Crimson Wine Group, a new unit of New York investment group Leucadia National Corp., has acquired Domaine Alfred Winery, an Edna Valley producer that specializes in high-end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Erle Martin, Crimson’s president and CEO, said the Napa-based wine group, which specializes in luxury wines, purchased both the San Luis Obispo County winery and its highly regarded Chamisal Vineyard — a vineyard that has produced the fruit for numerous Vinesse wine club selections through the years.
Martin declined to disclose the deal’s purchase price or how much publicly traded Leucadia (NYSE: LUK) is investing in Crimson.
“We see a potential to add value, but I can quantify that” he told the San Francisco Business Times. “We tend to keep a low profile,” referring to both Crimson and parent Leucadia.
Crimson was formed a year ago, in August 2007, according to Martin. Domaine Alfred produced its first vintage in 1998.
The Crimson Wine Group now includes Domaine Alfred; Pine Ridge Vineyards, located in Napa’s Stags Leap District; Archery Summit Winery, in Oregon’s Dundee Hills; and Double Canyon Vineyards, a new winery in eastern Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills that will release its first vintage in the fall of 2009.
