Foley Family Wines takes majority stake in Napa's Kuleto winery

SONOMA, March 3, 2009 -- Foley Family Wines has made its second wine brand acquisition in the past few months and his ninth since entering the wine business in 1996 with the purchase of a majority stake in Kuleto Estate in Napa County.

Retired insurance company top executive Bill Foley II worked out a deal last week to take majority stake – said to be 70 percent – in the Kuleto Estate winery near Rutherford, inventory for the 7,500-case-a-year brand and 22 acres of winegrapes.

Mr. Foley reportedly plans to increase production to 14,000 cases a year.

Pat Kuleto will retain 700 acres of land with 150 acres in vineyards and will continue to work with the brand he started in 1992, and winemaker Dave Lattin will continue making the wine. Mr. Kuleto has designed 190 restaurants and owns Martini House in St. Helena, Nick's Cove & Cottages in west Marin County and several high-end San Francisco restaurants.

In December, Mr. Foley acquired Sebastiani Vineyards in Sonoma. His Sonoma-based wine group, now called Foley Family Wines, includes Lincourt Vineyards in Solvang, Firestone Vineyard, Goodnight Winery and Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery in Santa Barbara County, Napa Valley brands Merus and Altvs as well as Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Wash.