Big Business Wine

Today, control of two well respected wineries began the process of changing hands. Warren Winiarski's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was sold to Washington's Ste. Michelle Estate and Tuscan Piero Antinori. Winiarski's rose to fame when his 1973 Cabernet (his first vintage at his winery) was triumphant at the famed 1976 Paris tasting. He began his career learning the winemaking trade at places such as Robert Mondavi Winery, Souverain Winery, and under famed winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieau Vineyards. Warren has stated that he simply felt it was time for his family to sell the winery. Will this mean a change in quality at SLWC? I don't think so. While Ste. Michelle Estates is a big boy in the wine business now, they wouldn't want to tarnish the image of SLWC and start making poorer duality wine. Warren feels that selling the winery to the Antinori-Michelle partnership is leaving everything in good hands. He also explained that they had been discussing this move for the past ten years, so it was definitely not a snap decision. The price tag? A cool $185 million.

The other transition occurred at Duckhorn Wine, Co. (who also own Paraduxx and Goldeneye). Margaret and Don Duckhorn founded the winery that grew thanks to 80 some odd investors, of which many were now looking to cash out. In stepped GI Partners from Menlo, California, and London. They purchased enough interest in the company for some original investors to head out. GI's interest in the company is now considered a "controlling investment." Enough to have some pull in the company obviously. Katie and I throughly enjoyed Goldeneye's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir at our Victoria and Albert's dinner last December. I also love the Paraduxx, a blend of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.

I also enjoyed a nice weekend of fishing off Martha's Vineyard this past Saturday and Sunday. A special thank you to my father-in-law for taking me and Dean and Merrill for the good company. I had an excellent time bringing in my first Striper! Till next time..."I suspect the Nargles are behind it."--Luna Lovegood