C. Mondavi & Family Acquires Brand from Flying Blue Imports
Napa, Calif., July 21, 2020 — C. Mondavi & Family, widely known for its four generations in the Napa Valley wine and grape business, has announced plans to add imported wines to its product portfolio, starting with the acquisition of the French Blue brand from Flying Blue Imports. According to Gomberg-Fredrikson imported wines made up 28% of the wine purchased in the U.S., and C. Mondavi & Family is poised to start benefiting from this market share.
“We are excited to take this step to expand our portfolio in the import space. We believe strongly in the future of our wine brands even in the midst of a year affected by COVID-19. French Blue is a great brand with excellent wines from Bordeaux, and we feel they have great potential.” said Judd Wallenbrock, CEO at C. Mondavi & Family.
According to Ryan Kepler, SVP of Sales at Flying Blue Imports, “We’re excited to be working with C. Mondavi & Family. They are a powerhouse in the wine business, with a truly energized salesforce, and we look forward to working with them to grow the French Blue brand.”
The initiative to import French Blue is a strategic new step for C. Mondavi & Family, a family business that began over 100 years ago and has developed into one of the most iconic names in American wine. This will be the first time that the group has ventured outside California for any of the wines in their portfolio, marking a move that will likely attract a new set of consumers from around the country.
“The addition of French Blue to our lineup is incredibly important for us, as it will bring our wines to an audience of drinkers who normally reach for imported wines. French Rosé continues to grow strongly in the U.S., and French Blue can compete with anyone in that category,” notes David Brown, Senior Vice President of Sales at C. Mondavi. “The past four months have forced us to innovate in a number of different ways, and this will be one of the many steps we take to remain at the forefront of the industry.”
Indeed, with much of the world still under the constraints of the Coronavirus Pandemic, there has been an extra urgency for evolution from those in the industry—especially from vignerons themselves, who have seen many sales from their on-premise accounts dry up in the last number of months.
“Having the C. Mondavi & Family team behind us means I can focus on making the best wines possible while they focus on growing the brand,” said Stephanie Rivin, winemaker at French Blue.
C. Mondavi & Family will start with importing and distributing the 2019 vintage of French Blue Bordeaux Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc.
About C. Mondavi & Family:
C. Mondavi & Family is a St. Helena based wine company founded in 1943 by Cesare and Rosa Mondavi. Owned and operated by co-proprietors, Marc Mondavi and Peter Mondavi Jr., along with their children, the C. Mondavi & Family portfolio includes Charles Krug Winery, CK Mondavi and Family, Purple Heart, Flat Top Hills and Divining Rod. With the third and fourth generations at the helm, the family holds over 1,500 acres of Napa Valley and California vineyards. For more information visit www.cmondavifamily.com.
About French Blue Wine:
French Blue was founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Roger Scommegna and winemaker Stephanie Rivin. Scommegna has been a founder/partner of Three Thieves wines, owner of the Boonville Hotel, and proprietor of the Anderson Valley’s Signal Ridge Vineyard, where Stephanie Rivin was winemaker.
After making wine together in the Anderson Valley for nearly a decade, Rivin relocated to Bordeaux to bring an authentic French wine experience back to the States to share with American wine lovers in a way that was easy for them to connect with. For more information visit https://www.frenchbluewine.
