[caption id="attachment_30539" align="alignleft" width="227" caption="Bettina Sichel"][/caption]
GLEN ELLEN -- Bettina Sichel purchased the 16-acre Laurel Glen Vineyard estate winery in the Sonoma Mountain appellation from founder Patrick Campbell.
Ms. Sichel plans to upgrade the business to "its former prominence" with adjustments to the vineyard and two wines -- Laurel Glen Vineyard cabernet sauvignon, which retails for $60 a bottle, and Counterpoint cab, $30.
Viticulturist Phil Coturri will guide the transition to organic farming. Guiding production will be A-list winemaking consultant David Ramey and winemaker David DeSante.
Mr. Campbell, who started the winery in 1977 and released the first vintage in 1981, will remain with Laurel Glen as a consultant.
He started a new wine company called Tierra Dinina Vineyards to make wines from grapes grown in Lodi and the Mendoza region of Argentina.
Ms. Sichel joined Quintessa in 1998 as it was getting started and was director of sales and marketing for a decade.
Sally Nicholson of International Wine Associates in Healdsburg advised Mr. Campbell and represented him in the sale.
