RINGTAIL International, a 50-50 joint venture company owned by Jamaica-based Select Brands and Stansfeld Scott Inc of Barbados, announced Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Australia-based Accolade Wines to acquire the Stone’s Ginger Wine brand. The cost of the acquisition was not disclosed. The deal is expected to be completed on or before October 20, 2023.

“We purchased the global intellectual property rights for the brand from Accolade Wines,” Andrew Desnoes, co-managing director of Select Brands, told the Jamaica Observer shortly after the announcement.

Desnoes said the acquisition gives Ringtail International full control over the 280-year-old brand and will see the company boosting production of the alcoholic beverage in Jamaica.

“In partnership with Stansfeld Scott, we are now the global owner of the brand and we will be using all of our expertise to further grow and develop the brand, not just in Jamaica and the Caribbean but also around the world where it is already established,” Desnoes pointed out on the way to finalise arrangements for the acquisition.

He said the plan is to innovate and increase focus on building out the brand in its existing core markets while going after new markets. The core market for Stone’s Ginger Wine is Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean, England, and the USA. It is also very strong in Australia, Desnoes noted.

“We are starting this month exporting the Stone’s made in Jamaica to the USA. So all Stone’s that is going to be sold in the US going forward is going to be coming from Jamaica. It is great, we are expanding production in Jamaica and will be using Jamaican ginger, and that’s one of the innovations. We will be consolidating North American production here,” he continued. He said he could not divulge other innovations that are planned for the brand.

Stone’s Ginger Wine is currently produced in Jamaica by Ringtail Bottlers, a privately held company founded in 2020. It is a joint venture company owned by Select Brands, Stansfeld Scott and Musson. Previously, Stone’s Ginger Wine was produced in Jamaica by J Wray & Nephew, an alcohol company owned by Italy-based Gruppo Campari.

Stone’s Ginger Wine now sold in the US is produced in the UK. Desnoes said the US market accounts for “well over 10 per cent” of the brand’s total sales. Jamaica and the Caribbean account for about 20 per cent of the brand’s sales which amounts to 500,000 cases annually.

“We are going to be looking to boost that by pushing the brand into markets in Africa and Asia,” Desnoes said. “The initial focus will be to further flesh out the opportunities that we see in our existing core markets.”

Desnoes said the African and Asian markets will be explored, starting in the first year of Ringtail owning the brand.

“It’s a great move for Jamaica. Here is a brand that we look on as a Jamaican brand for so long and finally now the brand has a Jamaican story from an ownership perspective,” Desnoes pointed out.

Stone’s Original Ginger Wine’s popularity over the years has extended far beyond its English heritage. It is now bottled in the UK, Jamaica, Canada, and Australia.

With its Caribbean roots, Stansfeld Scott is a well-established multi-channel marketing and distribution company with a strong presence in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Stansfeld Scott has a proven track record in the wines and spirits industry and is one of the largest independent suppliers of alcoholic beverages to the Caribbean.

Select Brands, founded in November 2011, has a respected portfolio of international wines, spirits and beers. The company is not only the largest importer of alcoholic beverages to Jamaica, but through the strength of a number of popular local brands, notably Stone’s Ginger Wine, and expansion into non-alcoholic beverages, is also one of the largest distributors of beverages on the island.

Stone’s Original Ginger Wine traces its origins to 1740 when it was first created by Joseph Stone in the city of London. Over the centuries, it gained a cult following driven by ginger’s medicinal properties which was hailed to ward off disease, aid in digestion and known as an effective aphrodisiac. It is now sold in more than 50 countries worldwide and known for its premium quality and unique flavour profile. Over the years, the brand changed ownership several times, and in 1986 it was acquired by the Scottish drinks company J&B Rare. Later, it became part of the Whyte & Mackay portfolio before it was acquired by Constellation Brands, and in 2015 by Accolade Wines.

Accolade is a global company headquartered in Australia and is the producer of many leading wine brands including Hardy’s and Banrock Station. Accolade will continue to represent and distribute Stone’s Ginger Wine in the UK, Europe, and North America on behalf of Ringtail. For customers in these markets there will be no change in terms of ordering or key sales and distribution contacts.