EXHIBIT 99.1

       UNIVERSAL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN JURY AWARD

    RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Universal Corporation
(NYSE: UVV) announced today that a California court has substantially reduced
punitive damages previously awarded to plaintiffs in the case captioned
Rosemary Valladares, et al v. Madera Quality Nut, Inc., et al.  Compensatory
damages awarded in the case were about $200,000, and punitive damages have
been reduced by the trial court to approximately $1.25 million from the
original jury award of $25 million.  Under this court order, the total cost to
the Company and its subsidiaries would be about $1.45 million plus a portion
of the plaintiffs' legal costs, in addition to its own legal costs. The case
arose from an employment matter involving the Company's Madera Quality Nut
subsidiary, and was tried in the Superior Court of the State of California in
the County of Madera.

    The Company is reviewing the final order from the court and considering
its options, which could include appeal.  In the six months that ended on
September 30, 2006, the Company accrued an estimate of the liability, which
was not material to its consolidated financial statements.  The final order
does not exceed the amount accrued.

    Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is
one of the world's leading tobacco merchants and processors and conducts
business in more than 35 countries.  Universal has announced plans to sell its
non-tobacco businesses. The revenues of its tobacco business for the fiscal
year ended March 31, 2006, were $1.8 billion. For more information on
Universal Corporation, visit its web site at http://www.universalcorp.com.

SOURCE  Universal Corporation
    -0-                             01/03/2007
    /CONTACT:  Karen M. L. Whelan of Universal Corporation, +1-804-359-9311,
Fax: +1-804-254-3594, investor@universalleaf.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.universalcorp.com /
    (UVV)