Bota Box Label Remains Breadwinner For California’s Delicato Family Wines

The majority of volume remains in the core 3-liter box, but Bota has also expanded into newer formats like 1.5-liter boxes and 500-ml. Tetra Paks.

California’s Delicato Family Wines has been on a remarkable growth run, with volume roughly tripling from 4 million cases in 2010 to approximately 12 million cases currently. While the family-owned winery has diversified recently, gaining a foothold in both domestic and imported fine wines, its breadwinner remains the Bota Box label, which has earned eleven Impact “Hot Brand” awards on its way to a projected 8 million cases last year. The majority of volume remains in the core 3-liter box ($23), but Bota has also expanded into newer formats like 1.5-liter boxes and 500-ml. Tetra Paks. “In Nielsen data, the 500-ml. has been accelerating, up 35% over the last 52 weeks, 40% over the last 26 weeks, and now 50% over the last 13 weeks,” Delicato president and CEO Chris Indelicato said on November 4. Meanwhile, the brand’s Nitehawk extension, which is geared toward bolder flavor profiles like its Gold Buttery Chardonnay, is now releasing three new offerings: Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon, Lush Pinot Noir, and Vibrant Sauvignon Blanc. “Nitehawk is aimed at the 21- to 24-year-old consumer who’s looking for a bigger flavor—including rich Pinot Noir, buttery Chardonnay, or Bourbon barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon,” said Indelicato. “We’ll now have an entry in each of those flavor profiles.” He added that Nitehawk isn’t cannibalizing Bota’s other SKUs, with the majority of its volume coming from other brands and sizes. Overall, Nitehawk is expected to surpass 1 million cases by year’s end.