Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits Announces the Acquisition of EPPA® SuperFruit Sangria

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits is taking another helping of the premium sangria business. On the heels of announcing the introduction of [yellow tail] sangria last month, the company has acquired Eppa SuperFruit Sangria from Miami-based Eppa Wine Company. Eppa is the world's first premium sangria made with organic grapes and superfruit juices.

"During my 53 years in the wine business I've seen a lot of changes as the demographics of the everyday wine consumer evolves, but the birth of a premium sangria is one of the most exciting and offers huge potential," said Bill Deutsch, Chairman and Founder of the 33-year, family-run privately owned Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. "While it's always been popular in the on-premise market, there's a big opportunity to make a stronger impact off-premise with premium quality ready-to-serve sangrias."

Premium sangria has grown 19.4 percent in dollar volume over the past year. Available in only a handful of markets, Eppa alone contributed 26 percent of the category's growth and quickly rose to become the leading sangria priced over $10 for a 750ml.[1] From the start, Eppa had an uncompromising vision that centered on great taste, breakthrough packaging and high quality, unique ingredients. Commenting on the acquisition, Eppa Co-Founder John Gomez said, "Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits is the perfect organization to take Eppa to new consumers and new heights. The strong leadership, capabilities and values of the company were a perfect fit for us."

Eppa SuperFruit Sangria satisfies the convergence of three consumer trends, with flavor at the forefront.  Taking a cue from the trends of the spirits industry, wines are beginning to experiment with flavors. But while most spirits primarily use flavoring, Eppa uses real fruit juice which provides a true fresh-from-the-vine flavor. Moreover, it's made with organically grown grapes and organic super-fruit juices which are directly in line with today's health-conscious consumer. The organic and wellness category is exploding. U.S. sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion 1990 to just over $29 billion.[2] Women, baby boomers and millennials who are driving the market are seeking products that are fresh, pure and better for them and the environment.  They are willing to pay a premium for these products. Finally, premium sangria is hot. According to Nielsen, the 750 ml premium sangria market continues to experience double-digit growth[3]. 

"Sweet wine brands are nearing the saturation point in terms of offerings, and we believe the next big thing in wine is premium sangria. It's the obvious next step for consumers obsessed with experimenting around new wine styles," said Peter Deutsch, CEO, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. "Premium sangria brings together what consumers love about wine and flavor in a new way, satisfying their need for variety with a real wine that's refreshing and has just the right amount of balance between sweet and tart. Products in the marketplace today are generally lower quality, which is why we are so optimistic about the premium sangria category and about Eppa SuperFruit Sangria."

Eppa Superfruit Sangria is crafted in Mendocino, California from certified organically-grown grapes and an innovative blend of real, organic superfruit juices including pomegranate, blueberry, blood orange and acai. As a result, it's antioxidant rich with two times the antioxidants compared to a glass of red wine.

"There is nothing that tastes quite like Eppa sangria in the market today. The addition of real organic fruit juice creates a unique flavor combination that is delicious, and people love that it tastes like homemade sangria. You can literally taste the slices of fruit in each glass, it's that good," said Tom Steffanci, President, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. "The future is very bright. In the few markets where it has already launched, Eppa has enjoyed tremendous success, even outselling some top wine brands in the marketplace. We commend the Eppa team for achieving such great success with the brand so far. We are excited to build on this momentum and take the brand to even greater heights."

Eppa SuperFruit Sangria is available in 750 ml with a suggested retail price of $11.99.                

About Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits: Initially called W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., the company was founded in 1981 by Chairman Bill Deutsch to market quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world. In 2009, it announced the expansion of the award-winning company to include a Spirits Portfolio. Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits' brands are sold to the trade with well-planned marketing support and are offered to U.S. consumers at fair market prices. Today the company is renowned for its brand building prowess and its ability to meet the needs of the modern consumer. Bill's son Peter Deutsch is CEO; thus two generations of the Deutsch family work side by side in their continuous quest to build strong brands and relationships throughout the wine and spirits industry.

The portfolio includes award-winning wines from Australia: [ yellow tail ], [ yellow tail ] The Reserve, [ yellow tail ] Bubbles; California: Cigar Zin, Eppa SuperFruit Sangria, Girard Winery, Kunde Family Estate, Joseph Carr, Josh Cellars, Flirt, The Calling; France: Andre Lurton, Georges Duboeuf, Hob Nob Vineyards, Patch Block, Sauvion et Fils, Vidal- Fleury; Italy: Barone Fini, Lionello Marchesi, Villa Pozzi; New Zealand: The Crossings, Nine Walks; Portugal: Quinta Do Vale Meao; Spain: Mar De Frades, Cruz de Alba, Ramon Bilbao Vinos Y Vinedo, and Volteo; Chile: Llai Llai; Argentina: Ruta 22, and award-winning spirits from LANDY Cognac (France), LUKSUSOWA Vodka (Poland), and Adult Beverage Company (USA), VILLA MASSA® Limoncello (Italy) and LICOR 43® (Spain). www.deutschfamily.com

About Eppa Wine Company: The Eppa Wine Company was created to develop innovative beverages for millennial and female consumers.  Based in Miami, Florida, former Bacardi USA friends and colleagues John Gomez, Britt West, Raul Marmol and Gonzalo de la Pezuela ventured-out on their own to launch their own brand concepts, the first of which was Eppa Superfruit Sangria. Launched in September of 2011, Eppa was able to establish a leadership position within the sangria category and became one of the most exciting entries in the wine category within one year. The Eppa Wine Company salutes all of its fans and contributing partners and thanks them for a fantastic experience spreading the Eppa cheer – EPPA!

[1] Source: A.C. Nielsen
[2] Source: Organic Trade Association's 2012 Organic Industry Survey
[3] Source: A.C. Nielsen

SOURCE Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits