BROWN-FORMAN PARTNERS WITH VIRGIN BRANDS BILLIONAIRE

Brown-Forman and British billionaire Richard Branson – founder of Virgin Atlantic – are teaming together to introduce Virgin Wines. With a motto like “Unscrew it, let’s do it,” Virgin Wines will be the latest addition to the array of attention-grabbing brands hoping to dodge the stuffy wine stereotype and go for more of a broad-based appeal.

"Wine, like life, is meant to be enjoyed," said Branson. "All the pomp and ceremony currently associated with wine just gets in the way of enjoying it."

Of course these whimsical words float easier from a billionaire’s mouth, but are certainly the attitude many consumers are looking for in a wine.

Virgin Vines’ chardonnay and shiraz officially hit shelves Monday, June 19 and go for $9.99 a bottle, a popular pricing category. The wine bottles will feature screwcap closures with a pull tab and the following message on the back:

"Dare to enjoy this wine without dashes of pretentiousness or hints of snootiness. Virgin Vines believes wine should be all about having fun and loving the taste ... not waxing poetically about meaningless wine-speak and food pairings."

Younger, unseasoned wine drinkers trading up for a more “impressive” image will likely go for this brand.

Brown-Forman will distribute and market the new product, believing it “will be a leading California wine brand within three years," said Brown-Forman brand director Don Freytag.