Constellation Brands

The origins of this U.S. beverage giant, headquartered in Fairport, New York State, date back to 1945, when Marvin Sands (1926-1999) founded "Canandaigua Industries Co" with eight employees in the city of Canandaigua near the Finger Lakes area. He had learned winemaking from father Mack Sands at his Car-Cal Winery in North Carolina. Marvin's goal was to produce inexpensive bulk wine. In 1972 the company was renamed the Canandaigua Wine Company and in 1974 the Bisceglia Brothers Winery in Madera, California was purchased. In the 1980s the company was extremely successful with Coolers.

Through continuous acquisitions of wineries, wineries, beer and spirit brands and companies, Constellation Brands has developed into one of the world's largest wine companies. These were 1974 Bisceglia Brothers Winery, 1982 Batavia Wine Cellars, 1987 Manischewitz and Widmer's Wine Cellars, 1991 Guild Wineries (with Dunnewood and Cook's), 1993 Vintners International (with Paul Masson and Taylor California Cellars), 1994 Almaden Vineyards and the Inglenook brand, 1998 Arbor Mist, 1999 Franciscan and Simi Winery, 2003 the Australian Multi Hardy Wine Company, 2004 the Californian Mondavi Winery and 2006 the Canadian Multi Vincor International. The Almaden Vineyards, Paul Masson and Inglenook wineries were sold to the Wine Group in 2008.

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Constellation Brands

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Constellation Brands

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