Consumer Products + Manufacturing

Wine

Experience

  • Contracts and Agreements
  • Easements and Access Litigation

Represent Miller Family on Sale of The Silverado Vineyards

Represented the Miller family on the sale of Napa Valley luxury wine producer The Silverado Vineyards to Foley Family Wines. The sale included a 73,000-square-foot winery and 300 acres of vineyards across Napa’s Stags Leap District, Coombsville, and Yountville wine regions.

ACE Cider Sale to Vintage Wine Estate

Represented ACE Cider, The California Cider Company, the top independently owned hard cider brand in the U.S., in its sale to Vintage Wine Estates, Inc.

Far Niente Family of Wineries & Vineyards

Represented Napa Valley luxury wine producer Far Niente Family of Wineries & Vineyards in its acquisition of the Provenance Vineyards real estate in Rutherford, Calif. from Treasury Wine Estates. Far Niente purchased the property as the new home for its Bella Union brand. Farella also advised Far Niente on the concurrent sale of the Provenance brand and inventory to Lodi, Calif.'s Thomas Allen Vineyard & Wines.

Diamond Creek Winery

Represented the family of the late Boots Brounstein on the sale of their Diamond Creek Winery in Calistoga, Calf. to French Champagne producer Maison Louis Roederer.

Valley of the Moon Winery

Represented the Bundschu Company in its acquisition of the 60 acre winery and vineyard property at the historic Rancho Agua Caliente in Glen Ellen, California in Sonoma Valley, the current home of the Valley of the Moon Winery.

First Republic Bank

We assist First Republic Bank with structuring, drafting and negotiating loan documents for its individual and business clients for business acquisition loans, real estate acquisition loans, short and long term real estate term loans, equity and accounts receivable secured personal and commercial lines of credit, real estate construction loans and loans for buy-outs and recapitalizations.

Silicon Valley Bank

We assist Silicon Valley Bank’s premium wine banking group with structuring, drafting and negotiating loan documents for its winery clients in connection with vineyard and winery acquisition and development loans, short and long term real estate term loans, inventory and accounts receivable secured working capital lines of credit, winery construction loans and loans for buy-outs and recapitalizations.

Talbott Vineyards

Represented Talbott Vineyards in its sale to E&J Gallo.

Treasury Wine Estates on Sale of St. Clement

Represented Treasury Wine Estates in its sale of the St. Clement winery to Huneeus Vintners.

Sale of Central Coast California Blossom Hill Winery

Represented Treasury Wine Estates in its sale of Central Coast California Blossom Hill Winery to Delicato Family Vineyards.

Sale of 7 Deadly Wine Brand

Represented Michael David Winery in the sale of its 7 Deadly Lodi Zinfandel brand to The Wine Group. The sale included 7 Deadly Zins, the #1 Zinfandel brand in the United States, and 7 Deadly Red.

Kosta Browne Winery

Represented Kosta Browne Winery in its acquisition of premium California coastal vineyards in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley.

Duckhorn Wine Company

Represented Duckhorn Wine Company on diligence matters relating to its acquisition of Kosta Browne Winery.

Fetzer Vineyards

Represented Fetzer Vineyards in its acquisition of the Excelsior Wine Company collection. The addition to its portfolio of the Excelsior collection positions Fetzer Vineyards as the nation’s leading supplier of South American wines and as the 12th largest wine marketer in the United States.

Anchor Distilling Company

Representation of founder of Anchor Distilling Company in connection with redemptions by Anchor following sale of Anchor Brewing and follow on representation in the establishment of San Francisco-based distilling venture with Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Michael David Winery

Represented Lodi-based Michael David Winery in its purchase of a historic Geyserville winery, tasting room and vineyards from Silver Oak Cellars.

People v. MJA Vineyards, LLC

Representing a Napa vineyard owner in a code violations case for building a wine cave without a permit. Negotiated a favorable civil settlement and avoided criminal charges.

Calera Wine Company

Represented Calera Wine Company in its sale to Duckhorn Wine Company.

Ovid Winery

Represented Napa cult winery Ovid in its sale to the owners of Napa Valley’s Silver Oak and Twomey wineries.

Acquisition of WineBid, Inc.

Represented an investment group led by Third Leaf Partners in its acquisition of WineBid, Inc., the largest online auction for fine and rare wines.

Sale of The Prisoner Wine Company

Represented fine wine company Huneeus Vintners in the sale of The Prisoner Wine Company’s portfolio of brands to Constellation Brands, Inc.

