Fairport, NY, August 4, 1998 -- Richard Sands, Chief Executive Officer of Canandaigua Brands, Inc. announced today that Andrew Berk, President and Chief Operating Officer of Barton Incorporated, its wholly-owned spirits and beer marketing subsidiary, and Daniel Barnett, President of Canandaigua Wine Company, Inc., will each become Chief Executive Officer and President of their respective companies effective Monday, August 3, 1998. These new titles acknowledge the strategic and operational leadership positions of Mr. Berk and Mr. Barnett and better define their respective roles for the Company's customers, distributors and the market in general.
Mr. Sands commented, "Barton Incorporated and Canandaigua Wine Company, Inc., operate as discrete independent businesses under a common holding company structure. These titles serve to clarify the nature of Mr. Berk's and Mr. Barnett's roles within our organization."
Mr. Sands added, " Mr. Berk's leadership has been responsible for the Company's continuing success in the imported beer and spirits categories, resulting in performance well above industry trends. The Company's imported beer sales during fiscal year 1998 were up 26% against growth of 12% for the rest of the imported beer market. Similarly, Canandaigua's spirits sales were up 6% while the remainder of the spirits market in the U.S. declined by 1%. Mr. Barnett has been instrumental in a complete reengineering of Canandaigua Wine Company beginning in 1996. The restructuring has produced significant efficiency gains at its wineries and a more effective customer business center organization with discrete accountable business units responsible for marketing and production."
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's portfolio includes the following key brands:
Wine: Inglenook, Almaden, Paul Masson, Taylor, Cook's, Richards Wild Irish Rose, Manischewitz, Marcus James, Estate Cellars, Dunnewood, Vina Santa Carolina, Mystic Cliffs and Arbor Mist
Beer: Corona Extra and Corona Light, Modelo Especial, St. Pauli Girl, Pacifico, Tsingtao, Point and Negra Modelo
Distilled Spirits: Barton, Fleischmann's, Paul Masson Grande Amber, Mr. Boston, Montezuma, Canadian LTD, Chi-Chi's, Ten High, Inver House and Monte Alban