Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery Comments On The Sale of Their Hopland Facility

NEWS RELEASE

Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery has sold their Hopland winery facility and the surrounding 24 acres of vineyards to Vintage Wine Estates in order to streamline operations and focus on their Weibel Family brand and private label business.

As part of the sale, Weibel will continue to crush and make their Weibel Family wines from their Estate Vineyards in Mendocino County at the Hopland facility. Weibel has owned their Estate Vineyards since 1968, where they farm 500 acres of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandel, pinot noir, syrah, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc.

“With production business up 20% over the last few years, we decided that we needed to focus on our primary Weibel Family brand and our private label customers rather than the custom crush business,” said Fred Weibel, President of the winery. “It is a move more in line with our core strengths and historical business model.”

To increase their presence in Mendocino County, Weibel rented space in downtown Hopland at the beginning of 2011 and moved their tasting room from the Hopland winery to the existing location on Highway 101. “We feel that Mendocino County and our Estate Vineyards are home to some of the finest grapes in California, and we strive to make our Weibel Family wines showcase that quality,” said Weibel.

Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1939 in San Francisco by Rudolf Weibel who emigrated from Switzerland. Weibel became noted for its California sparkling and Green Hungarian wines.

Today, Weibel is under the direction of Fred Weibel Jr., President and Owner, and the third generation of the Weibel Family at the winery. Working along with him is Gary Habluetzel, Fred’s cousin, as Vice President in charge of production.

Weibel has operated a production facility in Lodi, Calif., since 1996, where their sparkling wines and private label brands are made. The still and sparkling bottling lines can handle 3,500 to 3,800 cases a day, and the facility can produce up to one million cases a year.

For more information:

Mr. Fred Weibel, Jr.
Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery
Telephone: (209) 365-9463
fred@weibel.com | www.weibel.com