The taste of success for Montana wines in U.S.

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 22

The taste of success for Montana wines in U.S.

By

JOHN HUTCHISON,

in San Francisco Montana Wines, Ltd, of New Zealand expects to have distribution by the end of this year in 20 states of the United States. The prediction was made by Neil Campbell, whose company, N.F.C., in Houston, Texas, is the master distributor for Montana. He has appointed two West Coast firms which are now developing the trade in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. Meanwhile, the New Zealand trade office has also interested Alaskan wine merchants in Montana and Gorbans wines. Mr Campbell, who said that his sales of Montana were increasing at 10 per

cent yearly, was in California recently to join Mark Compton, a Montana wine chemist, to meet dealers, wine writers, and some California wine-makers. Tastings, organised by New Zealand trade officers, have been held in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Among the wines introduced was a sparkling white, 200 cases of which have been brought in for initial trial in the American market. At about SUSI2 retail, it will face competition from highquality Californian so-called champagnes. In Los Angeles, the distributor, ' Terrazas International, reported that about 3000 cases of Montana wines have been sold since May, with sales tripling that pre-

dicted for next year. In the San Francisco area, the Leopard Trading Company reported that Montana’s Sylvaner Riesling, introduced as the house wine in a popular bar of the prestigious St Francis Hotel, was so popular that available stocks were exhausted. “It surprised us,” said Bob Kolf, partner in the trading company. “I think the wine will catch on here." New Zealand white wines have been better received in the United States than the reds. A Montana Cabernet Sauvignon, in a blind tasting recently at a reputable connoisseurs group, was placed last when tried alongside a selection of Californian wines of the same variety.