A Glass of Red Guitar

Press release
Source: Constellation Wines U.S.

Red Guitar 2005 Tempranillo Garnacha. (Photo: Business Wire)

"Red Guitar is a tribute to the incredible Spanish lifestyle," says Nick Withers, Brand Manager for Red Guitar. "It captures the vibrant soul of Spain, as exemplified in such great modern artists and musicians as Picasso, Miro and Andres Segovia. The Spanish are credited with inventing what we now know as the modern guitar back in the 16th century."

Grapes for Red Guitar are sourced from select old-vine vineyards in Lerga, nestled in the very heart of Navarra. The region has grown grapes since the time of the ancient Romans, and its location, between Bordeaux and Rioja, has encouraged growers to combine the best of both worlds in their quest for quality.

"Some of the vineyards in Lerga, which provide fruit for Red Guitar, are more than one hundred years old," says Withers. "And most of the families that farm those vineyards have done so for more than four generations. They take great pride in the personal attention they give to each vine." The wine is produced by Bodegas ADA, a small producer dedicated to quality and innovation in the Navarra region.

In 1927, the citizens of Lerga took a dramatic step. A group of fifty-two grape growers united behind a local priest, and formed a consortium to buy back the land of Lerga, the majority of which was owned by a local noble family, headed by the Count of Guendulain.

Each of the fifty-two growers were given equal parcels of these vineyards to run, work, and tend themselves. Since 1927, the grape growers in Lerga have taken enormous pride in the fact that they own and manage the vineyards that they purchased with their own sweat and toil. The grandchildren of these growers still continue the legacy of the now 60-100 year-old vines.

Over the past decade, wine connoisseurs have come to recognize Spain for making wine in a unique and striking style with powerful flavors and a passion for the fruits of the land. "Red Guitar exemplifies the revolution that Spain has gone through in the past ten years or so," says David Kelly, General Manager of Cellar Door. "It is a modern and stylish wine that reflects the Spanish passion and celebration of day to day life, and the combination of its remarkable features and approachability have poised Red Guitar to have a significant impact on the U.S. market."

Cellar Door's portfolio includes three Australian wines (Leasingham, Chateau Reynella and Starvedog Lane), a wine from New Zealand (The Jibe), one Chilean wine (duo), and Hayman & Hill wines from California. Cellar Door is an autonomous sales and marketing division of Pacific Wine Partners LLC, a Constellation Wines U.S. company and a leading producer of premium California wines and importer of wines from Australia and New Zealand. Constellation Wines U.S. is part of Constellation Wines, the world's largest wine business, an operating division of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)(NYSE:STZ.B) ("CBI"). Constellation Wines U.S. encompasses four of CBI's U.S. wine businesses: Icon Estates, Centerra Wine Company, Pacific Wine Partners, and North Lake Wines.