New winemaker announced at Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga

Avery Heelan has been promoted to winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga, taking over from Dan Petroski, who held the position since 2013 at the 150-acre estate winery.

Heelan joined Larkmead Vineyards in July 2019 after serving as cellar master at Screaming Eagle Vineyards in Napa, the renowned producer of luxury cabernet sauvignon in the Napa Valley. She also served as vintage assistant winemaker at Domaine Yves Boyer Martenot in Meursault, France; and as a vintage enologist at Capel Vale Winery in Western Australia.

She has a master’s degree in agricultural and environmental chemistry from UC Davis.

“Now that Larkmead has reached 125 years, I am excited to usher our wines into the next era of our history, focused on climate change research, organic farming and approaching the 150-acre estate as a contained microcosm that has the potential to produce the world’s finest wines,” Heelan said in a statement.

Crimson Wine Group reports net income spike

Crimson Wine Group, which owns Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa and Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg, reported $5.7 million in net income for the previous quarter that ended June 30.

The increase in revenue marked a sharp contrast from the same quarter a year before, when it reported a $1.6 million loss at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The publicly traded company based in Napa announced its earnings results on Aug. 5.

Its net sales were $17.4 million for the quarter, which was a 28% increase over the same quarter in 2020 when it had net sales of $13.6 million.

The company noted that during last year it closed its Double Canyon Vineyards tasting room and did some management restructuring with charges totaling $1.4 million. Crimson also received a $3.8 million forgivable loan under the federal Paycheck Protection Program.

State board approves more research into Pierce’s disease

The state board that oversees research into Pierce’s disease has approved more than $2.1 million in new funding into combating grapevine viruses.

The new funding will go to 12 new research projects. That is in addition to the $640,000 for the seven projects that are ongoing.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter transmits the disease, which has appeared in various vineyards around the region. The pest inserts a bacterium that impedes water flow in the grapevine and ultimately kills it.

Almost $50 million has been appropriated for state research into the disease since 2001.

Compiled by Bill Swindell. Submit items to bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com.