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14 WINES&VINES August 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS Boisset acquires Wattle Creek The Alexander Valley winery and San Francisco tasting room of Wattle Creek Estate Winery are now part of the Boisset Collection of wineries. According to a state- ment released by the Boisset Col- lection, new owner Jean-Charles Boisset will continue to produce wines under the Wattle Creek brand at the winery and under the direc- tion of Matt Michael, who takes the role of consulting winemaker to ensure continuity of style. The tasting room, located in San Fran- cisco's Ghirardelli Square (pictured below), has been reopened with a new design inspired by mid-cen- tury modern architectural elements. Chris and Kristine Williams founded Wattle Creek in 1994. HdV buys winery location Hyde de Villaine (HdV) winery in Napa announced its purchase of the 33.5-acre parcel that has been the winery's home since 2003. The property is comprised of 24 acres of vineyards, a 3,750-square-foot winery and a residence. Accord- ing to a statement released by the winery, HdV plans to retrofit the existing crush pad and replant the vineyard where needed with the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvi- gnon Blanc while maintaining the winery's focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hyde de Villaine is a partnership between the Hyde fam- ily, owners of the Hyde Vineyard in Carneros, and the de Villaine fam- ily, owners of A&P de Villaine and co-director of Domaine de la Ro- manée-Conti in Burgundy, France. Hobbs buys vineyard Paul Hobbs, winemaker and owner of a 7,500-case eponymous win- ery, purchased a 42-acre vineyard from which he used to buy fruit from CalPERS, the California Pub- lic Employees Retirement System. Goldrock Ridge Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hobbs owns additional vineyard proper- ties in Napa Valley and the Russian River Valley. Southern Glazer's deal finalized Southern Wine & Spirits of Amer- ica and Glazer's Inc. announced in June that their merger became of- ficial, creating the largest U.S. wine distribution company in the United States. The new Southern Glaz- ers will operate in 44 states and the District of Columbia as well as Canada. Additionally, Glazer's sold its share in Breakthru Bever- age Group back to the corpora- tion, giving Breakthru full control of operations in Arizona. Justin to donate embattled land The owners of Justin Vineyards and Winery of Paso Robles, Calif., promised to donate a 380-acre property following public outcry after 5,000 mature oak trees were cut down and hills were graded to make room for a new vineyard property. A statement released by owners Lynda and Stewart Resn- ick reads, "While genuine efforts to meet county ordinances were made, unfortunately, there were absolutely unacceptable lapses in judgement." Mendocino Wine Co. picks up new brands Parducci Wine Cellars owner Men- docino Wine Co. of Ukiah, Calif., purchased OFFbeat Brands, a portfolio including well-known la- bels such as Parducci, Paul Dolan and Moniker, from Mike Kenton, who will continue to work for the company. Board increases assessment for PD/GWSS C a l i f o r n i a 's P i e rc e 's D i s e a s e / G l a s s y - w i n g e d S h a r p s h o o t e r Board set the 2016 assessment at $1.25 per $1,000 worth of grapes harvested. The amount marks an increase of 50 cents from the 2015 assessment. According to the board, a surplus led to the previ- ously low rate, and the amount of money collected has fallen for the past two years. Everett Ridge sold Flanagan Wines purchased the Everett Ridge Winery from Bank of the West just days after the bank took ownership of the prop- erty in Healdsburg, Calif. Eric and Craig Sterling, who owned Ever- ett Ridge, have filed a complaint against Bank of the West, accusing the lender of discriminatory lend- ing practices they say resulted in bankruptcy. The bank also took ownership of Esterlina, which the Sterling family purchased in 2000. Private equity firm buys Far Niente GI Partners of Menlo Park, Calif., purchased Far Niente Wine Es- tates, which includes a winemak- ing facility and wine brands Dolce, Nickel & Nickel, EnRoute and Bella Union. GI Partners, a private equity firm, also owns part of St. Helena, Calif.-based Duckhorn Wine Co. Washington wineries expand into Oregon Westport Winery in Aberdeen, Wash., recently announced plans to open a tasting room in Cannon Beach, Ore., a move that follows Walla Walla, Wash., producers Va Piano Vineyards opening in Bend, Ore., over Memorial Day weekend. These wineries are not alone in their venture, as Tertulia Cellars of Walla Walla, already has a satellite tasting room in Dundee, Ore. Brexit could take a toll on North American wine exports Many in the United Kingdom were shocked June 23, when the major- ity of voters approved a referendum to leave the European Union. The move prompted the pound to plummet, leading analysts to wonder how British consumers will react to increased prices for luxury items such as wine. See page 15. LATEST NEWS More detail on the news at winesandvines.com Top Stories The month in perspective