LARKSPUR, Calif., Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a B Corp certified company, has acquired FitVine Wine, the category leader in the wellness segment, positioned to appeal to consumers that want to live an active and balanced life. The acquisition of FitVine further extends O’Neill Vintners & Distillers portfolio of brands in the growing super-premium wine.
“Our focus for the last seven years has been to build a portfolio of great brands appealing to the modern wine drinker,” said Jeff O’Neill, Founder and CEO, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. “We see a tremendous opportunity to continue to strengthen and expand FitVine nationally driven by our commercial team, distributors and trade partners.”
FitVine Wine, is a collection of varietal wines with key attributes of low sugar, low tannins, and low sulfites. The brand is also known for its no-nonsense, transparent approach to how it communicates with consumers, a great fit with O’Neill’s portfolio focused on delivering what consumers need and want to know about the wines they drink. FitVine was founded in 2015 by co-founders Tom Beaton and Mark Warren to disrupt perceptions of wine not fitting into active consumer lifestyles and is a leader in the birth of the wellness category, one of the fastest growing segments in the wine industry.
One of the fastest growing wines in the US, FitVine is currently ranked in the top 100 brands in both the Liquor and Food channels according to Nielsen ending Oct. 8, 2022. Additionally, Nielsen named FitVine as “The Best of the Best” Growth Brand award winner and its “Top 5 Growth Brand Parade” award winner. In April 2022, M. Shanken Communications named FitVine as a 2021 Impact “Hot Brand” award winner.
“The O’Neill portfolio is a natural fit and evolution for FitVine, where the brand will accelerate its expansion and recruit more passionate consumers throughout the country,” said Eric Bradley, Executive Vice President at BERKS Group, majority owner of FitVine. “We are incredibly proud of the wellness brand we have built in partnership with Tom and Mark and are confident FitVine wines will continue to deliver exceptional quality and transparency to consumers under the leadership of the talented team at O’Neill.”
About NPG/BERKS
News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG) is a privately-owned company with extensive holdings in broadcast television, newspapers and other industries across the United States. Founded in 1951, the company is currently led by the third and fourth generations of the Bradley family. The company is also pursuing further investments in food/agri-business, precision manufacturing, and technology through NPG and its diversification arm called BERKS Group. For more information, please visit www.npgco.com or www.BERKSGroup.com.