Quivira Vineyards owner Pete Kight has bought renowned Sonoma winery Tandem.
Kight acquired Tandem, which was founded by star Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producer Greg La Follette, on 14 January.
Kight is the founder of CheckFree, an online bill payment system, owner of Quivira Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, and part-owner of high-end Australian producer Torbreck, in the Barossa Valley.
Tandem currently produces 9,000 cases of wine per year – mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Kight has formed a new company, Wine Creek LLC, to market a portfolio of wines from Quivira, Tandem and Torbreck, which Kight bought a partnership interest in last year.
Greg La Follette will continue to head up Tandem. La Follette has long-time relationships with several top-flight growers in Sonoma County and Anderson Valley, including the Sangiacomo, Ritchie and Van der Kamp families.
‘To me, winemaking is all about living an authentic life as an agrarian, where you help the people who work with you, you believe in each other, you have faith in your relationships and in yourself and ultimately you craft authentic wines,’ La Follette said. ‘I think Pete Kight shares those beliefs.’
Written by Tim Teichgraeber in San Francisco
