Landmark Vineyards sold to Fiji Water

Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood, one of Sonoma County's premiere family-owned wineries, was purchased Wednesday by a powerful California agricultural conglomerate that is expanding into the wine business.

Stewart and Lynda Resnick, whose $2 billion Roll Global company owns Fiji Water and the Pom Wonderful juice and also farms 188 square miles in California, purchased Landmark for an undisclosed price.

The winery located at the gateway to the Sonoma Valley was initially founded in Windsor by Bill Mabry in 1974. The winery was eventually taken over by one of its investors, Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great granddaughter of John Deere, who invented the steel plow and whose namesake company is well-known for manufacturing tractors.

In the 1990s, the winery was taken over by Damaris Deere Ford's son and his wife, Mike and Mary Colhoun, who focused on producing high-end chardonnay.

Landmark's chardonnay is regularly heralded by wine critics. Last Christmas, First Lady Michelle Obama chose Landmark Vineyards Overlook Chardonnay to toast the holidays. The small winery produces about 25,000 cases of wine annually, which includes pinot noir, grenache and syrah.

The Colhouns, who never put the property on the market, decided to sell the winery after being approached by Stewart Resnick in April.

"We had no real intention of selling unless an offer came along that we considered spectacular," said Mike Colhoun, who packed up his winery office Tuesday. "And we are absolutely thrilled with this transaction."

He would not discuss the sale price.

As part of the deal, the couple agreed to a non-compete clause, which prevents them from returning to the wine industry for five years. But they have no intention of leaving Sonoma County.

"Why would I leave paradise?" Mike Colhoun said. "We love it here."

The deal included 11 acres of vineyards and the winery, which is bonded to produce up to 35,000 cases annually, Colhoun said.

Resnick was not available to comment Wednesday, said Amber Eyerly, a spokeswoman for his company. Eyerly did not know how involved Resnick plans to be in the Sonoma Valley.

"There will be times he comes to visit," she said. "We'll definitely have a presence there."

In December, Resnick's company purchased its first winery, Justin Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles. The Central Coast winery specializes in red wines. Los Angeles-based Roll Global's acquisition of a Sonoma Valley winery helps the company's sales force present a more complete portfolio of wines to retailers, Eyerly said.

"We were looking for something that would complement our current offerings, and Landmark does that with its award-winning chardonnay," she said.

The company now plans to double wine production at Landmark Vineyards during the next five years. All of the winery's current 25 or so employees are expected to be retained as part of the acquisition, according to both sides.