Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/658375
20 WINES&VINES April 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS 䐀椀猀挀漀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀 䌀甀瘀攀 猀攀爀椀攀猀 戀礀 漀爀搀攀爀椀渀最 愀 猀愀洀瀀氀攀 欀椀琀 昀爀漀洀 漀甀爀 眀攀戀猀椀琀攀⸀ 甀渀洀椀猀琀愀欀愀戀氀攀 昀氀愀瘀漀爀猀 䌀唀嘀䔀䔀 匀䔀刀䤀䔀匀 攀瘀伀䄀䬀ᤠ猀 䌀甀瘀攀 匀攀爀椀攀猀 漀昀 漀愀欀 挀栀椀瀀猀 愀渀搀 琀愀渀欀 猀琀愀瘀攀猀 愀爀攀 挀爀愀昀琀攀搀 甀猀椀渀最 瀀爀漀瀀爀椀攀琀愀爀礀 戀愀琀挀栀 琀攀挀栀渀漀氀漀最礀 琀漀 礀椀攀氀搀 琀愀爀最攀琀攀搀 昀氀愀瘀漀爀 戀氀攀渀搀猀⸀ 䔀愀挀栀 戀氀攀渀搀 ⠀一漀Ⰰ 一漀㈀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 一漀㌀⤀ 椀猀 昀漀爀洀甀氀愀琀攀搀 眀椀琀栀 挀攀爀琀愀椀渀 昀氀愀瘀漀爀 挀栀愀爀愀挀琀攀爀椀猀琀椀挀猀 椀渀 洀椀渀搀 琀漀 栀攀氀瀀 礀漀甀 挀爀愀昀琀 眀椀渀攀猀 琀栀愀琀 愀爀攀 琀爀甀氀礀 最爀攀愀琀⸀ 眀眀眀⸀漀愀欀猀漀氀甀琀椀漀渀猀最爀漀甀瀀⸀挀漀洀 S an Rafael, Calif.—The wine industry's leading media and marketing company, Wine Communications Group, part- nered with beverage alcohol advisory firm BW166 to acquire the publishing business of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates (GFA), the wine industry economic analyst that publishes The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report. Hugh Tietjen, chairman of Wine Commu- nications Group, and Jon Moramarco, founder and managing partner of BW166, announced the acquisition March 1. "We are happy to be able to continue the legacy of accurate, exhaustive, in-depth mar- ket research and reporting that Jon Fredrikson has so firmly established," Tietjen and Mora- marco said in a joint statement. "With the considerable additional data and analytical resources that our two companies bring to the deal, the GFA publications will provide even more valuable services." The new owners are buying the interest in GFA that has been held by WX since 2000. WX (formerly Winery Exchange) is a leading supplier of national and exclusive brands of wine, beer and spirits. " G o m b e r g - Fredrikson has been an integral p a r t o f t h e growth of WX into the company we are today," said Peter Byck, CEO of WX. A l l r e p o r t s currently being supplied to GFA clients will con- tinue uninterrupted, and Jon Fredrikson will initially continue to author The Gomberg- Fredrikson Report. Wine Communications Group currently owns Wines & Vines and Wine Business Monthly magazines, Winejobs.com and their related industry research and events businesses. The extensive databases and data analytics of Wines Vines Analytics and BW166 will be linked to existing GFA reporting to provide the wine industry's most extensive and com- prehensive data to clients. In addition to producing the historic GFA reports including The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report, the WINEDATA Wine Pricing Report and the Distilled Spirits Pricing Monitor, under the new ownership, GFA also will offer clients the industry data reporting of BW166 and the Distributor Market Service from Wines Vines Analytics. GFA is widely quoted as the authoritative, nationwide source on wine production and sales statistics and analysis. Jon and Eileen Fredrikson have operated the professional consulting firm since 1983. On an ongoing basis, they will separately continue to oper- ate their consulting and real estate practice as Fredrikson & Co. Jon Fredrikson said, "Eileen and I are pleased that the wine industry reports ini- tially created by Lou Gomberg so many de- cades ago will be under the stewardship of Hugh Tietjen and Jon Moramarco. We have a great deal of respect for these knowledge- able industry veterans." —Jim Gordon Wines & Vines' Owner and BW166 Buy Gomberg Fredrikson Reports Jon Fredrikson