Latitude Beverage Outperforming With 90+ Prosecco, Growing Spirits Stable
Latitude Beverage’s 90+ Cellars has bucked wine market trends lately, with sales on the rise in 2024 and outperformance continuing this year. According to Impact Databank, 90+ Cellars ($11-$35 a bottle) grew 3.4% to 526,000 cases last year with a portfolio that mixes domestics and imports. Beyond 90+, Boston-based Latitude is building its spirits portfolio and seeding growth in categories like Tequila and vodka. Overall, the company saw its largest labels grow a combined 6.5% to nearly 660,000 cases in 2024.
“We’re optimistic that even despite tariffs and slowing trends our value will still resonate with the consumers,” says Latitude founder and president Kevin Mehra. “So far through today, we’re down about 1% in 2025. Spirits are up probably about 15%. We’re expecting to be around flat to up 1% this year.”
Mehra says that 90+ Cellars has grown every year since the brand launched in 2009, with sales concentrated in the Northeast. “We do probably 70% of our business in New England,” he says. “Massachusetts and Connecticut are our two largest markets, but we’re extremely strong in New York and New Jersey, too. New York and Jersey outgrew everyone last year.”
With roughly 80% of 90+ Cellars’ volume in imports, the ever-changing tariff situation is an area of concern. “We aren’t buying too many new imports right now. We’re honoring all the contracts we have,” says Mehra. “Obviously, we’d prefer to have some certainty of what the tariffs are going to be long term, but we’re continuing to just pay the tariffs and eat it.”
Prosecco is a strong performer for 90+ Cellars, with Mehra calling it a bright spot for the brand this year and 90+’s largest SKU. According to Impact Databank, 90+ Prosecco was up 12% to roughly 160,000 cases last year, with its Prosecco rosé rising 14% to 29,000 cases. “We are seeing some growth in our white wines,” Mehra says. “We have a new Cremant in our portfolio that’s doing really well.”
While bolder red wines are facing some headwinds, Mehra says there are opportunities as well. “We’re finding great values out in the marketplace, especially domestic,” he says. “We just launched Lot 232, an Oakville Napa Cab.” While the brand secured only 400 cases of the wine ($35), it sold out in its first day of availability.
Currently, Latitude’s portfolio is heavily skewed towards wine, with roughly 80% of volume in the category and 20% made up of spirits, with the latter category seeing strong gains. “This year we’re seeing really good growth on our Texas vodka Steel 43 ($12), which is up 50%,” says Mehra. “We have a brand called Copper and Cask, a single barrel Bourbon brand, and it was up close to a hundred percent last year.”
Last year, Steel 43 grew by more than 70%, reaching just under 40,000 cases, according to Impact Databank. Portfoliomate Buddy’s Vodka ($12 a 1-liter) was also up, rising 4.5% to 78,000 cases. In Tequila, Latitude is seeing growth from a small base with Zarpado ($23-$40), which increased 26% to just under 15,000 cases for 2024. Additionally, Latitude owns Wheel Horse Bourbon, which landed on Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 Whiskies of 2021 with its Batch 1 release.
| Latitude Beverage Company—Leading Brands |
||||||
| Brand | 2023 | 2024 | Percent Change |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90+ Cellars | 509,006 | 526,243 | 3.4% | |||
| Buddy’s Vodka | 74,402 | 77,783 | 4.5% | |||
| Steel 43 Vodka | 23,269 | 39,846 | 71.2% | |||
| Tequila Zarpado | 11,524 | 14,528 | 26.1% | |||
| Total Leading Brands | 618,201 | 658,400 | 6.5% | |||
| Source: IMPACT DATABANK © 2025 | ||||||
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
