Canandaigua Wine leads wine industry innovation with Vendange Wines in Tetra Prisma(R) packaging

01 Nov 2004

Popular Wine Brand Continues Canandaigua Wine’s Innovative Tradition With Smart New Container by Tetra Pak Canandaigua, N.Y. , November 9, 2004 – Canandaigua Wine Company is continuing to lead the way in innovative wine packaging with the introduction of Vendange in 500 ml Tetra Prisma ® containers. Having introduced the first sangria in Tetra Prisma containers earlier this year, Canandaigua Wine is now the first to offer varietal wines in the groundbreaking new package. This month four Vendange wines will be available nationally in Tetra Prisma containers. The stylish, convenient Tetra Prisma container from Tetra Pak is shatterproof and features new screw cap technology – called StreamCap – that is tamper evident and allows the container to be resealed once it has been opened. The unique package protects the integrity of its sensitive contents, while making Vendange wines portable and easy to store. Tetra Pak’s octagonal-shaped, 500 ml Tetra Prisma is a conveniently-sized, lightweight, portable container that holds three-plus glasses of wine and fits perfectly into the fast-paced lifestyle of today’s on-the-go consumer. Ideal for picnics – no corkscrew is required – and anywhere that glass is not allowed, the fun, stylish packages are easy to share and make festive gifts. “As a market leader in the wine industry it’s very exciting to leverage our strength by introducing another Canandaigua Wine brand in a unique package to consumers in the U.S. market,” said Gary Glass, Vice President of Marketing for Canandaigua Wine Company. “Tetra Prisma is recognized worldwide as a high-end premium package and we’re proud to expand the presence of this package to American wine consumers.” Vendange, made in California, is one of North America’s best-selling wine brands. Four of the brand’s popular varietals will be available in this innovative new packaging: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Shiraz. Each varietal will be color-coded for easy recognition in retailers nationwide. Canandaigua Wine is a trendsetter in exciting new ways to purchase wine. In April 2004, Canandaigua Wine rolled out the world’s first wine product packaged in the 500 ml Tetra Prisma container. Last year over 1.3 billion Tetra Pak wine packages were sold worldwide. “As leaders, Tetra Pak and Canandaigua Wine have again joined together to further advance industry innovation,” said Jeff Kellar, Vice President of Strategic Business Development for Tetra Pak Inc. U.S. “With Vendange’s high-quality portfolio and Tetra Pak’s packaging experience, we knew that we could create exciting new possibilities for wine.” Vendange is made by Canandaigua Wine Company, the popular-priced and premium wine producer of Constellation Wines U.S., which is part of Constellation Wines, the world’s largest wine business, an operating division of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B) (“CBI”). Constellation Wines U.S. encompasses three of CBI’s U.S. wine businesses: Canandaigua Wine Company, Pacific Wine Partners and North Lake Wines. Leading brands include Alice White, Arbor Mist, Cook’s, Covey Run, Inglenook and Talus Collection.