Fairport, New York, April 6, 1999 -- Canandaigua Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBRNA and CBRNB) today announced the departure of Dan Barnett as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company's Canandaigua Wine Company, Inc., subsidiary.
The Company is reviewing candidates to succeed Mr. Barnett, and expects to name a successor within the next several months. In the interim, Robert Sands, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, International, will assume Mr. Barnett's responsibilities.
Canandaigua Brands, Inc., headquartered in Fairport, New York, is a leading producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands. As the second largest supplier of wine, the second largest importer of beer and the fourth largest supplier of distilled spirits, Canandaigua Brands is the largest single-source supplier of these products in the United States. The Company also has a major presence in the United Kingdom as a leading provider of wines and cider and as a premier independent wholesaler of beverage alcohol products.