Vintage Wine Estates takes minority stake in Kunde

Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 7:35 pm

By Jeff Quackenbush, Business Journal Staff Reporter

KENWOOD — Santa Rosa-based Vintage Wine Estates, a growing portfolio of wine operations including Windsor Vineyards and Girard Winery, purchased a minority stake in Kunde Family Estate winery in Kenwood.

The value of the deal wasn’t disclosed. However, it didn’t include the 1,850-acre winery estate and its 700 acres of vines, which the Kunde family continues to own.

The deal makes Vintage managing partner in the winery, but the family will still be involved with the operation and continue to make the family brand, according to Pat Roney, a partner in Vintage with Leslie Rudd, founder of gourmet grocer Dean & DeLuca.

“It will create efficiencies in sales and marketing,” Mr. Roney said today.

The deal with Kunde gives Vintage potential for excess bottling capacity and a retail venue on Sonoma Highway. The use permit for the Kenwood winery allows bottling of 200,000 cases of wine a year. Current production of the Kunde brand is 100,000 cases, according to Mr. Roney.

W.J. Deutsche & Sons of New York handles marketing for the Kunde brand, but Vintage also will offer marketing support, he said.

Vintage Wine Estates (link) acquired direct-to-consumer telemarketing capabilities with the acquisition of Windsor Vineyards along with International Wine Accessories from Foster’s Group in 2007.

To that has been added production of private-label wines for undisclosed retailers and some co-packing for client brands, according to Mr. Roney. The company also has acquired several North Coast boutique wineries and brands and is creating one called Windsor Sonoma.

Mr. Roney’s relationship with the family started nearly 20 years ago. From 1992 to 1994 he was chief executive officer of the winery, which opened in 1990.