Gallo purchases Napa Valley brand

E.&J. Gallo Winery announced its latest purchase Thursday – a Napa Valley wine brand known for its offbeat labels.

The Modesto-based industry giant bought the Orin Swift Cellars brand, which has wines priced at $18 to $175 per standard-sized bottle. Terms of the deal, which does not include a winery, were not disclosed.

The purchase includes inventory and a tasting room in St. Helena. Gallo obtained labels such as Abstract, featuring an elaborate collage, and Mannequin, illustrated with several unclothed versions of this object. Machete, Slander, China Doll and Trigger Finger also are in the mix.

Gallo, founded in 1933, does most of its volume in lower-priced wines from the San Joaquin Valley, but it has ventured into premium regions over the past quarter-century.

Orin Swift was founded in 1998 by Dave Phinney, who will stay on as winemaker. He has produced about 100,000 cases a year.

“I’ve known and done business with the Gallo family for over a decade, and it makes me very proud that a company that I have such a deep respect for will become the steward of the brand that bears my family’s name,” he said in a news release.

The $18 wine is a 2015 rosé under the Fragile label. The $175 product, now sold out, is a 2013 Pharoan, a red blend with grenache, syrah and carignan.

“This purchase supports the company’s strategy for continued growth in the luxury wine segment,” said Roger Nabedian, senior vice president and general manager of Gallo’s Premium Wine Division.

Gallo already had a few brands in the Napa Valley – Ghost Pines, Louis M. Martini, William Hill Estate and Gallo Signature Series. It also makes wine in Sonoma County, the Central Coast, Washington state and several other nations. And Gallo makes or distributes various types of liquor.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Gallo purchases Napa Valley brand."