Wine Lovers Generate Some Serious Monkey Business for Monkey Bay; Fans of Best-Selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Line up for 2005 Vintage

The vine-hued primate in question adorns the label of a zesty,refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand called Monkey Bay.Introduced in the U.S. last January by Canandaigua Wine Company, thewine quickly became the best-selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc inthe U.S.(1), a notable achievement given the explosive, worldwidegrowth in popularity of New Zealand's signature white wine.

The unprecedented appeal of Monkey Bay led to the quickdisappearance of its maiden 2004 vintage from store shelves, promptingthe monkey to scamper back to New Zealand to whip up the 2005 vintage(produced in March given New Zealand's southern hemisphere location).With wine enthusiasts clamoring for their new favorite wine,Canandaigua pulled out all the stops to get the 2005 vintage bottled,shipped and on store shelves by mid-August, so Monkey Bay fans couldenjoy its mouthwatering citrus and tropical fruit flavors with theirlate-summer picnics, barbecues, and pool parties.

Among the many retailers delighted by Monkey Bay's return is WholeFoods Market, America's leading retailer of natural and organic foods.Last winter, the 2004 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc became itssingle-best-selling wine. Marc Jonna, National Buyer for Whole Foods,anticipates that the arrival of the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc will lurepacks of Monkey Bay fans to Whole Foods Markets' wine aisles.

"We expect people will be lining up to get their hands on the newrelease of the 2005 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc," said Jonna in July."The 2004 vintage was a huge success with our customers and we expectthe '05 to be even better."

Like its predecessor, Monkey Bay 2005 Sauvignon Blanc was producedfrom prime vineyards in the cool Marlborough district of New Zealand'sSouth Island, the world's leading Sauvignon Blanc region. Once again,it's delightfully fresh and lively, with succulent grapefruit andlemon flavors accented by delicate herbal tones. Crisp and refreshing,its intense fruit and zesty acidity are balanced by a richness andcomplexity derived from maturation on the yeast lees.

Canandaigua Wine introduced Monkey Bay -- whose whimsical labelwas designed by Harkness Walker Design, creator of Australia's wildlysuccessful Yellow Tail label -- to address the growing thirst ofAmerican wine lovers for New Zealand's fresh, zingy sauvignon blancs.The company's affiliation with Nobilo Wine Group, New Zealand'sleading sauvignon blanc producer, afforded access to choice fruit fromMarlborough's renowned Wairau Valley, which is close by the famedCloudy Bay, of which Monkey Bay is a part. The region's cool maritimeclimate, long, sunny days, and well-drained gravel soils producegrapes with rich tropical fruit, racy herbal tones and crisp acidity.

When Monkey Bay fans go to the store to purchase the 2005Sauvignon Blanc, they'll find another tasty treat awaiting them --Monkey Bay 2004 Chardonnay. The new wine was produced from grapesgrown in three top New Zealand growing regions: Gisborne, on the eastcoast of the North Island (known as the "Chardonnay Capital" of NewZealand"); Hawkes Bay, south of Gisborne on the east coast of theNorth Island, and Marlborough, on the northeastern tip of the SouthIsland.

"Monkey Bay Chardonnay displays the same appealing qualities thathave made the Sauvignon Blanc such a success," says Canandaigua Wine'sTim Peters, Monkey Bay's marketing director. "It's a delicious,fruit-driven wine with ripe citrus, melon and peach aromas, a rich,creamy texture and vibrant lemon/lime and stone fruit flavors.Balanced acidity provides a lingering, refreshing finish.

"With Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc and, now, Chardonnay, we're ableto offer consumers outstanding examples of the winning New Zealandstyle at a very attractive suggested retail price of $9.99," Peterssays. "Both wines exude the vibrant, food-friendly qualities lovers ofNew Zealand wines prize."

Now that Monkey Bay aficionados have two crowd-pleasing NewZealand wines to anticipate each summer, retailers should be addingAugust to their list of favorite months.

Monkey Bay is imported by Canandaigua Wine Company, thepopular-priced and premium wine producer of Constellation Wines U.S.,which is part of Constellation Wines, the world's largest winebusiness, an operating division of Constellation Brands, Inc.(NYSE:STZ) (NYSE:STZ.B) ("CBI"). Constellation Wines U.S. encompassesthree of CBI's U.S. wine businesses: Canandaigua Wine Company, PacificWine Partners, and North Lake Wines. Leading brands include AliceWhite, Arbor Mist, Cook's, Covey Run, Inglenook, Robert MondaviPrivate Selection, Talus Collection, Vendange, and Woodbridge byRobert Mondavi.

(1) Based on IRI data for 4 weeks ending Mar 20, 2005.