Heublein Inc

Most days, Dal Perio can be found in his office sipping vodka, tequila or perhaps a cocktail. His employers don't mind. In fact, they encourage him. Perio is the "senior sensory scientist" at Heublein Inc., makers of Smirnoff Vodka, Jose Cuervo tequila and more than 100 other spirits. His job is to make sure the products taste as they should and to develop new drinks. Of course, the job calls for--gulp!--research.

IN THE PROCESS of passing judgment on a bottle of Christian Brothers 1985 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($9), not long ago, I noted the wine's jewel-ruby color, the almost-berry scent of its 100% Cabernet breed and the restraint of the Limousin oak incense of its bouquet. This happy combination stirred me to applaud wine maker Tom Eddy's decision to refrain from bottling this wine until it had reached its peak of maturity by spending 18 months in French barrels.

RJR Nabisco Inc. has agreed to sell Heublein Inc. to London-based Grand Metropolitan PLC for $1.2 billion in cash, F. Ross Johnson, president and chief executive officer of RJR, said today. Heublein, based in Hartford, Conn., markets nearly 100 brands of spirits, wines and imported beers. Its major brands include Smirnoff vodka and Inglenook and Lancers wines. Grand Metropolitan has interests in spirits and wines through its subsidiary, International Distillers and Vintners.

Canandaigua Wine Co., the nation's third-largest wine company, said Thursday it has agreed to acquire Vintners International in what would be one of the largest winery deals in U.S. history. The purchase price was not announced, but industry consultants said it was believed to be about $200 million, making it about the same size as Heublein Inc.'s acquisition of The Christian Bros. in Napa Valley. The deal would make New York-based Canandaigua the nation's second-largest wine concern.

Fred Boynton Watson, former president and chief executive officer of the family food brokerage firm Cook-Boynton Co., has died. He was 72. Watson, who retired in 1983, died Aug. 16 while attending a family party, his company announced Tuesday. He had lived in San Marino for the past 38 years. The firm, started by Watson's grandfather Fred W. Boynton in 1893, has represented Heublein Inc., Welch Foods Inc. and other companies for more than 90 years.