North Bay Business Journal

Cash-positive, ‘marquee’ wine assets dominate industry M&A

North Coast “marquee” wine labels and cash-flowing brands and other assets are more dominant in the deals getting done these days than discount transactions on troubled assets, according to a top wine industry transaction adviser.

Napa Co. business news: Week of Aug. 30, 2010

Send Business News items to the North Bay Business Journal, Attn: Business Register, 427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401; fax 707-521-5292; or e-mail news@busjrnl.com.

Sonoma Co. business news: Week of Aug. 30, 2010

Send Business News items to the North Bay Business Journal, Attn: Business Register, 427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401; fax 707-521-5292; or e-mail news@busjrnl.com.

Legislature approves Sonoma County conjunctive labeling law

SONOMA COUNTY — The California Legislature today unanimously approved a conjunctive-labeling bill that would require wines bearing the names of any of Sonoma County’s 13 designated winegrowing regions to also carry the county name as prominently on the bottle.

On Monday the state Senate voted 36-0 in favor of Assembly Bill 1798, penned by Assemblymembers Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata, and state Senators Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa. The Assembly passed it today with a 74-0 vote. Now, the bill goes to the governor’s desk for signature.

New approach for concrete wine tank

PETALUMA — From what was once the egg capital of the U.S., Sonoma Cast Stone is trying to crack into a developing market for egg-shaped concrete wine fermentation tanks by producing a larger, lighter-weight alternative to the dominant French version.

New project profile: Williams Selyem Estate Winery, Russian River Valley

Editor’s note: The Business Journal features profiles of North Bay construction projects that are complete or nearly so. Send details to jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or fax to 707-521-5292.
by Jeff Quackenbush
Business Journal Staff Reporter
Williams Selyem Estate Winery
7227 Westside Road, Healdsburg, www.williamsselyem.com
Owners: Williams Selyem proprietors John and Kathe Dyson
Description: 30,000-square-foot winery with barrel storage, bottling line and hospitality venue
Completion: [...]

Federal cuts to crop insurance subsidies raise brokers’ concerns

CALIFORNIA — Federal cuts to crop insurance premium subsidies totaling about $6.2 billion took effect July 1, and agencies and brokers that provide services to grape growers and other farmers in the state anticipate taking a sharp hit as a result.

Wine: Growers in a waiting game; recent sales data encouraging

Winegrape gowers already are concerned about late ripening fruit caused by the summer’s cool weather.

Amplifications and corrections

The virtual service component for software developer Métier Inc. is located in Santa Rosa. Also, the city of Miami Beach is a client. The story “Santa Rosa software firm Métier signs deal with Sears” [p. 3, Aug. 16] had incorrect information.
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Brown Holder Alfaro & Co. in St. Helena has 13 CPAs serving the wine industry, and 16 CPAs total in the firm.

Winesecrets implements Thermoflash technology

SEBASTOPOL – Winesecrets and Della Toffola USA, a subsidiary of Italy-based Della Toffola Group, announced the implementation of a demonstration scale version of the Thermoflash “Flash Détent” thermovinification system.