SANTIAGO, Chile, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Vina Concha y Toro S.A., the 5th largest wine company in the world, and Charton Hobbs, one of the leading wine and spirit distribution and agency companies in Canada, announced today the creation of a joint venture for the commercialization of brands in the Canadian market. In its first stage, this joint venture will take on the representation of Concha y Toro brands, among them Casillero del Diablo, Frontera, Marques de Casa Concha, Don Melchor and its Californian brands Fetzer and Bonterra.
This new company combines the leadership of Vina Concha y Toro and Charton Hobbs by joining a strong portfolio of brands along with the experience, business strength, and knowledge of the Canadian market. The joint venture is formed 50% by Vina Concha y Toro and 50% by Charton Hobbs.
"This new company will address several important issues for our group. First it will allow further expansion in Canada through this new national company with truly a great partner, Vina Concha y Toro, one of the leading wine producers in the world. Second it will allow our existing companies to focus their entire efforts in our present portfolios," said Duncan Hobbs, President of Charton Hobbs.
"Our business strategy has been driven by seeking a greater integration into key markets, Canada being one of them. This joint venture with a partner of the experience and success of Charton Hobbs represents without any doubt a strong platform for future development. It will allow us to better understand the needs of consumers, customers, and Liquor Boards, in order to generate value for the category. Our goal is ambitious; we want to develop a world-class distribution and agency company with a focused portfolio composed by our own brands and from third party producers," said Eduardo Guilisasti, CEO of Vina Concha y Toro.
About Vina Concha y Toro
Founded in 1883, Vina Concha y Toro is the largest wine producer from Latin America and one of the 5 most important wine companies in the world, with presence in 145 countries. The company owns about 10,700 hectares of vineyards in Chile, Argentina and the United States. Its wine portfolio includes the icon Don Melchor, and best-selling Casillero del Diablo, Marques de Casa Concha and Frontera, as well as Trivento wines from Argentina and Fetzer and Bonterra wines from California. The company has 3,596 employees and its headquarters are in Santiago, Chile. www.conchaytoro.com
About Charton Hobbs
Charton-Hobbs Inc. was founded in 1988 through a partnership formed between two respected family-owned wine & spirit divisions of Basil D. Hobbs Inc., founded in 1925 and Herdt & Charton Inc., founded in 1923.
Today Charton-Hobbs, in addition to being one of the longest standing wine and spirit agencies in Canada, is also one of the largest privately owned national sales and marketing companies committed to delivering premium beverage alcohol experience to the Canadian consumers. www.chartonhobbs.com
SOURCE Vina Concha y Toro S.A.
