Wine Lovers Generate Some Serious Monkey Business for Monkey Bay; Fans of Best-Selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Line up for 2005 Vintage.

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- Once upon a time, it was the new vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau in mid-November that brought Americans streaming into their local wine shops. These days, it's the appearance in mid-August of a little green monkey.

The vine-hued primate in question adorns the label of a zesty, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand called Monkey Bay. Introduced in the U.S. last January by Canandaigua Wine Company, the wine quickly became the best-selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the U.S.(1), a notable achievement given the explosive, worldwide growth in popularity of New Zealand's signature white wine.

The unprecedented appeal of Monkey Bay led to the quick disappearance of its maiden 2004 vintage from store shelves, prompting the monkey to scamper back to New Zealand to whip up the 2005 vintage (produced in March given New Zealand's southern hemisphere location). With wine enthusiasts clamoring for their new favorite wine, Canandaigua pulled out all the stops to get the 2005 vintage bottled, shipped and on store shelves by mid-August, so Monkey Bay fans could enjoy its mouthwatering citrus and tropical fruit flavors with their late-summer picnics, barbecues, and pool parties.

Among the many retailers delighted by Monkey Bay's return is Whole Foods Market, America's leading retailer of natural and organic foods. Last winter, the 2004 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc became its single-best-selling wine. Marc Jonna, National Buyer for Whole Foods, anticipates that the arrival of the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc will lure packs of Monkey Bay fans to Whole Foods Markets' wine aisles.

"We expect people will be lining up to get their hands on the new release of the 2005 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc," said Jonna in July. "The 2004 vintage was a huge success with our customers and we expect the '05 to be even better."

Like its predecessor, Monkey Bay 2005 Sauvignon Blanc was produced from prime vineyards in the cool Marlborough district of New Zealand's South Island, the world's leading Sauvignon Blanc region. Once again, it's delightfully fresh and lively, with succulent grapefruit and lemon flavors accented by delicate herbal tones. Crisp and refreshing, its intense fruit and zesty acidity are balanced by a richness and complexity derived from maturation on the yeast lees.

Canandaigua Wine introduced Monkey Bay -- whose whimsical label was designed by Harkness Walker Design, creator of Australia's wildly successful Yellow Tail label -- to address the growing thirst of American wine lovers for New Zealand's fresh, zingy sauvignon blancs. The company's affiliation with Nobilo Wine Group, New Zealand's leading sauvignon blanc producer, afforded access to choice fruit from Marlborough's renowned Wairau Valley, which is close by the famed Cloudy Bay, of which Monkey Bay is a part. The region's cool maritime climate, long, sunny days, and well-drained gravel soils produce grapes with rich tropical fruit, racy herbal tones and crisp acidity.

When Monkey Bay fans go to the store to purchase the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, they'll find another tasty treat awaiting them -- Monkey Bay 2004 Chardonnay. The new wine was produced from grapes grown in three top New Zealand growing regions: Gisborne, on the east coast of the North Island (known as the "Chardonnay Capital" of New Zealand"); Hawkes Bay, south of Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island, and Marlborough, on the northeastern tip of the South Island.

"Monkey Bay Chardonnay displays the same appealing qualities that have made the Sauvignon Blanc such a success," says Canandaigua Wine's Tim Peters, Monkey Bay's marketing director. "It's a delicious, fruit-driven wine with ripe citrus, melon and peach aromas, a rich, creamy texture and vibrant lemon/lime and stone fruit flavors. Balanced acidity provides a lingering, refreshing finish.

"With Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc and, now, Chardonnay, we're able to offer consumers outstanding examples of the winning New Zealand style at a very attractive suggested retail price of $9.99," Peters says. "Both wines exude the vibrant, food-friendly qualities lovers of New Zealand wines prize."

Now that Monkey Bay aficionados have two crowd-pleasing New Zealand wines to anticipate each summer, retailers should be adding August to their list of favorite months.

Monkey Bay is imported by Canandaigua Wine Company, the popular-priced and premium wine producer of Constellation Wines U.S., which 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 three of CBI's U.S. wine businesses: Canandaigua Wine Company, Pacific Wine Partners, and North Lake Wines. Leading brands include Alice White, Arbor Mist, Cook's, Covey Run, Inglenook, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Talus Collection, Vendange, and Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi.

(1) Based on IRI data for 4 weeks ending Mar 20, 2005.