Recap: 2024 Knoxville Trade Tasting

On October 2nd, 2024, Empire Distributors, Inc. of Tennessee customers and trade members were invited to our annual Trade Tasting for the Knoxville area! The 2024 Knoxville Trade Tasting brought together many of Empire’s brands with retail & on-premise beverage buyers from across the Knoxville, TN area. Read on to get a recap at some of the suppliers & brands that attended the event and their featured items available in the Knoxville, Tennessee market.

Sovereign Brands

About Sovereign Brands: Sovereign Brands is a family-owned, family-run wine & spirits company dedicated to the creation and development of unique, premium beverage brands. Our portfolio includes Luc Belaire, a smash-hit premium French sparkling wine, along with Bumbu, a collection of rum brands from Barbados and Panama, McQueen and the Violet Fog, a unique Brazilian gin, Villon, a unique French liqueur, and The Deacon, an exquisite blended Scotch whisky.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Bumbu Rum Handcrafted Cream Liqueur, Bumbu Rum Orignal, Bumbu XO Rum, Luc Belaire Rose, Luc Belaire Bleu, Luc Belaire Gold Brut, Luc Belaire Luxe Rose, Luc Belaire Luxe, McQueen and the Violet Fog Gin, McQueen and the Violet Fog Red Berry and Hibiscus Ultraviolet Edition Gin, The Deacon Scotch and Villon Spiced French Liqueur

Wagner Family of Wine

About Wagner Family of Wine: The Wagner family is proud to showcase a collection of wines that have earned a reputation for quality and consistency, sourced from premier winegrowing regions of California and beyond. It’s been over 45 years since Chuck Wagner, along with his parents, Charlie and Lorna Wagner, founded Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Chuck continues to make two world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignons under the Caymus label from Napa Valley. His older son, Charlie, produces coastal Mer Soleil Chardonnays and is Director of Winemaking for Conundrum, which now includes four wines – a red, white, sparkling and rosé. Charlie’s latest endeavor is Red Schooner, a rich dark Malbec made from grapes grown in the Andes Mountains, shipped chilled to Napa Valley and produced in the supple Caymus style. Older daughter Jenny is winemaker for Emmolo Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley. Both of her wines offer a fresh take on these varietals, with a style not typically expected from their production in California.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Caymus California Cabernet, Caymus Napa Cabernet 50th Anniversary, Conundrum White Blend, Emmolo Merlot, Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc, Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay and Sea Sun Pinot Noir

Prestige Beverage

About Prestige Beverage: Founded in 1974, Prestige Beverage Group is an industry leading importer and brand owner of award-winning wines and spirits from around the globe. Prestige’s portfolio of 70-plus brands includes The Whistler Whiskey, LANA Tequila, 2XO Whiskey and more.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: 2XO Bourbon Whiskey American Oak, 2XO Bourbon Whiskey French Oak, 2XO Bourbon Whiskey ICON Series “Sneakerhead”, Lana Anejo, Lana Blanco, Lana Reposado, Ricura Horchata Cream Liqueur, The Whistler Beekeepers Select Irish Honey, The Whistler Blenders Select Irish Cream and The Whistler Double Oaked Irish Whiskey

Beam Suntory

About Beam Suntory.: As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands. Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: -196 Vodka RTD Variety Pack, Delola Spritz Margarita Light, Jim Beam Winter Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, Jim Beam 4 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, Jim Beam 7 Years Old Black Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Jim Beam Special Release Sunshine Blend Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Knob Creek 7 Year Old Rye Whiskey and  Knob Creek Bourbon X Rye Blended Straight Whiskeys

Bacardi

About Bacardi: Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including Bacardi Rum, Patron Tequila, and other leading and emerging brands.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Finish Bourbon, Bacardí 8 Years Old Reserva Ocho Rare Gold Rum, Bacardí Cask Finish Series 8 Years Old Sevillian Orange Cask Finish Reserva Ocho Rum, Ilegal Mezcal Special Edition Añejo Mezcal Artesanal 100% Maguey Espadín, Ilegal Mezcal Special Edition Joven Mezcal Artesanal 100% Maguey Espadín, Ilegal Mezcal Special Edition Reposado Mezcal Artesanal 100% Maguey Espadín, Patrón Cristalino Tequila, Patrón Reposado El Alto Tequila 100% de Agave, Patrón XO Cafe Coffee Liqueur, Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum, Santa Teresa 1796 Special Edition Arabica Coffee Cask Finish Triple Aged Solera Rum, Tequila Cazadores Café Coffee Liqueur, Tequila Cazadores Cristalino Añejo Tequila and Tequila Patrón Añejo Tequila 100% de Agave

Hall Family Wines

About Hall Family Wines: HALL is a family-owned winery committed to creating world class wines from the most unique high-quality sites throughout California and Oregon. Entering their 6th decade of winegrowing, the family produces high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel under the HALL, WALT, and BACA brands respectively.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: BACA ‘Double Dutch’ Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard Paso Robles, Hall ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Hall ‘Napa Valley’ Sauvignon Blanc, Walt ‘Sonoma Coast’ Chardonnay and Walt ‘Sta. Rita Hills’ Pinot Noir

Jackson Family Wines

About Jackson Family Wines: Jackson Family Wines, based in Sonoma County – in the heart of California’s wine country – is one of the few family-owned and operated winery groups of its kind. Founded in 1983 with a focus on artisanal wines of distinct character and quality, Jackson Family Wines’ portfolio of wineries includes Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Freemark Abbey, Murphy-Goode, Stonestreet, Matanzas Creek and Cambria (plus many more!), as well as a collection of luxury wineries such as Cardinale, Lokoya and Verite.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Diatom Chardonnay Bar-M Santa Barbara County, Gran Moraine Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton District, Gran Moraine Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District, Hartford RRV Chardonnay, La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, La Crema Pinot Noir Monterey, La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, La Crema Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, La Crema Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County, Siduri Wines Chardonnay Sonoma County and Siduri Wines Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County

Kobrand Wine & Spirits

About Kobrand Wine & Spirits: Kobrand proudly takes to market a distinguished portfolio of hand-selected brands representing virtually every major wine region of the world and its finest specialty spirits. Family-owned since its founding in 1944, Kobrand attributes its success to a single guiding principle that describes the people, products, and relationships behind it: quality. This commitment to quality woven through Kobrand’s evolution also drives its strong commitment to innovating compelling and relevant new products.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Bezel Wines Chardonnay Edna Valley, Bezel Wines Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, Bezel Wines Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc, Bezel Wines Pinot Noir Edna Valley, Montes Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Colchagua, Montes Classic Series Malbec Valle del Colchagua, Montes Icon Series Purple Angel Valle del Colchagua and Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Colchagua

Treasury Wine Estates

About Treasury Wine Estates: At Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) we have a great passion for wine. Everything we do at TWE is dedicated to realising our vision of becoming the world’s most admired premium wine company. With over 11,300 hectares of vineyards and 70-plus wine brands, TWE brings together some of the most popular and collected wines from Australia, California, Italy, France and New Zealand.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, DAOU Chardonnay, DAOU Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, DAOU Sauvignon Blanc, DAOU Soul of A Lion Cabernet Sauvignon, Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and Stags’ Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits

About Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits: Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits was founded in 1981 by Chairman Bill Deutsch to market quality wines produced by prestigious families from major Appellations of the world.
Product(s) at Trade Tasting: Bib & Tucker 6 Year Old Double Char Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey, Cantera Negra Reposado Tequila 100% Agave, Cantera Negra Silver Tequila 100% Agave, Force & Grace Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles, Gray Whale Gin, Josh Cellars Reserve Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, Redemption Specialty Series Batch No. 001 Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey and The Calling Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

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