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14 WINES&VINES July 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS Gallo buys Orin Swift brands and tasting room Napa Valley-based Orin Swift Cel- lars was sold by its founder, owner and winemaker David Phinney, to E. & J. Gallo Winery. Orin Swift is a boutique wine producer that made headlines in April after some pre- viously divested brands including The Prisoner were sold to Constel- lation Brands by an interim owner, Huneeus Vintners. Gallo did not buy any vineyard land with the purchase, nor is there a working winery associated with the buy. Total case production is about 100,000 cases per year, with wines selling for between $30 and $100 per bottle. The tasting room in St. Helena, Calif., was part of the pur- chase price, as were the following brands: Abstract, China Doll, Ma- chete, Mannequin, Mercury Head, Mute, Palermo, Papillon, Slander, Trigger Finger and Veladora. About 25 employees of the current Orin Swift operation will be invited to interview if they want to stay with the brand. European pest discovered in wine shipment Agriculture specialists working for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency discovered Eu- scelis incises, a leafhopper never before seen in the United States, in a wine shipment from Italy. The pest, which was discovered at the Houston (Texas) Seaport, is known to target grapevines and other crops in Europe. Delicato buys Monterey County vineyard Delicato Family Vineyards acquired the 243-acre River Road Vineyard, which was planted by the late Jerry McFarland in 1972. Located in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA of Monterey County, Calif., the vineyard is known for producing premium Pinot Noir and Chardon- nay. McFarland, who died in 2013, planted other Monterey vineyards including Smith & Hook, Sleepy Hollow, La Reina and San Saba. Auction Napa Valley raises $14.3 million Napa Valley Vintners' 36th annual Auction Napa Valley raised more than $14.2 million for local health and youth organizations May 29- June 5. The Vintners have donated more than $150 million from auction proceeds to local health and youth initiatives as well as other causes since the first auction in 1981. Whitman Cellars sells, again The former premises of Whit- man Cellars in Washington state has once again sold, this time to a fledgling winery whose owners are making significant investments in the Walla Walla Valley. Attorney Michael Martin has teamed up with veteran Walla Walla winemaker Ali Mayfield to launch The Walls, a venture that has grown to include vineyards, a winery and a restau- rant. Martin and Mayfield began making wine in 2014 at the Artifex custom-crush facility in Walla Walla from fruit purchased from vineyards in the Columbia Gorge and Yakima Valley. In 2015, Martin purchased a 20-acre property located within the new Rocks District of Milton-Free- water AVA, where he plans to plant Syrah and other varietals starting next spring. Oregon offers assistance to organic growers The Oregon Department of Agricul- ture is offering to reimburse grape- growers and other farmers for up to 75% of expenses involved with cer- tifying their crops as organic. Fees for new certifications and renewals are eligible and must have been in- curred between Oct. 1, 2015, and Sept. 30, 2016. Jackson Family Wines acquires Copain Jackson Family Wines (JFW) an- n o u n c e d i t re a c h e d a d e a l t o acquire Copain Wines in Healds- burg, Calif. Founded by winemaker Wells Guthrie, Copain special- izes in vineyard-designate wines from the Anderson Valley. Copain Wines will continue to operate and produce as it does currently, with Guthrie remaining in his role as winemaker and continuing to control winemaking decisions in- cluding grape sourcing. Jackson Family Wines will focus its efforts on providing enhanced sales, mar- keting, distribution and back-office administrative support. According to a statement by JFW, the deal enables the company "to expand its portfolio with the addition of a stylistically-unique winery produc- ing balanced, expressive, lower al- cohol wines." Opus One wins expansion The Napa County Planning Com- mission granted Opus One Winery the ability to expand its winemak- ing facilities by nearly 52,000 square feet and increase produc- tion to 250,000 gallons (105,000 cases) per year. The winery pro- duced 116,580 gallons in 2015, according to materials submitted to the commission. California grape supply at tipping point California's grape and bulk wine supply has dwindled since the record-setting harvest of 2013, a trend exacerbated by lighter than average yields from coastal areas during 2015. With estimates for the 2016 harvest indicating the state is in for an average to below- average crop, grape brokers be- lieve the tight supply will drive up demand—and prices—especially for fruit from premium growing areas. See page 15. Treasury winemaking gets reorganized Following months of planning in the wake of its purchase of the Dia- geo wine business, Treasury Wine Estates revealed its map for wine production that includes the new brands and facilities. Paso Cellar 360 in Paso Robles, Calif., will play a large role, as will the cellar at Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif. See page 16. Pennsylvania relaxes wine sales Lawmakers in Pennsylvania surprised residents and the wine in- dustry alike last month, when they passed legislation opening the state to direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping and wine sales beyond state-owned liquor stores. As the 12 th -largest wine-consuming state, Pennsylvania has been a target of industry groups looking to expand DtC sales across the country. See page 18. LATEST NEWS More detail on the news at winesandvines.com Top Stories The month in perspective Poor fruit set was a culprit for the small 2015 harvest. Attendees place bids during Auction Napa Valley. Euscelis incises