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Constellation Brands has announced the sale of a portion of its mainstream and premium wine portfolio to The Wine Group. Among the labels included in the deal are: Cooper & Thief, Crafters Union, The Dreaming Tree and Monkey Bay. The decision forms part of the company’s portfolio premiumisation efforts and follows the sale of 30 wine brands to E & J Gallo. Constellation says that it is “focused on competing predominantly in premium and fine wine and craft spirits segments, while continuing to invest in the growth of its remaining strategic mainstream wine and spirits assets”. Robert Hanson, EVP and president of Constellation Brands’ wine and spirits division, commented: “A key driver of our success has been our relentless focus on consumer preferences, including long-term consumer-led premiumisation trends, and remaining agile in our approach to stay ahead of evolving marketplace dynamics”. Hanson added: “Over the past three years, we reshaped ourselves into a higher-end wine and spirits division with intentional, strategic mainstream plays and are moving our business towards becoming a leading global premium/fine wine and craft spirits portfolio. This transaction will enable us to focus and shift our portfolio towards the higher end, positioning ourselves to continue delivering industry-leading growth and shareholder value with the right portfolio for our ambitions.” Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.