Francis Ford Coppola renames former Geyser Peak winery

Francis Ford Coppola announced Thursday that he has renamed the former Geyser Peak Winery and it will be called the Virginia Dare Winery, celebrating the first English child born to American colonists in 1587.

Coppola purchased the historic winery and 32 acres of vineyards in the Alexander Valley in March 2013. The Geyser Peak brand, which was not part of that deal, was retained by Accolade Wines North America.

Coppola had released a series of four wines - The White Doe, Manteo, Two Arrowheads and The Lost Colony - serving as clues before formally revealing the name of the winery.

“The myth of Virginia Dare always intrigued me, and as a child I remember the Virginia Dare wine because of the pretty blonde girl on the label and the ‘Say it again, Virginia Dare’ jingle they used to advertise on the radio,” Coppola said in a statement. “My goal is to revive the wine brand so that it isn’t lost to future generations. The winery’s new home in Geyserville is the ideal location in the heart of American wine country to tell the origin stories of American wine.”

The Francis Ford Coppola Winery is the 18th largest U.S. winery, producing 1.25 million cases in 2014, according to Wine Business Monthly. Coppola also owns the Inglenook winery in Rutherford.