Sonoma developer Ken Mattson picks Angelina Mondavi to lead new brand in former Ravenswood winery
Sonoma's Best Hospitality Group – the cohort of Sonoma businesses owned largely by Piedmont-based developers Ken and Stacy Mattson – is partnering with Napa winemaker Angelina Mondavi to launch a new winery called Harrow Cellars at the former Ravenswood property at 18701 Gehricke Road, according to the wine trade publication Shanken News Daily.
The Ravenswood brand was acquired by E&J Gallo from Constellation Brands in April 2019, but the former winery property, including its tasting room and its 12-acre estate vineyard wasn't part of that deal. Constellation shut the doors to the Sonoma Valley tasting room in May 2019.
Angelina Mondavi, 37, will be a partner in the business and will oversee all vineyard and winery operations, with plans to launch the first wines under the Harrow Cellars label with the 2020 vintage, according to the Shanken article. She told the publication that she plans to open a Harrow Cellars tasting room on the property in 2021.
Ken and Stacy Mattson's other properties in Sonoma include a house overlooking the Ravenswood property, as well as the Sonoma's Best deli and cottages on East Napa Street, Boyes Food Market and the 'Lanning Structures' on Highway 12, the General's Daughter event center, Ramekins culinary school and catering, Cornerstone Sonoma, Leland Fishing Ranch, the former Cocoa Planet building on Broadway, Cottage Inn & Spa downtown, a portion of the Mercato property on the Plaza, the Sojourn tasting room building downtown and numerous residential properties.
In early 2019, according to CoreLogic real estate reports, the Mattsons and/or their real estate company, LeFever Mattson, had in the past three years purchased all or part of 26 Valley properties, for a total of almost $80 million.
Karin Rogers, director of business development for Sonoma's Best Hospitality Group, is credited with having tapped Mondavi 'to help preserve the property's historic old vines and leverage the estate's potential' and to oversee all of the vineyards and winery operations within the portfolio.
'Angelina's unparalleled expertise in production, vineyard management and winery operations makes her the perfect steward to guide this property in its next chapter,' said Rogers in a press release announcing the news. 'Harrow Cellars takes its name from the farming tool that helps uncover the land's best version of itself, and we couldn't think of a better winemaking talent to shepherd these beautiful old vines to renewed fruition.'
A spokesperson for Ken Mattson stated that he will not be involved in day-to-day operations at Harrow Cellars. The new winery venture will be operated by Angelina Mondavi and overseen by Karin Rogers.
Email Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.
