Vineyard and Winery Management media company closes down after 43 years

Vineyard & Winery Management has gone out of business after 43 years of operation and halted publication of its trade magazine, the Santa Rosa-based multimedia company announced Wednesday.

“In recent years, the company experienced a series of unavoidable and unfortunate circumstances that led to acute cash flow issues,” the company stated in a press release.

The magazine was one of the oldest North American wine trade publications. The company also owned various trade shows and wine competitions, including The Press Democrat’s North Coast Wine Challenge. It sold its events portfolio last year to concentrate on publishing. At its closing, it had six full-time employees.

The bi-monthly magazine’s last issue was this year’s March/April edition.

Robert Merletti, chairman and chief executive officer, said, “It’s with a heavy heart that we have to make this decision.”