According to CCOF records and company news, Constellation Brands is officially planning to convert its 331 acres of the historic To Kalon vineyard in Napa to organic certification. Company spokespeople said they expect the certification to receive final approval in 2023.
The CCOF website documents the application on Sept. 22 this year. The alcoholic beverage giant, whose biggest holdings are in beer, owns Corona, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, and Pacífico, along with spirits brands and an extensive wine portfolio, would become the first publicly traded U.S. company with organic Napa vineyards.
Recently Constellation Brands bought Booker Vineyard, a Paso Robles winery with a certified organic estate, its first organic estate vineyard holding in the U.S.
Constellation already sells organically grown Pinot Grigio and Prosecco from Italy under its Ruffino brand. (The Italian wines are certified Made with Organic Grapes.
Other owners of To Kalon–MacDonald (15 acres) and Opus One (100 acres of To Kalon plus 70 additional acres across the street)–have already certified their To Kalon holdings organic.
The other main owner of To Kalon, Andy Beckstoffer, has not announced plans to pursue organic farming or certification.
Constellation's announcement comes as the $1.2 billion Chateau Ste. Michelle issued a press release saying 117 acres of its historic Stags Leap Wine Cellars in Napa are currently in conversion to organic certification, including its most prestigious and famed holdings–the 66 acre Fay vineyard (home to the wine that won the Judgment of Paris in 1976). The process of becoming organic certified takes three years and is expected to be completed in 2025.
Ste. Michelle, which makes 8.2 million cases a year, was recently purchased by private equity Sycamore Partners for $1.2 billion. The parent company has also just acquired two Oregon brands, the giant A-Z Wineworks and tiny Rex Hill (a boutique winery with about 50 acres of organic vines, that relies primarily on purchased, non-organic grapes). Those moves make Ste. Michelle the largest wine producer in Oregon.
The announcements affirm a new trend among high end brands to compete on wine quality and appealing to consumers, especially younger consumers, who like organic.
For a list of other recently announced organic conversions in Napa, see here.
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