The Wine Group

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The Wine Group, known for its Franzia "wine in a box", is the third largest wine company in the world, by volume, behind Constellation Brands and the E & J Gallo Winery. The company was first founded in 1981 with a management buyout of the wine assets of the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of New York. Its origins trace back to the Franzia Brothers winery from California, which was later sold to the Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

In addition to Franzia, The Wine Group also produces the Concannon brand of wines, as well as brands including Casarsa (an Italian wine), Corbett Canyon, Fish Eye, Foxhorn, Austin Vale, Glen Ellen, Mogen David (kosher), Morassutti (Italian) and Tribuno wines. Several premium wine-producing ventures in Chile, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand have recently become operational.

The company has one of the most efficient business-models in the industry, winning the "Winery of the Year Award" at the 2005 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, where some 10,000 industry leaders and more than 500 vendors representing growers, vintners, and allied industry members had gathered.

Key personnel as of 2005 include Chairman Art Ciocca, CEO David Kent, COO Ken Lizar, and VP Treasurer/Controller David Johnson. An interview with Art Ciocca is found at the USF MBA Podcast.

TWG has signed in September 2006, a strategic partnership with GCF groupe (the leading exporter of wine in France) the 4th largest wine producer in the world to further its products in the European market. It also acquired the Cardinal Zin and Big House brands from Bonny Doon Vineyard [1].

In January 2008, The Wine Group announced that it will purchase Almaden Vineyards, Inglenook Winery and the Paul Masson winery in Madera, California from Constellation Brands Inc. for $134 million in cash.