Constellation Brands, New Zealand's largest exporter of wine to the United States, has sold its Marlborough-based Riverlands Winery to the Giesen Group.
The brand, which owns three wineries in New Zealand, said Riverlands was "no longer suited to [it's] ambitious growth plans".
The sale is expected to settle in mid-December, in time for the 2021 harvest.
Simon Towns, managing director of Constellation Brands New Zealand, said higher demand in the US for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc combined with a decline in demand for Pinot Noir was a key driver in the decision to sell the winery.
"For us, the majority of our growth continues to be from Sauvignon Blanc and this
divestment allows us to focus our efforts on our state-of-the-art Drylands operation to leverage its full efficiency in growing high-end Sauvignon Blanc," Towns said on Monday.
Family-owned Giesen Group said it was hopeful all current employees at Riverlands would join its staff.
