The esteemed winery that put Napa Valley on the map is no longer family-owned. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars has been sold to a joint venture of Italy's Marchese Piero Antinori and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates for $185 million (HT: Jacob Grier). Wine aficionados inherently ask "Is this a bad thing?" Me being one of those (I'm an aspiring one, whose always open for suggestions-post them in the comments.) and also a die-hard capitalist, leads me to say NO. Prime land in Napa Valley is selling for over $275,000 PER acre! And there are so many wineries that are small-batch producers of outstanding quality**. The competition is getting fierce and advances in chemistry and biological sciences will lead to further innovations and improvements (think genetic engineering, gene splicing, and who knows what else, even global warming, higher temperatures increase sucrose content in grapes) and increased competitiveness. Corporations and multinationals are storming Napa, trying to snatch all of the prime spots before their competition beats them to the punch. Is that a bad thing? NO! Who cares who the owner of the vineyard is?? Aficionados care about the WINE. New owners, with deeper pockets, are a good thing for the wine industry. These deeper pockets can fund larger projects, produce more wine without sacrificing quality (to an extent, theoretically), ship wine further and faster (assuming they're willing to ignore some ridiculous laws in certain states, i.e. Utah#), and quench the thirst of aficionados throughout the USA and the rest of the world. Fortunately for aficionados, Stag's Leap Cellars' new owners made a sound decision to keep winemaker Nicolette Pruss on staff and the man himself, Warren Winiarski (a former Chicago academic who studied under Strauss), as an advisor.
**Paradigm Winery is one of my favorites, specifically their Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfindel. They produce 6000 cases annually and have 55 acres of prime land in Oakville. It's Cab sells for approximately $120 in the restaurant I used to work at. (Sidenote: I also enjoy Joseph Phelps, its Insignia is particularly special and widely acclaimed; and, also sold by the bottle at Hamiltons for $300+, you won't find it really anywhere else in Utah.)
#This is my DISCLAIMER. I do not condone the violation of ANY liquor laws, regardless of whether I consider them ridiculous or not. Fortunately, I am currently residing on the East Coast in a state that allows wine shipments. I'll be expecting my case any time now, just in time for those fall colors and winter flurries. Cabs and Zins are terrible for hot, humid weather.
