Winery transactions: Furrow, Native Vines, Foris, and Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Last bottle at Furrow Winery in Illinois
Furrow Winery in El Paso, Illinois, will close in March this year after six years of operation, according to a Gatehouse News Service report. The owner, Wayne Furrow, explains the decision to GNS:
“We sold about 8,000 gallons of wine a year. We really needed to sell between 12,000 and 15,000 gallons to be profitable,”
Furrow has put up the winery’s 10,000 square-foot building for sale but will keep the land.
The Pantagraph has more, including this:
Furrow’s also has experienced a problem with a plant disease that originated with the vines and all of the plants on the 10-acre vineyard eventually will die, Furrow said. About 30 percent of the plants are infested now and are close to dying, but that problem is unrelated to the closure, Furrow said.
… At least for a couple more years, they’ll continue to grow and sell Norton grapes, which are more resistant to the plant disease, to other wineries.
The Pantagraph also has a comment thread on the merits of the winery.
Native American owned winery to open in April
The Dispatch in Davidson County in North Carolina reports that Nick and Darlene Gabbard are opening what they claim is the country’s first Native American-owned winery in April, Native Vines Winery in Yadkin Valley. Among the winery’s offerings are Warhorse Red, a pinot noir; Redhawk, a Merlot white; and White Buffalo, a Chenin Blanc. Darlene Gabbard is a member of the Lumbee tribe that famously chased the Ku Klux Klan out of Eastern North Carolina in 1958.
All Gerber at Foris
Ted and Teri Gerber are now the sole owners of Foris Vineyards and Winery in Cave Junction,Oregon, after buying out Russell and Elizabeth Berard, according to the Portland Business Journal. Foris produced 48,000 cases in 2007.
Wine meets satellite entertainment at Chateau Ste. Michelle
Chateau Ste. Michelle, the giant winery in Woodinville, Washington, has become the “first official customer” of XM for Business. The deal allows the winery to play any programming offered by XM’s 170 channels at its facilities and events without having to worry about rights.
Tags: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Furrow Winery, Native Vines Winery