The managing director of Vavasour Wines, Mr Peter Scutts, has confirmed the pending sale of New Zealand Wine Trust’s brands to a Sonoma-based company, Foley Family Wines.

The wine brands in the sale include Vavasour, Goldwater, Clifford Bay, Boatshed Bay, Dashwood and Redwood Pass.

Wine Technology magazine spoke to Mr Scutts last week and he confirmed the deal will go through subject to final documentation and clearance by the New Zealand Overseas Investment Commission.

Included in the deal is vineyard land of around 100 hectares, mostly planted in sauvignon blanc.

Mr Scutts confirmed the reports from the US that the deal is expected to go through in 60 to 90 days.

The wine brands involved currently produce around 280,000 cases of wine, but the Foley company has been quoted as saying that figure could eventually be lifted to 350,000 cases a year.

The Sonoma company recently purchased Sabastiani Vineyards, and is said to produce just under 500,000 cases of wine each year.

What an utterly sad day for our district.More homogenising of everything that is good about our country, our district and our connection to the most unique landscape in the world. Tell Mr Peter Scutts he has probably just sold off his market edge. I wonder how long it will take before he realises it.
V. O. (Marlborough)

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