Jackson Family Wines said it’s products will be distributed in Illinois by Romano Beverage which will debut a new statewide distributor focused on premium wines and spirits. In Minnesota, JFW is returning to Johnson Brothers, and in Pennsylvania by Southern Glazer’s Wines & Spirits.
Jackson Family Wines maintains distributor alignment with Republic National Distributing Co. in 13 major markets as well as Breakthru Beverage in a half dozen other states. “We’ve always gone to route in each state separately,” noted Bill O’Connor, Jackson Family’s sales director, “and while these moves will shake things up a bit in the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic, it will be healthy overall for our award-winning portfolio.”
Jess Jackson and Lynn Johnson, the late founders of JFW and Johnson Brothers, respectively, were friends and partners throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s. The move back to Johnson Brothers was a “natural fit” according to O’Connor.
Jackson Family Wines is currently distributed by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, which won the business in Pennsylvania, in 13 major markets and the Jackson family has been working with Wayne Chaplin and his family for nearly 20 years.