E. &. J. Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group announced the acquisition of yet another iconic Napa winery on Thursday: Massican Wines, Napa Valley’s only white wine-only producer. The news comes on the heels of the parent company’s agreement to purchase Rombauer Vineyards, which was announced Tuesday.
Dan Petroski, founder and winemaker of Massican, will remain in control of Massican’s winemaking and grape sourcing as part of a new partnership with Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group.
“As a solopreneur, I have taken Massican as far as I could go alone,” said Petroski in a company press release. “To achieve my mission of being one of the most important white wines made in California, I needed the support of the best professionals in this industry — I found that in Gallo. I can’t wait to see what we do together.”
Since launching in 2009, Petroski has stood out among Napa Valley winemakers for his exclusive production of white wines, a rarity from the region’s producers. Since Massican’s founding, the wine label has been vocal about its transparency in production and its upholding of ethical environmental practices in order to create luxury wines at affordable price points while maintaining “scalable authenticity.”
“Dan makes great wine,” said Gallo brand manager John Irwin in the release. “That’s where it has to start, but credibility matters, stewardship matters, and all wine drinkers, from the collector to the novice, want an authentic experience. These are not typical wines, especially for California; they’re low in alcohol, high in acid, salty, fresh. I think that’s because they’re an extension of Dan… there’s a humanity and vision to his wines.”
Through the new partnership, Petroski hopes for Massican to expand its distribution and reach more consumers. According to the release, both Petroski and Gallo look to create a new sect of luxury wine in the shape of Mediterranean-inspired whites made with environmental impact at the forefront.
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