Hop Kiln Winery Acquisition

Serves as outside general counsel for and represented Justin Vineyard & Winery, a subsidiary of The Wonderful Company, in the acquisition of Sonoma’s Hop Kiln Winery in Healdsburg, California. The Hop Kiln Winery is one of the most historically significant agricultural buildings in Sonoma County and had fallen into disrepair under previous ownership. Farella assisted with the acquisition of the property and now leads a team of consultants with expertise in historic rehabilitation. The team was successful in obtaining permission to perform a seismic upgrade and rehabilitation of the historic kiln structure and in obtaining a pending use permit that will allow the owners to move forward with a complete remodel of the interior of the hop kiln structure, as well as the construction of a new winery production facility on the site. 

Topete v. Treasury Wines

Defended Treasury Wine Estates Americas Company in a putative class action by all current and former non-exempt employees who worked for the company in California from 2011 through 2016. Plaintiffs alleged Treasury failed to include all non-discretionary incentive pay in the regular rate of pay for overtime purposes; failed to provide second meal periods to its non-exempt employees on shifts over 10 hours; implemented an uneven time-rounding practice; and failed to maintain and issue accurate payroll records. Civil penalties were sought under the Private Attorneys General Act. Without formal discovery, we reached an early mediated resolution of all claims minimizing litigation costs for our client.

Advise Terroir Capital on Sale of Qupé

Represented Terroir Capital LLC in its sale of the Qupé wine brand and inventory to Vintage Wine Estates.

Circle S Ranch Acquisition

Represented the Read family in its acquisition of Napa’s Circle S Ranch.

Tesseron Vineyards

Represented Tesseron Vineyards, a subsidiary of Chateau Pontet-Canet, in its acquisition of the Robin Williams vineyard estate.

O'Neill Vintners & Distillers

Represented O'Neill Vintners & Distillers in its acquisition of Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles.

Kenwood Winery Acquisition

Represented Pernod Ricard in its acquisition of the Kenwood Winery.

Stony Hill Vineyard

Represented Stony Hill Vineyard in its sale to Long Meadow Ranch.

Acquisition of Far Niente

Represented GI Partners on diligence matters relating to its acquisition of Far Niente winery.

Firm Highlights

Publication

New Laws and Compliance Updates for California Employers in 2023

California has passed several new or amended employment laws covering topics ranging from off-duty marijuana use, reproductive rights, California Family Rights Act, COVID-19, criminal law and the workplace, new avenues of enforcement against employers...

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Publication

Green in a Sea of Red: Winery Sales Are a Continuing Safe Haven in Rough Waters

The U.S. financial markets are down, yet marquee California wineries are attracting high earnings multiples and Wine Country real estate continues to command exceptionally high prices. The wine industry is unusual and complex. It’s...

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Publication

Fire Preparedness for Vineyards and Wineries

Winter, spring, summer, fire season, and fall – as Californians, we have all become accustomed to a fifth season – fire season. Even worse, fire season was once confined to just a few months...

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Publication

California’s Pay Transparency Act (SB 1162) – Are You Prepared?

This week the California legislature passed a pay transparency act that – pending Governor Newsom’s signature – will require significant changes in how employers draft job postings and how they report pay data to...

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Publication

California Extends COVID-19 Leave Through December 31, 2022

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 152 into law, extending Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) through December 31, 2022. SPSL, which requires California employers with over 26 employees to provide up to 80 hours paid...

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Publication

Under FTC’s New Proposed Rule, Employers Will No Longer Be Able to Rely on Noncompete Agreements

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a rule that would prohibit the use of noncompete agreements in employment contracts. Noncompete agreements prevent employees and independent contractors from pursuing certain forms of employment &ndash...

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Publication

New California Bill Requires Employers to Offer Bereavement Leave

AB 1949 , a bill passed by the California legislature and awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature, would require California employers to offer five days of bereavement leave to employees each time they lose a spouse...

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Publication

California Extends Presumption of COVID-19 as Workers’ Compensation Injury and Modifies Notice Requirements for Potential Exposure

In addition to AB 152 extending COVID-19 leave through December 31, 2022 , Governor Gavin Newsom has also signed into law two other COVID-related bills—AB 1751 and AB 2693—affecting employers’ policies regarding employees who...

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News

Planning Commission OKs Bella Union Winery at Former Provenance Facility in Rutherford

Katherine Philippakis was quoted in the Wine Business article, "Planning Commission OKs Bella Union Winery at Former Provenance Facility in Rutherford."  The goal for the “foreseeable future” is for Bella Union to produce 110,000...

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Event

23rd Annual Wine Industry Conference

Farella Braun + Martel is a Presenting Partner of the  North Bay Business Journal' s 23rd Annual Wine Industry Conference. The conference will explore new trends and challenges to the wine industry in the North Bay. Farella's Richard...

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