Shepherd Express' Fall Drink Week runs Sept. 10-16 and is brought to you by Discount Liquor. As your fall drink headquarters, Discount Liquor is your best bet for finding those hard-to-find beers, wines and spirits, all at amazing prices. Visit DiscountLiquorInc.com for store hours and locations.
As a fan of dark, oaky cabernets, Jennifer Clearwater had never considered herself a lover of sangria. But when she first tried Lovino Sangria a few years ago, she was immediately wowed. Lovino didn’t overwhelm with sweetness like most bottled sangrias, and the beverage had a fresh, smooth finish. Clearwater became determined to find out what it was about that particular sangria that was so good.
“I found that the reason I liked it is because it is a California cabernet franc base,” Clearwater said. Throw in the fact that it was a locally owned product, and Clearwater was even more impressed; Erica and Jamie Zdroik, of Milwaukee, created Lovino and had owned the brand at the time.
When Clearwater learned in 2014 that the Zdroiks were putting Lovino up for sale, she had inquired about buying it, even though she never thought about owning a wine company. At the time she was transitioning into a new role at Discovery World as director of philanthropy, so the timing wasn’t right, but Clearwater never abandoned the idea. “In 2016, I nerdily started reading the governing statues for Wisconsin’s alcohol industry,” she said. She reached out again to the Zdroiks and learned Lovino was still for sale.
Clearwater knew that the Zdroiks had owned just the brand, and she wanted to take the business a step further. America’s three-tiered system of federal alcohol regulations is structured with the manufacturer of the alcohol (wineries, distilleries), the distributors of the alcohol, and those distributors working with the retailers of the alcohol—bars, restaurants, stores and festivals. “I thought the only way I could get involved in the system was to get involved in the system,” Clearwater emphasized. “What made the most sense was to become a distributor. Then I could own the brand, contract with a winery, and own the brand on the other side to work with the retailers. I control the crossover of the brand.”
Clearwater purchased Lovino Sangria and the original recipe in 2016 and formed Lovino, LLC. She and her husband, Rob, who is also involved with the business, partnered with winemaker and Mona Rose Winery owner Craig Fletcher. He was already making a cabernet franc and had worked with other private labels. The grapes are grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The juice is shipped to Fletcher, who then transfers the juice to use in the wine.
Lovino is one of the few modern American craft sangrias on store shelves. It has a higher alcohol content of 12.5%, with all natural flavors including summer berries, orange and coconut, the latter giving it a slightly dry finish. Lovino Sangria won a bronze medal in the Fruit Flavored Grape Wine category at the Global Wine Awards, held in Las Vegas in July.
Lovino is available by the bottle at southeast Wisconsin retailers including Ray’s Wine & Spirits, in Wauwatosa; Bernie’s Fine Meats, in Port Washington; and The Bottle Shop of Grafton. Clearwater said many bars and restaurants also sell it by the glass. While Lovino was more widely available under the previous ownership and distributor, Clearwater is trying to be more selective to prevent oversaturation. To her knowledge, she’s the only distribution company with a private label.
Clearwater had the label art slightly redesigned to include the tagline, “It’s not for a season, it’s for a state of mind,” reflecting that sangria isn’t just a summer patio drink and can be enjoyed all seasons—National Sangria Day is Dec. 20.
For more information and an updated list of where to find Lovino Sangria, visit www.facebook.com/LovinoSangria.
This article is part of Shepherd Express' 2018 Fall Drink Week, which runs Sept. 10-16. Fall Drink Week is brought to you by Discount Liquor. Read more of our Fall Drink Week coverage here.
