Chateau Ste. Michelle Gains Top Spot in Chain Restaurants

Woodinville

Woodinville, Wash. - In Winemetrics recently published 2010 Chain Restaurant Wine Distribution Report, Chateau Ste. Michelle has pulled ahead of Beringer in combined by-the-bottle (BTB) and by-the-glass (BTG) distribution in casual and upscale casual chains to claim the #1 spot in distribution. The Winemetrics Chain Restaurant Wine Distribution Report is considered the largest and most credible on-premise audits in the wine industry today.

In previous Winemetrics’ surveys, Beringer held the top spot in both BTB and BTG distribution due to the presence of its White Zinfandel on wine lists. However the surging popularity of the winery’s Riesling has propelled Chateau Ste. Michelle to a significant lead over Beringer in BTB distribution and to a dead heat at #1 in BTG listings. This has led to speculation that White Zinfandel drinkers are gravitating to Riesling, which often shares a similar fruit forward and sweeter style as White Zinfandel. Winemetrics states that its Chain Restaurant Report “is concerned strictly with distribution, we have focused on what we define as “wine-oriented” restaurants, those with 15 to 50 unique wines by the bottle for Casual restaurants and 51 to 100 wines for Upscale Casual chains.”

“This is an exciting milestone for Chateau Ste. Michelle,” says Jan Barnes, Vice President of Marketing for Chateau Ste. Michelle. “We credit our distribution growth to the rise in Riesling’s popularity over the last decade along with the overall brand strength of Chateau Ste. Michelle. We are also seeing our investment over the last three decades in vineyard and winemaking resources really pay off with enhanced wine quality.”

About Chateau Ste. Michelle Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington state and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The winery combines an ongoing dedication to research with a commitment to classic winemaking traditions. The winery owns 3,500 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley of eastern Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek. Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with two of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen.

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For further information:
Lynda Eller
lynda.eller@smwe.com