Truett-Hurst reports wine sales decline

Healdsburg's Truett-Hurst Inc. reported on Monday that its total net wine sales reached $5.9 million in the last quarter, a decrease of 7.6 percent compared to the same period in the prior year.

The publicly traded company said it had $4.5 million in wholesale wines sales for the quarter ended September 30, which was a decrease of $600,000, or 11.7 percent. Its direct-to-consumer sales registered $1.4 million in sales, an increase of $100,000, or 9.1 percent.

The company, which in recent years has faced legal disputes and failed product offerings, reported $554,000 in net profit for the quarter, though that was primarily the result of a $844,000 gain from terminating its lease at the VML facility on Westside Road. The company reported $4.3 million cash on hand at the end of the quarter, which was a 61 percent increase from the same quarter in 2015. Truett-Hurst's stock price closed at $1.76 on Monday, up from its Friday close of $1.69.