Wine Industry Report

William Grant & Sons USA recently announced that veteran wine importer and authority Martin Sinkoff has joined the company as Wine Director. Sinkoff brings with him nearly three decades of wine experience and will be instrumental in continuing to evolve William Grant & Sons into a luxury spirits & wine company.

Sinkoff will report directly to West and will be responsible for
shaping the company’s overall wine strategy and leading its wine marketing
activities. His hiring comes at an exciting time for the company with
Brancaia’s Ilatraia 2003 and Toscana Il Blu 2004 both receiving 96 point
ratings from Wine Spectator in 2006 and Quinta do Noval being named “Winery
of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast.
Most recently, Sinkoff has been a marketing consultant for Pasternak
Wine Imports in Harrison, NY, a role he accepted after building Martin
Sinkoff Wines, Inc. based in Dallas, TX and then selling the company to
Pasternak. With Pasternak Wine Imports, Sinkoff was instrumental in
bringing new attention to the wines of Domaines Barons de Rothschild
(Lafite). Among the brands that Martin Sinkoff Wines, Inc. helped bring to
American audiences were Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Brillet Cognac and
Reserve St. Martin. Prior to that, Sinkoff was President of Val d’Orbieu
Wines and, prior to that, Director of Fine Wines for Glazer’s Wholesale
Distributors also located in Dallas.
William Grant & Sons Ltd., of which William Grant & Sons USA is the
domestic subsidiary, is an award-winning independent family-owned distiller
founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by the fifth generation of
his family. The company distils some of the world’s leading brands of
Scotch whisky, including the world’s favorite single malt, Glenfiddich,(R)
The Balvenie(R) range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s fourth-
largest blended Scotch, Grant’s(R). The company also distils other spirits
including Hendrick’s(R) Gin, recently rated #1 gin by the Wall Street
Journal. William Grant & Sons USA also imports a diverse portfolio of fine
wines from Europe and Latin America and makes Bennett Family Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon and Russian River Valley Chardonnay.