HARPOON INVESTS IN 9O+

Has Harpoon Brewery gotten into the wine biz? Sort of. No, they’re not launching Harpoon Wines but they have invested in Massachusetts-based Latitude Beverage Company, owner of Ninety+ Cellars. Launched by Kevin Mehra and Brett Vankoski, 9O+ Cellars has developed into a 2O,OOO case brand in Massachusetts and a 4O,OOO case brand nationally in just 18 months. “As a young company, we are fortunate to have Harpoon’s management team as advisors,” says Mehra, President. “I admire them for all they have accomplished. They have built an enduring brand by sticking to their core principle of providing a high quality product while also playing a positive role in the community.
“Given our experience in the beverage business, we see strong potential in Ninety+ Cellars,” says Dan Kenary, President of Harpoon. “Simply put, a $35 Oregon Pinot Noir for $17 is a pretty strong value proposition in the mind of today’s value oriented consumer.” Latitude Beverage Company purchases the oversupply of ultra-premium finished wines that have a pedigree of accolades and in return sells them to customers at a fraction of the original price under the Ninety+ Cellars label, typically less than $15 per bottle. The company avoids the traditional overhead required to produce, market and sell wine and passes these cost savings on to both the retailers and consumers.