North Bay Business Journal

As Sonoma County’s political leaders continue to move forward with the process of setting up a county-wide public power agency, many in the business community are examining what the renewable energy-focused proposal would mean to their operations.

Sonoma County BEST (Building Economic Success Together) kicked off the “100 in 100″ effort on March 18. …

Petaluma Educational Foundation has been seeing increased activity in its TEC initiative, short for “Transforming Education in the Classroom.” …

Riley Flanagan, an eighth-grade student at Sonoma Country Day School, hosted a wine dinner in Healdsburg to benefit the the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs). …

Santa Rosa-based Zap said it is adding compressed natural gas power to its line of alternative-energy vehicles. …

Viña Perez Cruz appointed Sebastopol-based Paul Hobbs Imports as its U.S. importer. …

DAOU Vineyards and Winery of Paso Robles has retained Napa-based Wine Spoken Here. …

Santa Rosa-based Food & Wine Trails announced six new “wine shore adventures” for 2013. …

NAPA — Wine industry professionals are more optimistic about profitability as sales bounce back in a number and despite looming issues with grape supply, according to a survey of executives presented at a major symposium in Napa last week.

NAPA — The envisioned shift of the shuttered 80,000-square-foot Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts building near downtown Napa from exhibition space to high-end corporate quarters isn’t such a stretch, according to a consultant for the owner.

GRATON — New York-based alcoholic beverage giant Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) today said it signed an agreement to buy the Mark West wine brand from Purple Wine Co., based in the west Sonoma County community of Graton, for about $160 million.

SONOMA VALLEY — The Ken Wilson family wine portfolio now has an eighth facility with the sale of the Blackstone Winery facility to one of his companies, Stonecushion Inc.

There is much anticipation within both the wine industry and greater financial markets that 2011 will see a noticeable increase in dollars being spent both at the consumer level and in acquisition activity. In anticipation of such activity, it is appropriate to explore the widely varying motivations, expectations and investment time horizons of the five groups of historically active acquirers in the wine industry.

Industrial markets in Napa and Solano counties overall continued to be sluggish throughout 2010 because of poor economic conditions. While several significant lease transactions were completed during the year, a number of large new vacancies nullified any real traction.

KENWOOD — Constellation Wines U.S. on Monday informed the 10 employees at the Blackstone winery and visitor’s center in Kenwood that it would be closed as of March 1 and possibly put up for sale, as production of Blackstone Sonoma Reserve wines has already relocated to Sonoma.

CALIFORNIA — Constellation Wines U.S., one of the world’s largest wine companies and operator of several North Coast wineries, undertook one of the largest such projects for the wine industry this year.

The “giant 47-pound rooster” will still strut its stuff on the HRM Rex Goliath label, but the new design for the top-selling popular-premium-tier wine brand is getting a makeover as part of a trend in wine packaging somewhat away from the fanciful and more toward the traditional.

GEYSERVILLE — Constellation Wines U.S., one of the world’s largest wine companies and operator of several North Coast wineries, on Monday unveiled a solar-electricity project at four California wineries — including Clos du Bois and Ravenswood — expected to be one of the largest such projects for the wine industry when completed by the end of this year.

Also: Hall recognized for ‘excellence in sustainable winegrowing’

SAN FRANCISCO — Constellation Wines U.S., part of New York-based drinks conglomerate Constellation Brands, is bolstering its team responsible for luxury brands such as Robert Mondavi and Franciscan Estates with Pierre Noique in a newly created position as vice president of luxury wines and a new sales team devoted to such brands.

ST. HELENA — Jon Moramarco, who for 17 years was chief executive officer of several divisions and companies of New York-based wine and spirits giant Constellation Brands, has joined business consulting firm Wine Colleagues as a full partner.