Stonegate sells Winery to Silver oak owner

Wines & Vines, August, 2003

Stonegate Winery, founded in 1973, announced the sale of its Calistoga (Napa Valley) production facility and surrounding vineyards to Ray Duncan, co-founder and owner of Silver Oak Cellars and his sons. The Duncans will launch a new brand called Twomey Cellars, specializing in Merlot grown at their Soda Canyon Ranch.

The Stonegate brand, wine and vineyards were not included in the transaction. Stonegate has partnered with an international consortium with the aim of quadrupling its sales through global expansion within 24 months. The company owns or manages more than 175 planted vineyard acres in Napa Valley and will also continue to produce its Diamond Mountain Reserve wines. For information on Stonegate, visit the Web site stonegatewinery.com. For information on Twomey, visit the Web site twomeycellars.com.