Napa’s Duckhorn acquired by private firm

The Duckhorn Wine Company has been purchased from GI Partners in its entirety by a San Francisco-based equity firm.

It was announced on Monday that TSG Consumer Partners (TSG) had acquired Duckhorn from GI Partners in a transaction that includes all six of the company’s wineries across Napa Valley, Sonoma and Anderson Valley in California and Red Mountain in Washington as well as their respective brands and 600 acres of vineyards.

All of Duckhorn’s current employees, including CEO Alex Ryan will be retained and founders Dan and Margaret Duckhorn will remain closely involved with the company. Although the financial terms of the sale were not disclosed, GI Partners acquired Duckhorn in 2007 for US$250 million and it has been reported in the US press – such as the Napa Valley Register – that TSG may have paid in the region of $600m for the company.

TSG’s president, Jamie O’Hara, commented: “Duckhorn Wine Company is one of the most respected wine portfolios in the world. Duckhorn boasts six wineries that are all recognised as benchmarks for their regions and categories, and a world-class estate programme.

“We are thrilled by this incredible opportunity to partner with and invest in a company as dynamic and well-run as Duckhorn, a rarity in any industry. Our goal is to support the company’s vision and to use our consumer expertise to bring the Duckhorn portfolio of wines to an even broader global audience.”

Duckhorn’s Ryan added: “GI has been an ideal partner and we look forward to working with TSG.

“TSG recognises and values how unique we are in the North American wine industry and is committed to preserving the strong culture that defines us. At the same time, we share an exciting vision for our company’s future. By combining their consumer expertise and global reach with our luxury wine market proficiency and relentless focus on quality, we can ensure that our next 40 years will be as exceptional as our first four decades.”