YESTERDAY, The Vineyard House, LLC (TVH) filed a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to enjoin Constellation Brands U.S. Operations, Inc. from selling wines labeled under the brand name To Kalon Vineyard Company, alleging that Constellation was misleading consumers. Although branded as “To Kalon” wine, Constellation uses grapes from areas other than the historic To Kalon Vineyard Company property.
Further, TVH alleges that Constellation seeks to monopolize the name “To Kalon” by claiming it as a registered trademark, even though the name To Kalon has geographic and historic significance and should not have been allowed to be exclusively owned by Constellation. TVH produces wine from the historic To Kalon estate property, and seeks to use “To Kalon” in connection with its wines sourced from the such property. However, Constellation threatened to bring legal action against TVH if it uses the To Kalon name.
“To Kalon” (Greek for “the highest beauty”), was the name given to a 527-acre estate by its owner, the famed Napa Valley winemaker H.W. Crabb, in the late 19th century. Crabb helped transform the Napa Valley into a premier wine region and To Kalon into a well-known and influential brand.
“The legacy of H.W. Crabb and the iconic To-Kalon Estate represent a specific place within Napa Valley and a unique history that is well documented on my educational website WWW.HISTORYOFTO-KALON.COM. Preserving the unique heritage and history that help to make Napa Valley such a special place has been a lifelong passion that was instilled in me by my father Gil Nickel. My father taught me the importance of place and history and the need to preserve that history for future generations so that they can better understand the pioneers like H.W. Crabb who forged the early history of the Napa Valley that we all love so much,” stated Jeremy Justin Nickel with the Vineyard House.
The Vineyard House Motion for Preliminary Injunction (8 docs combined into 5 links)
- Notice of Motion for Preliminary Injunction (2 pages) & Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Plaintiff (28 pages)
- Declarations of 3 Experts (54 pages)
- Exhibits 1- 25 (190 pages)
- Exhibits 26 – 46 (98 pages)
- Proposed Order Granting TVH preliminary injunction (4 pages)
For more information visit The Vineyard House or contact us at: media@TVHwinery.com.
