Constellation Buys Five of Charles Smith

An end of an era: Constellation Buys Five of Charles Smith's Washington Wine Brands

ARGH!!! There goes the neighborhood. I swear to god, it was bad enough when Foley was buying up all of Santa Barbara, but Washington State!? Constellation: making fine wine the Mouton Cadet of the American market. Blech.

Let us all pray they do not destroy the wines.

From Wine Spectator this week: "The wine giant expands its premium portfolio with a stable of quirkily labeled wines, including Kung Fu Girl Riesling.

Constellation Brands added to its burgeoning collection of premium wine brands, announcing this morning an agreement to purchase five Washington brands from Charles Smith Wines. With this deal, Constellation says it will become the second largest supplier of Washington state wines. The purchase comes on the heels of Constellation's acquisition of two California brands:

• The Prisoner in April for $285 million and
• The Pinot Noir brand Meiomi in 2015 for $315 million

Smith is selling Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Eve Chardonnay, Boom Boom Syrah, Velvet Devil Merlot and Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon."