Gallo to distribute Whyte and Mackay in the US

E&J Gallo Winery is to become the exclusive US importer for Whyte & Mackay, whose portfolio of brands includes its Whyte & Mackay blended Scotch whiskies and single malt Scotch whiskies The Dalmore and Jura.

The deal will see Gallo expand its spirits portfolio in the US, entering the whisky category for the first time.

“Our aim is to grow the availability of The Dalmore, Jura and John Barr Scotch whiskies in targeted on and off-premise accounts across the United States”, said Anna Bell, director of marketing for Gallo Spirits. “We’re excited that this partnership allows us to expand our portfolio with brands owning such a strong global equity, particularly in the luxury space.”

Whyte & Mackay, the fifth biggest producer of Scotch whisky in the world, will still play a role in strategic marketing and will support Gallo’s sales and distributor teams with active brand ambassadors.

Its whiskies are expected to retail at $45 and above per bottle for single malts and at $20 and above per bottle for blended whisky. The deal will come into effect from 1 January 2016. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Whyte & Mackay was sold by Diageo to Philippines-base spirits producer Emperador in 2015 for £430 million. The Scotch brand was put up for sale by United Spirits in February after the British Office of Fair Trading (OFT) raised concerns about Diageo’s acquisition of a controlling stake in United Spirits in November  2014, citing competition concerns.