: Bancock Station, Hardys, Leasingham, Barossa Valley Estate, Chateau Reynella from Australia , Nobilo from New Zealand and La Baume from France . Pacific Wine Partners acquired certain assets of Blackstone Winery, including the Blackstone brand and the Codera winery in Sonoma County .
Spring 2001, Two acquisitions are made to strengthen Constellation's popular and premium wine portfolio. Talus, Vendange, Nathanson Creek and Heritage are acquired from Turner Road Vintners. Columbia , Covey Run and Alice White, are acquired from Corus Brands giving Canandaigua Wine Company 20 of the top 100 wine brands in the US .
2000: Canandaigua Brands changes name to Constellation Brands and Forth Wines Ltd. is acquired by Matthew Clark.
October 2000, Constellation Brands' Matthew Clark division acquired Forth Wines Limited, a wine and spirits wholesaler operated primarily in Scotland .
September 2002, Canandaigua Brands, Inc. accepts name change to Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ, STZ.B). The new name better reflects the scope of the company and its broad range of over products to satisfy a wide range of consumer preferences.
1999: Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, Simi Wineryand Franciscan Vineyards acquired.
June 1999, the purchase of the Simi Winery and Franciscan Vineyards properties and portfolios creates a fourth division of Canandaigua Brands, Inc., The Fine Wine Division. This division will operate under Franciscan Estates to concentrate its efforts on the ultra-premium wine category. The company's portfolio now includes such brands as Estancia, Franciscan, Mount Veeder , Veramonte and Simi.
April 1999, The Company acquires several Canadian Whisky brands, including #3 Canadian Whiskey, Black Velvet.
1998: Arbor Mist launched and Matthew Clark, plc. acquired
1998, The Arbor Mist product is launched, resulting in the creation of a new wine category, "Wine With Fruit". This is one of the most successfulproduct launches in Canandaigua Wine Company's history, shipping over one million cases in its first 100 days of distribution. Matthew Clark, plc, one of U.K. 's leading producers of British wines, ciderand bottled waters is also acquired. This expands the company's portfolio to include: K Cider, Blackthorn cider, QC Sherry, the #1 Fortified British wine, and Stowells of Chelsea, the #1 boxed wine in the U.K.
1997: Canandaigua Brands, Inc.
Canandaigua Brands, Inc. is formed as the parent company of Canandaigua Wine Company and Barton Incorporated, following a decade of acquisitions resultingin a diversified product portfolio expanding beyond the wine business.
1995: United Distillers Glenmore
The acquisition of certain assets of United Distillers Glenmore gives the company a significant presence in the cordial and liqueur category with the addition of the following brands: Mr. Boston, Canadian LTD, Skol, Old Thompson, Kentucky Tavern, Glenmore, di Amore, Fleischmann's, Chi Chi's, and Schenley.
1994: Almaden and Inglenook is acquired through the purchase of Mission Bell Winery
Canandaigua Wine Company purchases Mission Bell Winery from Heublein. This includes the Almaden and Inglenook wine brands and the grape juice concentrate business.
1993: Barton Incorporated and Vintners International Company, Inc.
With the addition of Barton Incorporated, Canandaigua Wine Company further diversifies into the imported beer and distilled spirits categories. The Barton Beer portfolio includes the popular Mexican import, Corona , which is now the best selling imported beer in America , along with the following brands: Peroni, St. Pauli Girl and Tsingtao . The Barton Brands portfolio included Barton Gin & Vodka, Ten High Bourbon Whiskey and Montezuma Tequila. The acquisition of certain assets of Vintners gives the company the Paul Masson, Taylor California Cellars, Great Western and Taylor brands.
1991: Guild Wineries and Distilleries
The Company acquires all the assets and certain liabilities of Guild Wineries, a California based cooperative owned and managed by grape growers in the region. At the time of the acquisition, Guild represents the nation's seventh largest wine producer. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand its portfolio of brands and reflects the growing consolidation in the United States wine industry. This is the Company'sfirst entry into the California wine market and includes the Cribari, Dunnewood and Cook's brands. Net sales at this time are at approximately $200 million.
1990: Italian Swiss Colony added to portfolio
Italian Swiss Colony dessert wines are purchased, including the Jacques Bonet line of sparkling wines.
1988: Marcus James imported from Brazil
Production of Marcus James Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot and White Zinfandel is shifted to Brazil . The region where the grapes for these wines are grown is called "Vale Aurora".
1987: Widmer Wine Cellars andManischewitz Wine Co. acquired
Widmer Wine Cellars in Naples , New York and the Manischewitz brand assets of the Monarch Wine Company in Brooklyn are purchased. Production of the Manischewitz brand is moved to Widmer, as well as a number of wines formerly produced at the Taylor Wine Company in Hammondsport , New York .
1984: Sun Country Cooler created
Sun Country Cooler is created and rolled out nationwide. It involves a tremendous effort by all employees at Canandaigua Wine Company and sells one million cases within six months.
1979: J. Roget Champagne launched
The J. Roget brand spreads its wings to become the second largest selling champagne brand in the country.
1974: Bisceglia Wine Company acquired
Further acquisitions in the 70's continues to fuel the company's growth. Several brands are purchased for production at Richard's Wine Cellars. In 1974, Canandaigua Wine Company heads west and acquires the Bisceglia Brothers Winery in Madera , California .
1973: Canandaigua Wine Company goes public
The Company becomes Canandaigua Wine Company, Inc. in late 1972 and goes public in 1973.
1972: Acquisition of Eastern Wine Company
The Eastern Wine Company in New York is purchased and their famous label Chateau Martin joins the Canandaigua Wine Company portfolio.
1969: Hammondsport Wine Company acquired
Shortly after the purchase of Tenner Brothers, the Hammondsport Wine Company is added to the growing list of facilities. Hammondsport gives the company a foothold in the sparkling wine market.
1965: Tenner Brothers acquired
The Canandaigua Industries sales force and distributor network increases throughout the 1960s with the growth of the Wild Irish Rose brand. During this period of growth, the Tenner Brothers Winery in South Carolina is purchased and the Virginia Dare label joins the family on a royalty basis.
1954: Richard's Wild Irish Rose brand launched
The introduction of the Richard's Wild Irish Rose brand in 1954 spearheads the growth of the company. With bottling taking place at five different locations in the U.S. , this unique franchising system allows the brand to grow rapidly with minimal capital investment. As a result of this system, Canandaigua Industries is able to develop its own wine production facilities to meet the explosive demand for Wild Irish Rose.
1951: Richard's Wine Cellars Created
The Richard's Wine Cellars opens in Petersburg , Virginia with Mack Sands in charge of operations.
1948: Mother Vineyard and Onslow Wine Companies are purchased
The Mother Vineyard Company in Manteo , North Carolina and the Onslow Wine Company also located in North Carolina are purchased. Both wineries produce Scuppernong Wine, a varietal wine produced from indigenous grapes that is very popular throughout the South.
1945: Canandaigua Industries Company founded
At the age of 21, Marvin Sands forms the Canandaigua Industries Company. With only eight employees, their strategy is to sell bulk wine in barrels to bottlers in the East. In this first year, the company sells approximately 200,000 gallons of wine and has gross sales of $150,000.
