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16 WINES&VINES June 2017 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS N apa, Calif.—Foreign nationals, immigrants and international com- panies have long in- vested in Napa Valley and the U.S. wine businesses. While the Japa- nese economy boomed at home, several Japanese-owned compa- nies invested in the North Ameri- can wine trade in the 1980s, and the 21st century has seen buyers from China, Vietnam, South Korea and other Asian countries. Recently, two high-end winer- ies with Chinese ties opened new tasting rooms in Napa Valley, prompting the question: Is Chi- nese ownership of North Ameri- can wineries on the rise? This spring, Acumen Wines, owned by Chinese-born business- man Eric Yuan, opened a high-end art gallery and tasting room in downtown Napa to display the wines from its vine- yards next to Stage- coach Vineyard in Atlas Peak. Mean- while, Maxville Lake Winery, owned by Qinghai Huzhu Bar- ley Wine Co. of Haid- ong, China, opened a renovated tasting room at its winery in Chiles Valley, east of Napa Valley proper. B u t d e a l m a k e r Robert Nicholson of International Wine Associates in Healds- burg, Calif., cautions against looking too deeply for a developing trend. Nicholson says more Chinese buyers are looking for lifestyle wineries than the larger wineries and vineyards he and competitor Zepponi & Co. generally handle. Nicholson adds that political changes in China have reduced interest in overseas purchases, but added, "Chinese buyers gravitate to France," which remains better known among Chinese interested in the wine industry. Nevertheless, "Napa has a big name for life- style," he said. Still, buying a winery, vine- yard or similar property can have benefits beyond profits for for- eign nationals looking for a path to citizenship. The U.S. EB-5 im- migrant investor program offers a visa in return for creating or preserving jobs in the United States. It requires applicants to invest at least $1 million in a commercial enterprise that cre- ates at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. If the investment is in an enterprise in a Targeted Employment Area, a rural area or area with high unemployment, the required investment amount is reduced to $500,000. Nicholson maintains that EB-5 deals aren't too popular since win- A Chinese company purchased Maxville Lake Win- ery in Napa Valley's Chiles Valley AVA in 2014. TOP STORY Is This Napa Winery Trend Already Stalling?