Fairport, New York, October 12, 1999 -- Canandaigua Brands, Inc., is pleased to announce that Jon Moramarco has accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of its Canandaigua Wine Company Division. In this role, he will be responsible for all aspects of Canandaigua Wine Company's operations which include nine wineries located in California and New York and the sales and marketing of its brands, including Almaden, Inglenook, Mystic Cliffs, Arbor Mist and Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy.

Mr. Moramarco comes to Canandaigua Wine Company from Allied Domecq Wines, USA, where he has served as President and CEO since 1992. In this role, he achieved sales growth tripling that of the American wine industry, including double-digit volume growth from 1993 to 1998. Mr. Moramarco has more than fifteen years of diverse experience in the wine industry and currently serves as Chairman of the American Vintners Association, a national wine trade organization.

Robert Sands, currently acting President and CEO of Canandaigua Wine Company and Executive Vice President of Canandaigua Brands, Inc., said, "We are very fortunate to have attracted a candidate who is an industry leader and has the depth of experience that Jon holds. We are looking forward to the vision he brings and the contributions that he will make to the Company."

Canandaigua Brands, Inc., headquartered in Fairport, New York, is a leader in the production, marketing and distribution of beverage alcohol products in North America and the United Kingdom. Canandaigua Brands, Inc., operates four principal divisions: Barton Incorporated, its beer and spirits division; Matthew Clark, its cider, wine and wholesale division in the U.K.; Franciscan Vineyards, its fine wine division; and Canandaigua Wine Company, which focuses on the value wine category and is the second largest wine producer in the United States.

Visit www.cbrands.com or www.cwine.com for more information about Canandaigua Brands, Inc, and Canandaigua Wine Company.