Menu
Menu
Tina and Brett
In recent winery acquisitions, Domaine Gauby and Roc des Anges in Roussillon transition to new owners, while Full Glass Wine secures $14 million in funding and acquires Bright Cellars to expand its DTC wine portfolio. Additionally, Luc and Clémence Planty take over Château de Malle in Sauternes, aiming to restore its grandeur, and Luca Currado Vietti and Elena Penna begin a new venture, Cascina Penna-Currado, in Barolo, showcasing their commitment to traditional winemaking. Meanwhile, Treasury Wine Estates shifts focus towards premium wines, and Laura Catena advocates for grand cru status for her family’s Adrianna Vineyard in Mendoza, challenging traditional wine classifications.
Two Iconic Wineries Change Ownership | Meininger’s International
The esteemed wineries Gauby and Roc des Anges, located in the Roussillon region in southern France, have recently changed ownership, moving from family to investor hands. This transition marks a significant shift for these iconic vineyards, known for their influential role in the region and for producing high-quality, reasonably priced wines. Domaine Gauby, recognized for pioneering biodynamic practices, sold to French investors Yann Mazabraud and François Baulé, with Gauby advising the new owners for several years. Roc des Anges, founded by Marjorie Gallet, reflecting timeless elegance in its wines, is now primarily owned by Thibault Ponthier, a food entrepreneur, with the founders also providing transitional support. Both wineries aim to maintain their high quality and practices under new ownership, with the current winemakers playing a crucial role in this continuity.
Full Glass Wine raises $14m in funding, acquires Bright Cellars – FoodBev Media
Full Glass Wine, a company specializing in the acquisition and management of direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine businesses, successfully completed a $14 million Series A fundraising. As part of its expansion strategy, Full Glass Wine acquired Bright Cellars, a subscription-based wine service in the US. This move is set to bolster Full Glass Wine’s multi-brand platform, complementing its existing portfolio, which includes Winc and Wine Insiders—companies known for personalized wine recommendations and curated selections of high-quality wines, respectively. The influx of capital from the Series A round will facilitate Full Glass Wine’s growth ambitions, targeting acquisitions of leading DTC wine market players and enhancing operations through marketing innovations, technology enhancements for personalized experiences, and improved fulfilment processes for better customer satisfaction. The acquisition of Bright Cellars enriches Full Glass Wine’s subscription-based offerings and solidifies its market position by broadening its consumer reach and product variety. With expectations to reach a revenue run rate exceeding $100 million by 2024, Full Glass Wine aims to improve customer experiences and expand its market footprint significantly.
Luc Planty acquires Sauternes’ historic Château de Malle
Luc and Clémence Planty, the energized duo with a profound connection to Bordeaux’s wine industry, have recently taken the reins of the historic Château de Malle in Sauternes, Preignac. The couple, with Luc’s experience as the former director of Château Guiraud, aims to revitalize this neglected gem, recognized as a second growth in the esteemed 1855 classification. Their ambitious project includes restoring the château’s grandeur and converting its vineyards to organic agriculture, thereby promising a brighter future for the estate. Château de Malle, remarkable for being classified both as a historical monument and for its viticultural excellence, spans 38 hectares across the Graves and Sauternes appellations. The Plantys aspire to honor the château’s exceptional history while making it a vibrant hub of culture, history, and premium winemaking, mirroring the potential resurgence of the Sauternes and Barsac regions themselves.
Barolo Legends Back in the Game | Wine-Searcher News & Features
After leaving the iconic Vietti winery, renowned Barolo winemakers Luca Currado Vietti and his wife Elena Penna have embarked on a new venture, Cascina Penna-Currado, in Serralunga d’Alba. Their departure from Vietti, where Luca served as CEO and head of winemaking for 35 years and Elena managed sales, marked the beginning of a new chapter in their careers, centered around a commitment to produce Barolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, and other wines from their farmhouse in the heart of the Barolo zone. Despite not initially planning to leave Vietti or start a new winery, circumstances led them to develop this family project, which has been both challenging and exciting. The farmhouse, a historic structure dating back to 1554, will serve as the nexus for their new wine production endeavor, emphasizing traditional methods and a deep respect for the terroir. The couple looks forward to introducing their 2023 wines, which include a range of varieties sourced from carefully selected vineyards with long-term contracts. Their focus on classic styles, the distinct qualities of their selected grapes, and the involvement of their children, Michele and Giulia, in the business underscore their commitment to excellence and family tradition in wine-making. This venture represents a blend of respect for heritage and a forward-looking vision for innovative wine production in the Barolo region.
Treasury Wine Estates aims to ditch cheap wines
Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), Australia’s largest wine group, is undergoing a significant transformation under CEO Tim Ford’s direction, moving towards a premium and super-premium market focus. The company has set an internal deadline to divest or spin off its budget wine brands by the end of the year, concentrating on upscale labels, particularly the Penfolds range, driven by the global consumer trend towards higher-priced wines. Approximately 75% of TWE’s profits are generated by Penfolds and a high-end U.S. portfolio, notably bolstered by the acquisition of Daou Vineyards, a prominent Paso Robles winery, for AU$1.6 billion. The shift includes the potential separation or sale of lower-priced labels like Wynns, Pepperjack, and Wolf Blass, aligning with the company’s strategy to target wines priced at AU$30 and above. This move could result in these premium products making up 90% to 100% of TWE’s business focus, reflecting growing demand for luxury wines and a strategy to enhance profitability amidst a saturated market for lower-end wines. This strategic pivot also comes at a time when the industry is considering consolidation to address the challenges of oversupply and evolving consumer preferences.
The Argentine Winery Believes It’s Worthy of Grand Cru Status—and It’s Using Science to Prove It
Laura Catena, a fourth-generation vintner from Mendoza’s Catena Zapata, is advocating for the esteemed classification of her family’s Adrianna Vineyard as a grand cru, akin to the prestigious vineyards of France. With a deep scientific background in biology and medicine, Catena has embarked on a rigorous study of the vineyard’s soils and microclimates, revealing that its unique terroir—characterized by fractured limestone, ancient alluvial and eolic soils, and significant altitude—contributes to its wine’s distinctive minerality and exquisite flavor profiles, comparable to those from Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Through meticulous research involving soil analysis, microvinifications, and comparison tastings, Catena aims to demonstrate that the unique conditions of the Adrianna Vineyard, located in the Gualtallary subzone of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, produce wines worthy of grand cru status. This endeavor is not only a testament to Catena Zapata’s vineyard’s potential for outstanding quality but also represents a challenge to traditional notions of terroir and wine classification, suggesting that world-class wines that merit the grand cru label can emerge from regions outside France.
