North Bay Business Journal

HEALDSBURG — Foley Family Wines plans to launch a lower-cost extension of the Chalk Hill Estate brand early next year with the acquisition of about 206 acres of mostly chardonnay and pinot noir grapes that make up Ramal East Vineyard in Sonoma County’s Los Carneros winegrowing region.

SONOMA COUNTY — Sonoma-based Foley Family Wines has reached a deal to acquire Lancaster Vineyards, adding two brands to Bill Foley’s now million-plus-case-a-year portfolio and key access to cabernet sauvignon grapes from Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley.

SONOMA — Crushpad, a custom microvintner for hobbyists and small-scale wine programs, has denied reports that it is scrambling to come up with cash from investors to avoid a shutdown.

Cliff Lede’s Breggo Cellars purchased Savoy Vineyard, a 52-acre pinot noir and chardonnay property in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley. Fruit for the single-vineyard Breggo brand comes from the property. … Pinot noir producer Kosta Browne is expanding in Sebastopol, moving from one former apple processing plant to another. … In the April 11 issue, the Business Journal asked panelists of the April 28 Wine Industry Conference about trends in mergers and acquisitions and in direct sales and social media. Panelist Bill Foley, founder of Foley Family Wines, now provides his insights. … The Hess Collection in Napa gave a $10,000 grant each to The Land Trust of Napa County and the Napa County Student & Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship program (SLEWS). … The Napa Valley Vintners trade group is set to arrive in mainland China with 40 vintners from the county on a weeklong trade mission, including stops in Shanghai and Beijing to meet wine trade representatives, media, targeted consumers and political leaders. … Wine People notes

SONOMA — Bill Foley has added to his growing portfolio of wine companies with what’s being described as a “major investment” in Crushpad, a custom winery for hundreds of hobbyists and small-scale labels that moved to Napa Valley a year ago and now is bound for another of Mr. Foley’s holdings, Sebastiani Vineyards in Sonoma.

There is a “huge wave” of wine-related mergers and acquisitions coming, according to one lender to the industry. It’s in this environment that the Business Journal asked several significant and diverse players in California wine mergers and acquisitions market about their strategies for building portfolios. They will be part of the Mergers and Acquisitions discussion panel at the Business Journal’s Wine Industry Conference 2011 on April 28.

SONOMA — Financial services industry giant turned vintner Bill Foley announced today he is acquiring Chalk Hill Winery as well as Fred Furth’s 500-acre estate home.