HEALDSBURG, Calif., Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the surging popularity of flavor combinations throughout the beverage industry including craft beer and craft spirits, Truett-Hurst, Inc. ("Truett-Hurst") believes craft is cool. In spring 2015 Truett-Hurst will release delicious, ready-to-drink wine based beverages under the brand California Winecraft. The products, patterned on classic mixed wine combinations, have been worldwide favorites for decades and in some cases, centuries.

Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs more than 375,000 associates who serve customers in 2,638 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. 

Allan Cook, Kroger Coordinator of Category Management - Adult Beverage Exclusive Brands announced, "We are thrilled to partner with Truett-Hurst and their local Distributors to add California Winecraft ready-to-drink wine based beverages to our product assortment for sale next spring." He adds, "Our shoppers have been favorably responding to innovation in Adult Beverages and we believe that California Winecraft's products will provide new flavor and packaging alternatives for our customers."

Based in Healdsburg in Sonoma County wine country, Truett-Hurst follows three of their major innovations in wine packaging—California Square, PaperBoy, and Wrapped Wines—with California Winecraft. The line of wine based beverages is flavored by special recipes developed by winemaker, Virginia Lambrix. Using natural fruit flavors, Ginny has painstakingly selected specific grape varieties and blended the natural flavorings to create upgraded versions of classic flavored drinks from the past. The cans will bring ready accessibility to the world's favorite wine based drinks such as Sangria, Calimocho, and Wine Spritzers.    

The initial release slated for the Kroger family of stores in the U.S. and simultaneously released in Canada will be four offerings in single-serving cans:

"Winemaker Virginia (Ginny) Lambrix took blending to a new level by selecting natural flavorings and juices to create recipes with varietal wines such as sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Added flavors make the beverages vibrant, thirst-quenching and another reason to reach into the ice chest." says Truett-Hurst CEO Phil Hurst, "Ginny's blends on this project have shown that premium wine can be the base for a range of light, accessible, delicious and unintimidating drinks"

Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Jim Kopp says, "People have been mixing wine cocktails for decades. The success of these drinks over history, as well as the more recent popularity of flavored vodkas and pre-mixed drinks is based entirely on the fact that they taste good." He adds, "The California Winecraft project is about taste!"

In keeping with Truett-Hurst's unwavering goal to change the way people think about wine, California Winecraft wines provide ease of use, a single serving, and more eco-friendliness than wines in standard glass packaging. The cans sport the showy upbeat artwork of Kevin Shaw of Stranger & Stranger

ABOUT TRUETT-HURST, INC.
Truett-Hurst, Inc. (NASDAQ: THST, www.truetthurstinc.com) is a holding company and its sole asset is the controlling equity interest in H.D.D. LLC., an innovative and fast-growing super-premium, ultra-premium and luxury wine sales, marketing and production company based in the acclaimed Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys of Sonoma County, California. Truett-Hurst, Inc. is headquartered in Healdsburg, California.

For more information on California Winecraft spring release and Truett-Hurst Inc.
Contact: Lee Hodo: lee_hodo@att.net or Elyse Morris: elyse@truetthurst.com

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130917/SF80882LOGO

SOURCE Truett-Hurst, Inc.