- E & J. Gallo Winery was awarded the exclusive rights to distribute New Zealand’s Saint Clair Family Estate wines in the United States, effective immediately. Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc will retail for $28. It is already available in select states; the national roll-out is scheduled for Q1 2018.
“Saint Clair Family Estate is well-known around the world and we are excited to introduce this award-winning Sauvignon Blanc to American consumers,” said Roger Nabedian, Senior VP/General Manager of Gallo’s Premium Wine Division.
Owners Neal and Judy Ibbotson first planted vines in 1978, and were one of the early family pioneers to the Marlborough wine industry. Today, Saint Clair Family Estate owns fifteen vineyards located throughout the Wairau, Awatere, and Omaka Valleys of Marlborough, as well as Hawkes Bay. This allows the winery to specialize its plantings by grape variety in the sub-regions that provide the most suitable terroir for each.
The Saint Clair name originated from the vineyard property, first settled by the Sinclair family. Pioneer James Sinclair built one of the first homes in Blenheim and was closely associated with the early development of the town. Over time the name of the property reverted to the original Saint ClairE