Coppola buys Inglenook brand

<p>Francis Ford Coppola announced a deal Monday to acquire the Inglenook trademark from The Wine Group and restore the historic name to his Napa Valley wine estate.</p><p>Rubicon Estate, which Coppola created on the former Inglenook property in Rutherford, will now be known by its original name. Bordeaux winemaker Philippe Bascaules will assume the position of estate manager and winemaker at Inglenook.</p><p>Financial terms were not disclosed.</p><p>Inglenook Vineyards was founded in 1879 by Gustave Niebaum but the estate was broken up and its name sold off to a succession of owners that transformed it into a value-priced jug wine brand. Coppola acquired part of the original Inglenook estate in 1975 and spent the next 20 years reuniting the original vineyards.</p><p>“We are pleased to see the revered Inglenook brand reunited with its historic estate under the Coppola family's stewardship. This is a proud moment for the California wine industry,” Wine Group chief executive David Kent said in a statement.</p><p>The Wine Group will transition wines currently sold under the Inglenook brand to alternative labels.</p>