United Distillers & Vintners

United Distillers and Vintners (UDV) operates as a subsidiary of Diageo, a global consumer goods company that was formed when UDV merged with Grand Metropolitan and Guinness in 1997.  Their products include Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gordon's, Gilbey's Tanqueray, Hennessy, Jose Curevo, Bailey's, and Guinness.  UDV had been a principal opponent of the Wine and Spirits Fair Dealing Act, also known as the Wirtz Bill, which required wine and liquor producers to give one-year notice prior to switching distributors and barred cancellation of contracts with distributors without good cause.  The Wirtz Bill passed the Illinois General Assembly in 1999 but was delcared unconstitutional by a circuit court and repealed.

Diageo North America/UDV is a career patron of House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R).

From January 1, 1993 through December 31,2004, Diageo and its subsidiaries gave $1.0 million to candidates for Illinois statewide constitutional and legislative office, 52% of it to Republicans.

Last revised June 2011.