Kobrand Corporation, a leading wine and spirits importer with a distinguished portfolio of hand-selected brands from around the world, is thrilled to welcome Bodega Norton to its portfolio of fine wines, effective January 1, 2020. Kobrand will be the exclusive U.S. importer for the brand and responsible for all sales and marketing activities in the United States.
Robert DeRoose, CEO of Kobrand, shared how pleased he is to announce the addition of the prestigious, family owned and managed Bodega Norton brand into the Kobrand portfolio. Additionally, he explained “Kobrand has been in the fine wine business for 75 years, over which time we have developed our portfolio to be both complete and diverse. From a strategic perspective, we follow a ‘pillar’ approach. Our first pillar was our French portfolio, anchored by cornerstone brands Champagne Taittinger and Maison Louis Jadot. Then, as a leading player in the on-premise channel, we saw the growth of Italian restaurants in America and built a second pillar: our Italian portfolio. Given the volume of American wine sold in the USA, we saw a powerful American portfolio as a third pillar that was necessary to our future and now have a footprint encompassing Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Washington, and Oregon. With the addition of Bodega Norton, following our partnership with Vina Montes earlier this year, and coupled with our historic Alta Vista, Chacra and Altamana brands, we are pleased to announce a fourth pillar: our South American portfolio. Given the high quality and exceptional value that the wine regions of Argentina and Chile deliver, we have strong belief in these brands and are committed to growing them over the long-term through our consistent, disciplined approach to market.”
With a rich history encompassing 125 years, Bodega Norton is one of the most recognized Argentinean wineries in the world and is internationally distinguished for its focus on quality, innovation, and premium wines that convey a sense of place. Founded in 1895 as the first winery in Mendoza by English engineer Edmund James Palmer Norton, Bodega Norton was purchased in 1989 by Gernot Langes-Swarovski of the Austrian crystal dynasty. Today the business is run by his son Michael Halstrick and the winemaking team is led by David Bonomi, considered one of the best winemakers in South America.
Bodega Norton is one of the most-awarded Argentine wine brands in the US, and combines a modern, state-of-the-art facility with rich heritage and old-world charm. It has five vineyards, each 30-80 years old, situated at the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Luján de Cuyo within a privileged zone known as Primera Zona (First Zone) for the quality of its grapes. Additionally, Norton recently expanded its holdings to similarly high-quality micro terroirs in the Uco Valley and Patagonia regions.
Michael Halstrick, CEO of Norton, expressed his delight in the new partnership saying, “I’m very excited about our wines becoming a part of the Kobrand Wine & Spirits portfolio. They are a family-owned company that shares our values and focus on quality. Our partnership combines Norton’s high-quality wines with Kobrand’s professional approach to market. We look forward to a long partnership, working together toward great success.”
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