Historic Winery Sale

Big news in the wine world, as the groundbreaking Stag's Leap Wine Cellars has been sold to a partnership composed on Washington State's Chateau Ste. Michelle and Italian producer Piero Antinori. Stag's Leap, of course, helmed by owner and (at the time) winemaker Warren Winiarski, made the 1973 Cabernet that took the number one spot in the famous Paris Tasting in 1976 (which you can read about at length in George Taber's fine book, Judgment of Paris). SLWC is unquestionably one of the signal wineries of the renaissance that happened in Napa Valley during the 1970s, and Winiarski—who is 78—is one of the central actors of that era; he'll stay on for several years as a consultant. 

The following, from the press release, gives some details: "The sale includes the estate's extraordinary brand, spectacular Napa Valley winery, and its signature Napa Valley estate vineyards, S.L.V. and Fay.  The Winiarski family looks forward to continued grape growing and will retain its Arcadia property to furnish grapes for the winery's estate Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon." 

Oh, and the price? A cool $185 million, evidently. Nice way to retire.