Sutter Home expands sweet wine offerings with fruit infusions line

Sutter Home Family Vineyards expanded its sweet wine portfolio by introducing a fruit infusions line made with real fruit juice and natural fruit flavors.

Trinchero Family Estates in St. Helena owns Sutter Home and has made inroads into the wine seltzer category with its Del Mar brand. Fruit infusions wines will be available in sweet peach, wild berry and tropical pineapple flavors at 7.5% alcohol content. The wines will be packaged in 187 ml four-packs, as well as 750 ml and 1.5 liter bottles.

The company’s flavored wine category has increased 60% in sales and now represents a $628 million annual market.

Larkmead Vineyards names virtual tasting room manager

Daniel Stoch has been promoted to virtual tasting manager at Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga, a new position for the winery as it expands its digital reach.

Stoch has been tasting room manager and helped the winery pivot to digital tastings during the pandemic. Erik Siebelist, a former tasting room lead at Larkmead Vineyards, will replace Stoch taking over the tasting room manager position.

Stoch joined Larkmead in 2017 as a harvest intern, supporting winemaker Dan Petroski in cellar tasks. Stoch then worked in the tasting room, where he honed his customer service, sales, communications and wine education skills.

Hudson Napa Valley winery taps new chief executive

Peter Willmert was appointed chief executive officer of Hudson Napa Valley. The former LVMH executive will take the helm at the Carneros winery that provides fruit to 30 other local wineries from its 2,000 acre property.

Willmert had been vice president of estates and wines in North America for LVMH Moët Hennessy, responsible for development of the international wine portfolio in the region for the luxury brand.

Founders Lee and Cristina Hudson will remain active in leadership of Hudson Napa Valley from which they started farming grapes in 1981. The couple also operates the Hudson Greens & Goods grocery store at the Oxbow Public Market.

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