5 Wines To Savor — And Companies To Invest In

The Greeks used to say wine was the “drink of the Gods,” but modern-day tipplers are a bit more practical with their choice of metaphors.

The domain of Dionysus, wine has also attracted fans of Plutus, the Greek god of wealth, who not only enjoy imbibing but also investing, whether it be the mogul buying a vineyard in Napa Valley or an alcohol and spirits company maintaining a wine brand portfolio.

Below are five publicly traded companies that also make a decent glass of wine us lower deities can enjoy.

Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE: BF-B): Although this company may be best known for its liquor brands of Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Herradura, Old Forester, Finlandia, Benriach, Fords Gin and Chambord, among others, it has two selections in its wine portfolio: Sonoma-Cutrer and Korbel. While Korbel has more name recognition, Sonoma-Cutrer has the award winners, with its 40th Anniversary Winemaker’s Release 2019 Chardonnay, which has hints of “caramel, citrus and pear,” as a top pick.

BF-B Price Action: Brown-Forman stock was down 0.46% at $71.73 at market close Tuesday. It's closer to its 52-week low of $66.25 than its high of $81.57.

See Also: Best Wine Investments for 2021

Constellation Brands, Inc. STZ: This company started off in 1945 as a wine producer in New York state and now sells 21 wines including Kim Crawford, Meiomi, The Prisoner Wine Company, Charles Smith Wines, Cooper & Thief, 7 Moons, Robert Mondavi Winery and Private Selection, Ruffino, Ravage, Cook’s, The Dreaming Tree, Mount Veeder, Crafters Union, Saved, Schrader, Simi, Spoken Barrel, The Snitch, Tom Gore and Woodbridge.

The brand also owns Corona Extra and Modelo Especial beers, SVEDKA Vodka and High West Whiskey.

Arguably, its best-known wine is Kim Crawford, named after the famed vintner who founded the winery in New Zealand and sold it to Constellation in 2006.

The Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is one of the top-selling in the U.S. and was named in the “Wine Spectator Top 100” four times.

STZ Price Action: Constellation Brands was up 13.32% at $241.32 at market close Tuesday. It is at the higher end of its 52-week range of $207.35 low and $244.75 high.

LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton SA LVMUY: This conglomerate owns some of the top names in the wine business, with 23 houses including Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Chateau d’Yquem and Clos des Lambrays, one of Burgundy’s oldest vineyards, with historical records going back to 1365.

The red wines produced by this vineyard can start as low as $299 and go up to $730 — that one has a Wine Spectator rating of 94 and said it “is a supple red, loaded with spice and berry flavors that lean toward cedar, sandalwood, currant and strawberry.”

LVUMY Price Action: Shares are up 0.42% at $159.49 Tuesday afternoon, closer to its 52-week high of $168.06 than its low of $118.48.

Pernod-Ricard SA PRNDY: The company was created from the merger of two French anise-based spirits companies, Pernod, founded in 1805, and Ricard, founded in 1932. Through the years, the Pernod-Ricard has acquired a number of brands, including Jameson, Chivas Regal (though its acquisition of Seagram), and in 2005, it became the No. 2 wine and spirits organization when it bought Allied Domecq, which produced Beefeater, Ballantine’s, Malibu and the sparklers G.H. Mumm and Perrier-Jouët.

Among its wine brands are Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Church Road Hawke’s Bay, GW George Wyndham, Jacob’s Creek, Kenwood Vineyards, St. Hugo, Stoneleigh and Ysios.

It is the Perrier-Jouët Champagne with distinctive art nouveau floral adorned bottles that grab attention, but its quality is superb. For $180, try the Belle Époque Brut 2012 or the Belle Époque Rosé 2006 for $410.

PRNDY Price Action: Tuesday afternoon, Pernod Ricard stock was up 0.17% at $47.50, closer to its 52-week high of $49.05, than its low of $36.63.

Truett-Hurst, Inc THST: Established in 2007, this winery in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma uses a direct-to-consumer model and was biodynamic certified in 2015. It was sold to Precept Brands LLC in 2018. The winery produces roses, whites, reds and sparkling wines, with its top brand as the 2019 Estate Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley.

THST Price Action: Shares of Truett-Hurst are up 20.32% at 55 cents, Tuesday afternoon, between its 52-week low of 32 cents and 96 cents.

Photo: Kelsey Knight on Unsplash.