Dear Client:
Trinchero Family Wine & Spirits announced today it has agreed to acquire California sparkling wine house Mumm Napa from Pernod Ricard. No financial details were shared.
Mumm Napa was established in the late 1970s, and was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2005 as part of its larger acquisition of Allied Domecq. Mumm Napa is among the top five domestic sparkling wine brands, trending ahead of the sparkling wine category in Circana scans.
The acquisition includes the destination winery and sparkling wine production facilities in Rutherford, Napa Valley. The current Mumm Napa team will join Trinchero as well.
“This is an exciting acquisition for our family and organization,” says Mario Trinchero, third-generation owner and chairman of the board. “The addition of such a storied and respected brand to our portfolio is the continuation of the legacy that our grandparents began in 1948 with a small winery in Napa Valley.”
“Mumm Napa is a strategic addition, bringing scale, distribution strength, and brand equity,” adds president and ceo Bob Torkelson. “As one of California’s top sparkling brands with a loyal consumer base, we’re confident it will play an important role as we continue to drive sustained growth for Trinchero Family Wine & Spirits.”
Meanwhile, Pernod has been divesting its wine business in recent years. Indeed, in 2024 the drinks company sold its portfolio of strategic international wines, including Jacob’s Creek, Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, and more to Australian Wine Holdco Limited, leading to the creation of Vinarchy.
A-B HITS BACK AT STATESIDE OVER TRADEMARK SUIT
Anheuser-Busch has responded to Surfside parent Stateside Brands’ trademark lawsuit accusing the beer giant of wrongfully copying Surfside’s brand look with its Skimmers vodka RTD. A-B’s take? Neither Surfside nor Skimmers’ packaging is all that unique, but instead emblematic of the category trend, reports sister publication Beer Business Daily.
Recall, back in October, Stateside filed suit accusing A-B of infringing its trade dress, claiming consumers were likely to confuse the two brands and think they were affiliated [see WSD 10-23-2025]. The filing specifically pointed to similarities in the Surfside and Skimmers packs, including a gradient color design on bottom, white background with a sun design, and a colored rim drawn from bottom scheme.
But in its answer to Surfside’s complaint, filed over the weekend in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, A-B claims that Surfside “conceals the competitive landscape” of RTDs, which “all employ very similar packaging with the core elements of that packaging being white or ‘clean’ backgrounds, a sun and/or beach or outdoor relaxation theme, and use of colors to function as an indication of the product flavor profile.”
To drive the point home, A-B included an image titled “Exemplary Competitive Beverage Products” which included can images of not only Surfside and Skimmers but also of Sun Cruiser, Hoop Tea, High Noon, Lucky One Lemonade, White Claw, Deep Eddy Vodka + Tea, Good Boy Vodka, Cutwater and more.
“None” of the elements commonly found in the above brands “are source-identifying,” A-B argues, “rather, they are utilized by many players in the RTD beverage industry to suggest that the product is light, refreshing, fun and flavorful.” And “while Stateside’s alleged trade dress might be different than others, it is certainly not unique,” A-B says.
SKIMMERS DESIGN EMULATES CUTWATER, NOT SURFSIDE. A-B offers a further look into its design process, saying that Skimmers attempts to emulate one of its own brands, Cutwater, with Cutwater vodka being one of the ingredients in the RTD brand.
“The chevron pattern and skimmer bird are nods back to Cutwater’s distinctive label design,” A-B claims, displaying a side-by-side comparison showing those shared design elements from both the Cutwater and Skimmers Vodka Iced Tea brand offerings. “Skimmers’ use of a superior spirits base from a sister brand results in a superior product,” A-B continues, surmising “that is what is really driving this lawsuit – fear of competition, not trademark law.”
A-B contends that Surfside’s federal and state trademark claims are barred and cannot be protected under the Lanham Act because no actual confusion occurred and A-B’s adoption of its Skimmers’ brand appearance was protected by the doctrine of fair use and its conduct was in good faith. As such, A-B denies “any infringement of any valid and enforceable trade dress” and “that any of its actions constitute unfair competition.”
A-B asks the court to dismiss Surfside’s claims with prejudice; declare that parent company Stateside has “no exclusive right to their purported trade dress;” and award A-B’s attorney’s fees and legal costs. Stay tuned.
WSD BRIEFS:
BRONCO WINE CO. NAMES NEW CHIEF OF WINEMAKING. Bronco Wine Company today announced the appointment of Deb Juergensen as chief of winemaking. Deb has more than two decades of industry experience under her belt, previously working at E& J Gallo, helping to build brands like RedRock and Apothic. “Deb is a dynamic leader whose approach to winemaking bridges deep technical knowledge, creativity, and an understanding of how people enjoy wine today,” says Bronco ceo Dom Engels. “Her experience developing some of the country’s most successful wine brands, paired with her passion for winemaking innovation and craftsmanship, aligns perfectly with our vision for the future.”
UPDATE: HOTEL ROOM BLOCK EXTENDED. After all my fuss about securing your reduced room rate by today, Jessica was able to get the Hotel Del to extend the room block rate until December 21. Book here.
The Beer, Wine & Spirits Summit is Jan. 18-20, 2026 at Hotel del Coronado near San Diego.
Until tomorrow,
Your editors
Sarah Barrett, Executive Editor
Hana Kruger, Editor
“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” – Jane Austen
——- Sell Day Calendar ———
Today’s Sell Day: 12
Sell days this month: 22
Sell days this month last year: 21
This month ends on a: Wed.
This month last year ended on a: Tues.
YTD sell days Over/Under:-1
