# The Wine Group

> The Wine Group is a privately held, employee-owned California wine company and the world's number-one wine producer by volume. From its roots as the maker of Franzia - the boxed wine it turned into America's best-selling wine - it has grown into a house of 60-plus brands spanning value jugs to premium bottles, including Cupcake, Chloe, Benziger, 7 Deadly, and, since 2025, Woodbridge, Meiomi, and Robert Mondavi Private Selection. It sells roughly 50 million-plus cases a year across grocery, big-box, restaurant, and direct-to-consumer channels.

- **Founded:** 1981
- **Headquarters:** Ripon, California, United States
- **Founders:** Management-led leveraged buyout (executive owners) (Founding owners)
- **Team size:** ~1,500 employees
- **Products:** Franzia, Cupcake, Chloe Wine Collection, Benziger Family Winery / Imagery Estate Winery, 7 Deadly / Cooper & Thief
- **Notable:** World's number-one wine producer by volume, Franzia has been the top-selling U.S. wine brand since 1994 and a #1 wine brand in the world by volume, Invented / popularized boxed (bag-in-box) wine with Franzia

## Products & services

- **Franzia** — The boxed wine that became America's best-selling wine brand; a value staple sold in bag-in-box formats.
- **Cupcake** — Approachable, widely distributed premium-value wine brand spanning still, sparkling and lower-calorie LightHearted lines.
- **Chloe Wine Collection** — Stylish, contemporary premium wine brand targeting modern consumers.
- **Benziger Family Winery / Imagery Estate Winery** — Sonoma-based estate wineries with a focus on sustainable and biodynamic farming.
- **7 Deadly / Cooper & Thief** — Bold red blends, including barrel-aged and spirits-finished styles.
- **Concannon, Almaden, Glen Ellen, Ava Grace, Fish Eye, Foxhorn, Mogen David, MD 20/20** — Heritage and value labels across the portfolio's broad price and style range.
- **Woodbridge, Meiomi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, SIMI, Cook's, J. Rogét** — Premium and sparkling brands acquired from Constellation Brands in 2025, expanding the company upmarket.

## Achievements

- World's number-one wine producer by volume
- Franzia has been the top-selling U.S. wine brand since 1994 and a #1 wine brand in the world by volume
- Invented / popularized boxed (bag-in-box) wine with Franzia
- Became the second-largest U.S. wine company, producing about 53 million cases annually (as of 2018)
- Grew a portfolio to 60+ (historically cited up to ~125) brands
- Completed a major 2025 acquisition of premium brands and vineyard land from Constellation Brands

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Completed acquisition of Woodbridge, Meiomi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Cook's, SIMI and J. Rogét brands, three California facilities (Monterey County, Healdsburg, and Lodi) and ~6,600 vineyard acres from Constellation Brands.
- **2025-04** — Announced agreement to acquire the Constellation Brands mainstream wine portfolio and production assets.
- **2025-03** — Profiled as shifting into 'innovation mode,' emphasizing faster product development and early moves on emerging consumer trends.
- **2023-09** — Named a new executive team: Jennifer Evans (CFO), Mike Donich (COO), and Helen Kurtz (CMO), following the planned retirements of three long-tenured leaders.

## Links

- Website: https://thewinegroup.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewinegroup
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_wine_group/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/thewinegroupau/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/the-wine-group
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13