Brown-Forman breaks with Wray and Distell

27 August, 2008
Page 6 
Brown-Forman (B-F) has announced that it is ending its agreements to sell and market Wray & Nephew Jamaican rums, as well as the Distell Group of South Africa's Amarula cream liqueur and Durbanville Hills wines in the US.

The Kentucky-based company, which owns Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort, Finlandia and Fetzer wines, said the decisions were unrelated.

B-F had been looking after Appleton, Wray & Nephew and Coruba rums and had grown total sales from 96,500 nine-litre cases to 180,000 last year.

B-F will represent Wray & Nephew until April, or until it secures a new importer.

From March, Distell's Amarula and Durbanville Hills wines will be distributed in the US by AV Brands, based in Columbia, Maryland.