North Bay Business Journal

2012 was a big year for wine-related property and brand transactions, and expectations are that 2013 also will be busy.

At the Business Journal’s Wine Industry Conference on April 18, five of the most active players are set to be part of a panel discussion on what’s happening and the potential for more: Peter Byck of Winery Exchange, Dennis Carroll of Sonoma Wine Co. and Purple Wine Co., Bill Foley of Foley Family Wines, Pat Roney of Vintage Wine Estates and Jeff Wesselkamper of Jackson Family Wines.

The Business Journal’s 2013 Wine Industry Conference in April will feature the general manager of Fetzer Vineyards and the architect of its acquisition by a large Chilean wine company as well as insights on North Coast wine-related mergers and acquisitions from two of the largest players in the market recently.

HEALDSBURG — Foley Family Wines Inc. today announced it added to its growing portfolio for the third time this month, completing the acquisition of the Langtry Estate & Vineyards and Guenoc brands and related assets on the sprawling property straddling Lake and Napa counties.

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.

Private-equity portfolios are a fast-growing category of active buyers of wine brands and assets in the North Coast.

HEALDSBURG — Started in 1996, Foley Family Wines now has 10 wineries producing nearly three dozen labels in the North Coast, Central Coast, Washington state and New Zealand. The most recent North Coast acquisition came in May, picking up 40 acres of vines and the 6,000-case-a-year Sawyer Cellars winery and tasting room, located between Rutherford and Oakville in Napa Valley. …

SANTA ROSA — Managing partner Pat Roney, veteran of top-executive wine and retail positions, and Leslie Rudd have acquired or taken a stake in several North Coast wine production facilities, brands and related companies in the past few years. In July, Vintage Wine Estates acquired the former McDowell winery, annually capable of crushing 4,000 to 5,000 tons of grapes and bottling roughly 350,000 cases of wine, from Weibel Vineyards and Winery of Lodi. Vintage Wine Estates plans to eventually transition the bulk of production to Hopland. …

Dan Zepponi and the Stewart family of British Columbia started West Coast Wine Partners in Napa two years ago. In August, the partnership acquired the Lake Sonoma Winery and Valley of the Moon Winery brands — collectively producing about 45,000 cases a year — and related assets from F. Korbel & Bros. for an undisclosed sum. …

HEALDSBURG — Ken and Diane Wilson have been building a group of North Coast wineries, called Wilson Artisan Wineries, adding Pezzi King in Dry Creek Valley in March and Blackstone winery in Sonoma Valley in May. Blackstone was leased to Napa-based Naked Wines, a custom vintner that helps crowdfund its clients’ projects. …

Following are profiles of the top day-to-day leaders from the Business Journal’s lists of the largest independently owned wineries under 100,000 cases, published in March, and the largest wine companies, published in May.

RUTHERFORD — Foley Family Wines today said it purchased the vines and facilities of Sawyer Cellars, located between Rutherford and Oakville in Napa Valley.

Even as the global economy has faltered inn the past four years, a handful of privately owned wine companies have become active in acquiring wine operations, brands and vineyards.

Following are profiles of the top day-to-day leaders from the Business Journal’s lists of the largest independently owned wineries under 100,000 cases, published in March, and the largest wine companies, published in May.

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.

Following are profiles of the top day-to-day leaders from the Business Journal’s lists of the largest independently owned wineries under 100,000 cases, published in March, and the largest wine companies, published in May.

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.

SONOMA – The acquisition of Kosta Browne Winery is just the beginning of a wine portfolio for The Vincraft Group, a recently formed team of experienced industry executives and private-equity investors.