Gallo buys Napa Valley’s Orin Swift Cellars

E. & J. Gallo Winery announced Thursday it has acquired Rutherford-based Orin Swift Cellars.

The sale includes the company’s brand, related inventory and St. Helena tasting room. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Winemaker Dave Phinney, who founded Orin Swift in 1998, “will continue to provide creative and winemaking direction,” Roger Nabedian, senior vice president and general manager of Gallo’s Premium Wine Division, said in a statement. “This purchase supports the company’s strategy for continued growth in the luxury wine segment.”

Phinney said, “I’m looking forward to a long and productive relationship where together we can propel Orin Swift Cellars to even greater heights.”

Modesto-based Gallo, the world’s largest family-owned winery, has a portfolio comprised of more than 80 brands, including such local businesses as J Vineyards & Winery, Louis M. Martini, Souverain, William Hill Estate and MacMurray Estate Vineyards.