2019-06-01_Market_Watch

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Shanken Communications hosted its annual

Impact Hot Brand Awards party at the 76th

Annual Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of

America Convention at the Grande Lakes Orlando hotel

on April 1. The event honored 30 spirits brands, 24 domes-

tic wines, and 16 imported wines. Brands must meet strin-

gent criteria to qualify for the Hot Brands award: three

consecutive years of double-digit growth or a 2018 volume

increase of at least 15%, with special consideration given to

significant new products and to top-ten brands that advanced

at least 5% in 2018 and at least 15% since 2015. Spirits

brands must have volumes of at least 200,000 9-liter cases,

while the minimum for domestic wine is 250,000 cases, and

imported wine’s threshold is 200,000 cases.

Whiskies and Tequilas accounted for two-thirds of this year’s

spirits honorees, with standouts like Jameson from Pernod

Ricard, honored with its 18th straight Hot Brand award. Other

spirits honorees included Crown Royal, Jim Beam, Woodford

Reserve, Milagro, and Casamigos. Twelve of the 30 spirits brand

winners were whiskies, and 11 were Tequilas. But the biggest-

volume winner by far in the spirits category was Tito’s vodka,

which last year posted a volume rise of 22% to 7.4 million cases,

winning its 11th straight Hot Brand award. Tito’s has more than

doubled its volume since 2015, and now ranks second only to

Smirnoff among all spirits brands in the U.S. market.

The domestic wine awards honored the ongoing success of

big-volume brands like Black Box and Bota Box, but a number

of higher-priced franchises like Meiomi, Decoy by Duckhorn,

and Justin also collected trophies. E. & J. Gallo Winery had

four winners in the domestic wine category, the most of any

domestic player, winning for William Wycliff, Prophecy,

Chateau Souverain, and Winking Owl.

The fastest-growing wine and spirits brands toast their success

at the annual “Hot Brands” awards ceremony

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER JENSEN

72 MARKET WATCH | MARKETWATCHMAG.COM | JUNE 2019

Hot Brands Honored At

2019 WSWA Convention In Orlando

2019 WSWA HOT BRANDS PARTY