[QUOTE=Corrado, post:21, topic:122240]
From what I could see, it is (or was; looks like Foley bought Firestone last summer). Depending on how they run their side-labels, that could mean anything from Firestone running the whole thing & just slapping a different label on the bottle to letting them run themselves as an Indy operation where the parent rakes in the profits if they’re successful or cuts them loose if they’re not.
I’ve seen a little bit of both in other business; not sure what the wine world models are.
[/quote]
Here is an article that was posted on Wine.WOOT back in August…
FIRESTONE VINEYARD ACQUIRED BY FOLEY WINE GROUP
August 16, 2007—The Firestone family announced today the acquisition of Firestone Vineyard by the Foley Wine Group, which is owned by William P. Foley, proprietor of Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery and Lincourt Vineyards in Santa Barbara County.
The acquisition includes the Firestone Vineyard and Prosperity Wines brands, along with the Santa Ynez Valley winery and 480 acres of land, inclusive of 300 vineyard acres. The Firestone family retains ownership of Curtis Winery, Firestone Walker Brewing Company and the new family winery in Paso Robles. The family is also retaining the Jarhead Red and Rock Hollow wine brands, as well as 400 acres of land in the Santa Ynez Valley, inclusive of 215 vineyard acres.
“This is a matter of the right person expressing interest at the right time for us,” said Brooks Firestone, founder of Firestone Vineyard. “Bill Foley is a neighbor and friend of ours, and we are confident that he will be a fine steward of the Firestone Vineyard legacy and tradition.”
Firestone added, “While this was a tough and emotional decision for us, we are energized by the opportunity to more closely focus on our other winemaking and brewing enterprises on the Central Coast, including Curtis Winery, Firestone Walker Brewing Company and our new family winery in Paso Robles.”
Firestone Vineyard will be enfolded into Foley’s small portfolio of high-quality estate wineries. No significant changes are anticipated in the operations, staffing or distribution of Firestone Vineyard wines.
“This is the first in a series of brand acquisitions with the goal of developing a multi-brand sales strategy,” Foley said. “Currently, we are also examining opportunities in Sonoma County, Napa County and the states of Oregon and Washington.”
Firestone Vineyard was founded in 1972 as Santa Barbara County’s first estate winery. William Foley established his Lincourt Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1996 and opened Foley Estates Winery in the nearby Santa Rita Hills in 2005. The Firestone family’s relationship with Foley dates back 10 years, when Foley acquired the J. Carey Cellars property from the Firestone family in 1997, which became Lincourt Vineyards.
Adam Firestone will continue in his role as co-proprietor of Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Andrew Firestone will continue to manage the family’s Paso Robles winery. He will direct the re-naming and re-branding of the winery in a manner that honors the family’s local winemaking traditions while incorporating new ideas and concepts. Chuck Carlson will continue in his role as winemaker of Curtis Winery, which is being retained by the Firestone family. Brooks Firestone will continue to serve his constituents as third-district supervisor for the County of Santa Barbara.
