PART ONE OF A SERIES: TURNING GOLD INTO LEAD A set of county-approved use and building permits for a 125,000-case winery and tasting room at the northern end of Sonoma Valley may seem like a gold mine to many in the wine industry. But the decade-long soap opera of Mobius Painter Winery and Cellars shows […]
Sebastiani Changes Part of Foley Reorganization
People who lost jobs at Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery are part of an overall reorganization of Foley Wine Group and should result in an “overall increase in job placement opportunities” in Sonoma, according to Tim Matz of Foley Family Wines — the new name for Foley Wine Group. “SMALL NUMBER OF LAYOFFS” ARE “NATURAL” PART […]
Foley Wine Group Starts Lay-Offs At Sebastiani
January 27, 2009
Foley Wine Group is laying off an undetermined number of non-union employees and middle-managers, according to numerous phone calls and emails to Wine Industry Insider. A call from one laid-off employee said there were “lots of lay-offs”. The employee did not want to be identified for fear it would hurt chances of getting a job […]
Copia Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Alan Jaroslovsky will allow Copia’s liability insurance company to pay a $250,000 settlement ending a sexual harassment lawsuit. According to court documents, former Copia employee Crystal Tynan alleged that she had been harassed by Copia’s former Director of Operations Art Ferretti. Tynan had filed suit in Napa County Superior Court and […]
Is Cecchetti Merger Racke’s U.S. End Game?
January 21, 2009
Racke USA, which has struggled for more than two decades to find significant traction in the U.S. market, has merged with the brains and brawn behind the hot-selling Pepperwood Grove brand, Roy Cecchetti. Once best known as the owner of Sonoma’s venerable Buena Vista Winery, Racke has now merged its remaining U.S. operations into a […]
Tandem Winery Sold to Quivira’s Kight
January 19, 2009
Pete Kight, proprietor of Healdsburg’s Quivira Vineyards & Winery, has acquired Tandem Winery in Sonoma County in partnership with Tandem owner/winemaker Greg La Follette. According to a news release, La Follette will remain with Tandem to will focus on winemaking and viticulture. The deal closed January 16. No terms were disclosed. In addition to the […]
Holiday 2008-2009 Champagne Sales Plummet
Champagne and sparking wines left smoking craters in cash registers during the 2008-2009 holiday season. Data from Information Resources Inc, covering the four week period ending January 4, 2009, show domestic sparklers falling by almost 15 percent and imports plummeting nearly 27 percent over the same period a year ago. LOSERS AT EVERY PRICE POINT […]
Chicago Wholesalers Pay $803,000 To Settle TTB Charges
January 15, 2009
Ten Chicago wholesaler/importers have paid a total of $803,ooo to settle charges by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The settlements, announced by TTB on Jan. 14, alleged that the wholesalers had “violated the conditions of their basic permits by furnishing or giving money or other things of value to a retailer, […]
SF Chronicle Sacks Wine Section, Reorganizes Coverage
The San Francisco Chronicle is reorganizing its wine coverage, eliminating the wine-only section and rolling coverage into other areas of the newspaper. “It’s a combination of advertising, print and giving people a different product,” said Executive Food and Wine Editor Michael Bauer. He noted that the Chron had conducted focus groups and found that the […]
Stevenot Winery Chapt 11 Hearing & Creditors’ Meeting Set
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California has scheduled a status conference for Golden Eagle Estates, LLC (operating as Stevenot Winery), to begin at 10:30 a.m., Feb, 18 at the U.S. Courthouse, 1200 I St., 2nd Floor, Suite C, in Modesto. In addition, creditors are scheduled to meet at 1 p.m., Feb. […]