Cosentino Winery Sued For $500K+ In Latest Legal Battle

September 21, 2009

Lewis G. Carpenter, Jr., owner of Carpenter Ranches of  St. Helena has sued Cosentino Winery in Napa County Superior Court for more than half a million dollars he says is still owed for wine grapes from 2008. Cosentino’s court papers, “denies each and every allegation.” A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 20. CARPENTER CHARGES […]

Diamond Oaks Vineyards Plus Two More Maniar Firms File Chapt. 11

Napa Valley’s Diamond Oaks Vineyards has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. In addition, two other firms also owned by Dinesh Maniar: SF-based Montgomery Realty Group and Southland Thoroughbred Farms in Riverside County have filed separate Chapter 11 filings, all in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. Court files do not […]

Vintrust Closing Collectors’ Services To Focus On Winery Fulfillment

September 16, 2009

Vintrust will close its collector cellarage and data operations permanently at the end of October  and has recommended that its clients join a program that Vinfolio has created for them, according to a September 15 email to its clients. VinTrust’s collector services included physical cellaring of wines, a database system to track wines whether in […]

Standard Web Affiliate Programs Illegal For Wine in California

September 9, 2009

The web’s near-ubiquitous affiliate programs, such as those offered by Amazon Associates, are illegal in California for wineries and retailers as well as bloggers and websites, according to information issued today by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The ABC’s opinion came as the result of a query made by Wine Industry Insight on […]

Conti Slips Closer to Foreclosure, Trustee Still In Charge Despite Removal Attempt

Foreclosure for Conti Estate/Charles B. Mitchell Winery has gotten closer with the Bankruptcy Court’s removal of bankruptcy protections that previously prevented the Bank of Alameda –which holds liens on the winery’s real estate and personal property — from pursuing legal action. REMOVAL OF AUTOMATIC STAY GRANTED The approval by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael S. McManus […]

Judge Lets Cosentino Dodge $1.2 Million In Grower Payment Demands

September 2, 2009

An administrative law judge has ruled that Yountville’s Cosentino Winery can buy winegrapes this year despite owing previous growers $1,197,442 for fruit from the 2007 and 2008 vintages. After a hearing in Oakland on August 31, the judge delayed until November a California Department of Food and Agriculture request that would have prevented Cosentino from […]