North Bay Business Journal

Carine Arend, CPA, has been promoted to senior manager in the tax department of the Santa Rosa public accounting firm of Dal Poggetto & Company, LLP. … Also in the tax department of the same firm, Ryan Fitzsimons, CPA, has been promoted to manager. …

Reed Upson joined Warren Capital Corp. in Novato as finance and operations analyst. …

Surani Kwan was presented the 2013 Nurse Practitioner of Distinction award by the California Association for Nurse Practitioners. …

Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael appointed to its board of directors Tom Georgens of NetApp. …

Penfolds, managed by Treasury Wine Estates, named Napa-based DLynn Proctor its winemaking ambassador for the Americas. …

Wine Industry Network, a 4-year-old Healdsburg-based online wine industry business-to-business marketplace with more than 350 members is organizing the North Coast Wine Industry Expo to be held Wednesday, Dec. 5.

Australia-based Treasury Wine Estates on Wednesday announced John Grant, once head of what was then called Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, to the top spot in the Napa-based Beringer Brand Business Unit.

More wine is moving in and out of this country, which recently grabbed the distinction of being world’s largest wine market away from Europe. Foreign producers and investors are interested in U.S. wineries and brands, often for the prestige or gaining a platform for U.S. distribution of portfolio brands. The Business Journal asked experts set to be on the globalization panel at the 2012 Wine Industry Conference on April 18 about major factors affecting the success of U.S. wines abroad, imports and acquisitions of domestic producers by multinational companies.

NAPA — Even as Treasury Wine Estates’ Napa-based Beringer brand group prepares to launch a mass-market brand this spring targeted at Millennial generation female consumers, the Australian company’s higher-end North Coast brands are enjoying a sales rebound.

NAPA — Sales volume for North Coast wine brands Beringer Vineyards and Chateau St. Jean second half of 2011 were key to “stabilized” unit sales in the Americas for Treasury Wine Estates, the Australia-based company reported today as part of its fiscal half-year results.

NAPA — Australia-based Treasury Wine Estates, whose North Coast wine portfolio includes Beringer Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean and Stag’s Leap Winery, today said it named Sandra LeDrew to lead its operations in North and South America.

Spain-based Rivercap is setting up manufacturing plant in Benicia to make polylaminate and PVC plastic capsules to top wine and spirits bottles.

The 26,500-square-foot plant will “increase responsiveness” for Rivercap customers in North America and tighten the partnership between the capsule supplier and its exclusive distributor on the continent, according to José Saenz, chief executive officer of Rivercap USA Inc.

Editor’s note: This is the Business Journal’s first Spotlight on Facilities Managers in the North Bay. According to the International Facility Management Association, professionals in this job usually are responsible for compliance with laws and regulations on real estate, efficient operations of buildings to limit waste in natural and human resources, safety for employees and environmental sustainability.

“People, place, process, technology,” is the association’s catchphrase for such a position. The following are facility managers identified from among the largest public and private North Bay employers.

Some winegrape crop watchers were expecting 2010 North Coast tonnage to be 10 percent to 30 percent below the size of the big 2009 harvest because of late-season heat and rain damage.

NAPA — Australia-based beverage giant Foster’s Group today announced it wants to complete a demerger of its wine business, called Treasury Wine Estates, in May.

NAPA — Westcore Properties LLC of San Diego acquired its second largest North Bay commercial property with the $30 million purchase of a 257,000-square-foot south Napa industrial complex containing Foster’s Group subsidiary Treasury Wine Estates and the headquarters of Francis Ford Coppola’s wine, hospitality and other pursuits.

CLOVERDALE — Treasury Wine Estates, part of Australia-based beer and wine giant Foster’s Group , sold Winemakers Cooperage in Cloverdale to France-based Groupe Charlois.

Foster’s Group Ltd., whose Treasury Wine Estates unit includes North Coast brands Beringer and Chateau St. Jean, today announced heads of separate beer and wine businesses that would be created in a demerger plan now set to be completed in the first half of 2011.

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.

NAPA — Australia-based Foster’s Group Ltd. today said it renamed its Napa-based global wine group, set for a “demerger” sometime next year, as Treasury Wine Estates.