Livermore, California—September 24, 2019— Vintner, Steven Kent Mirassou, along with business partners Jim McDonnell, formerly of Oracle, Inc., and now managing partner of Sabio On Main restaurant in Pleasanton, CA, and Rikesh Patel, Principal and General Counsel of the hotel developer, Presidio Companies, have created a hospitality-focused company offering a set of wine, food, lodging and travel experiences of unparalleled quality for their guests and members. The new venture is known as The Lineage Collection.
With more than 50 years of experience in winemaking, hospitality, lodging, and innovative technology between them, the partners come together with a unique vision for the Tri-Valley area of the East Bay. The purpose of The Lineage Collection is to bring richness to the lives of its guests through an experiential connection with premier wines, exceptional food, high-end lodging, and unique travel opportunities. The portfolio of experiences will also include casual elements, such as a downtown Livermore wine bar and al fresco dining opportunities in wine country, and more.
As the sixth-generation winemaker from America’s oldest winemaking family, Steven Kent Mirassou leads this venture with Lineage Wine Company and The Steven Kent Winery, two wine brands that are widely regarded as the finest in the Livermore appellation. As CEO of The Lineage Collection, Mirassou will oversee management and operations of the company, as well as hold the title of Chief Winemaker for all wine projects.
Jim McDonnell, a long-time veteran of hi-tech in Silicon Valley, has built several $100M data & analytics business units at Cisco. Today, he serves as Managing partner of Sabio on Main, a top-tier, award-winning restaurant, with partner and Executive Chef, Francis X. Hogan, driving the menu toward Michelin Star status. Mr. McDonnell will be responsible for creating and implementing an interconnected system between the company’s entities as well as additional culinary concepts that provide a wide range of alternatives in food styles and price points.
Rikesh Patel, Director of Real Estate & Finance, is a second-generation hotelier and, since 2013, a partner at Presidio Companies, a hotel development and investment company based in San Francisco, where he oversees Presidio’s Bay Area hotel projects. Prior to that he practiced real-estate law. Mr. Patel will be responsible for overseeing and implementing project financing, and overseeing the development, construction and operation of The Lineage Collection’s initial hotel property during Phase II of the company’s development plans.
Currently, The Lineage Collection comprises three wine brands: Lineage Wine Company, Steven Kent Winery, and the new Ragbag WineWorks. The latter brand is primarily aimed at the millennial marketplace, offering attractively priced, easy-to-drink wines in kegs, bottles, and cans. Lineage Wine Company and Steven Kent Winery are both focused on producing world-class blends and single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Livermore Valley.
Says Steven Mirassou, “We have assembled a team of people who believe deeply in the power of Hospitality to add richness and joy to peoples’ lives. Through the vehicles of wine, food, and the most compelling events and experiences possible, we intend to create and strengthen emotional ties between people. Everything about our experiences will be tuned towards treating our guests in the manner they wish to be treated so that they feel honored and cared for.”
The first tangible phase of this new concept will come to life at the present site of the Steven Kent Winery in Livermore. About to debut is the jewel of the property, The Lineage Tasting Salon, which is expected to begin welcoming members in mid-October.
“This setting will be ideal for sharing my winemaking philosophy,” says Mirassou. “My goal is to produce a wine under the Lineage banner that can be compared to the finest wines in the world. I have an abiding faith that the Livermore Valley can produce the quality of fruit we need to make a wine of this caliber. We’d also have the added benefit of telling a completely new story about California Cabernet and Bordeaux style blends. I want to be the first person from Livermore to make an iconic wine, not the 500th person from Napa.”
Seatings in the Salon will be available three times daily on weekends, and will accommodate 8—12 guests. Seating will be available first to current Lineage Collector members in October. By December, The Lineage Salon experience will be available to the public by reservation.
The Lineage Collection patio will become the focal point for tasting and events, with existing landscaping converted to expanded seating and lounging areas, in the style of a European plaza. At the same time, the current Barrel Room will be transformed into a more open and comfortable environment, with a range of lounge-style seating options.
“This is the 165th year of the Mirassou family being in California making wine,” Mirassou explained, “and I couldn’t be prouder to have my son, Aidan, by my side as 7th generation winemaker. Partnering with McDonnell and Patel provides the opportunity to expand our ability to do what we’ve always done with our brands, which is to treat our guests like family, and provide them with experiences that bring joy.”
Future hospitality properties in The Lineage Collection will likely include Mia Nipote Wines, Sabio On Main and a new wine bar to be established in the forthcoming hotel to be built in downtown Livermore. Additional partnerships will be forged with the goal of making The Lineage Collection the pre-eminent hospitality-centric company in the East Bay.
To learn more, contact info@lineagewine.com or (925) 243-6445.
