Decanter World Wine AwardsSonoma's Landmark Vineyards sold to Fiji Water
- Thursday 4 August 2011
Spring at Landmark Vineyards, Kenwood, Sonoma
Resnick, chairman and owner of agricultural conglomerate Roll Global, reportedly intends to double production at the Kenwood winery, which has 11 acres of vineyards and currently makes about 25,000 cases of wine a year, priced at US$28-50 a bottle.
Roll Global, which owns Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice, as well as farming citrus, almonds and pistachios, acquired Paso Robles-based Justin Vineyards and Winery in December last year. Neither sale price was disclosed.
The Landmark deal includes the winery, vineyards and stock, and comes 37 years after the business was founded by Damaris Deere Ford, a descendant of steel plough inventor and tractor maker John Deere.
Resnick said the acquisition was ‘an important step’ for Roll Global and paid tribute to the ‘fantastic job’ done by current owners, Mike and Mary Colhoun, Deere Ford’s son and daughter-in-law.
According to local reports, the Colhouns were under no pressure to sell the business and were only prepared to listen to ‘spectacular’ offers.
They will continue to play a limited role in Landmark and have signed a ‘no compete’ clause prohibiting them from participating in the wine business for five years.
Have your say!
James Foster
August 08 13:50
Why on earth are they looking to DOUBLE production?!
Michael Rubin
August 05 18:42
Demaris Deere Ford did not "found" Landmark. They purchased it from the Mabry family, who had founded it with partners a few years before in Windsor, to the north of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County.
peter Vinding-Diers
August 05 16:47
How on earth can 11 acres produce 25,000 cases of wine ??