The Sebastiani and Cuneo families have announced that they have entered into a transaction to sell Sebastiani Vineyards Inc. to the Foley Wine Group. Financial details were not disclosed.
Mary Ann Cuneo, CEO and granddaughter of the winery’s founder, Samuele Sebastiani, said, “We are confident that this transaction will strengthen Sebastiani’s leading reputation as one of North America’s premier producers of wine, and continue the Sebastiani heritage of consistent quality and value.â€
Sebastiani Vineyards was founded in 1904 and offers six tiers of wine. The Sebastiani family recently completed construction of a new winery and hospitality center, renovating and remodeling the original winery building that was constructed in 1903. Since the sale of Turner Road Vintners in 2000, the company has concentrated its efforts on ultra-premium wine marketed under the family name.
All of the company’s multiple varietals — including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel — are cultivated, processed and bottled in Sonoma County, tapping more than 100 years of winemaking experience in the region to produce the perfect grape-to-site matches.
“Since 2000, management has refocused the brand through an unwavering commitment to production of wines of quality and value,” Cuneo added. “We are confident that Foley Wines’ continued dedication to the Sebastiani tradition of excellence will facilitate a smooth transition.”
Foley Wine Group, established in 1996, manages a portfolio of premier vineyards and wineries in California and the Pacific Northwest, including Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery, Lincourt Vineyards, Firestone Vineyards, Merus, Altus, Goodnight Cellars and Three Rivers Winery.
“Sebastiani’s well-known brand, diverse family of wines and new, state-of-art facilities offer significant capacity for future growth,” said William “Bill” P. Foley II. “Sebastiani includes a permitted production facility with a 1 million-case capacity (current production is 280,000 cases utilized over five tiers of wine).
“We are also excited to acquire the historic Sebastiani tasting room and event center in downtown Sonoma, which hosts over 225,000 visitors per year, as well as approximately 100 acres of producing vineyards in the Carneros and Sonoma Mountain appellations, including the famed Cherry Block Vineyard.”
“We believe Sebastiani is an extremely valuable addition to our current portfolio of high quality wines.”
