SONOMA COUNTY, Calif., (June 9, 2020) – Two of America’s leading family-owned and operated wineries jointly announce that Foley Family Wines (FFW) has reached an agreement to acquire Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery. Ferrari-Carano is best known for producing award-winning luxury wines sourced from some of Sonoma County’s preeminent vineyard locations, led by their world-renowned Fumé Blanc.
The acquisition includes the Ferrari-Carano Estate Winery in Dry Creek Valley, with its Villa Fiore Tasting Room and three other exclusive tasting areas; the PreVail Mountain Winery on the east side of Alexander Valley high above the town of Geyserville; and 3,183 acres of land—1,223 planted to 21 vineyard sites—across the appellations of Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Carneros Napa Valley, Mendocino Ridge, and Anderson Valley. Also included in the transaction are several residential properties, a large, temperature-controlled warehouse, and the Estate Winery Garden—home to more than 2,000 plant species.
“We are delighted to add Ferrari-Carano to our family,” says FFW Founder and CEO Bill Foley. “Their established reputation for quality wines, their dedication to responsible environmental stewardship, and their commitment to exceptional hospitality are all perfectly aligned with our priorities.”
“I’m happy to see our winery become part of a family-owned and operated company that shares our vision and core values,” said Rhonda Carano, Ferrari-Carano Founder, and CEO. “Foley Family Wines has shown that they value the individual character of each of their estate wineries. We know that the reputation we’ve worked hard to build over the last four decades is in good hands.”
Ferrari-Carano produces five tiers of award-winning luxury wines, including classic selections in wide distribution, winery-exclusive wines, single-vineyard offerings, proprietary selections, and the acclaimed PreVail tier. White wines—predominantly Fumé Blanc and Sonoma County Chardonnay—are crafted at the Estate Winery, while Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and red blends are made at the PreVail Mountain Winery.
“We are excited to continue the legacy of this important Sonoma County winery,” said FFW President, Shawn Schiffer. “Ferrari-Carano shows strong, consistent performance across their portfolio, from their core Fumé Blanc and Chardonnay wines to their estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir wines to their Tuscan-style red blend, Siena. Their wine production facilities and infrastructure are state-of-the-art. We look forward to working closely with our wholesale and customer partners to build on the success of the Ferrari-Carano portfolio in the retail and on-premise channels.”
About Foley Family Wines
Established by Bill Foley in 1996, Foley Family Wines is a portfolio of highly-acclaimed wines from some of the world’s greatest vineyards. Every brand in the company’s portfolio has a distinct style and legacy. Foley Family Wines owns the following properties in California: Foley Sonoma (Geyserville), Chalone Vineyard (Monterey), Foley Estates (Sta. Rita Hills), Lincourt Vineyards (Solvang), Merus (Napa Valley), Foley Johnson (Napa Valley), Kuleto (Napa Valley), Chalk Hill (Sonoma County), Sebastiani (Sonoma County), Lancaster Estate (Sonoma County), Langtry Estate (Lake County), Firestone Vineyard (Santa Ynez Valley), Eos Winery (Paso Robles), Roth Estate Winery (Sonoma County), Banshee (Sonoma County). The company also owns Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, WA, Acrobat (Oregon), and The Four Graces in Dundee, OR. In New Zealand, the company owns Vavasour (Marlborough), Clifford Bay (Marlborough), Grove Mill (Marlborough), Dashwood (Marlborough), Martinborough Vineyard (Martinborough), Te Kairanga (Martinborough), and Mt. Difficulty (Bannockburn, Central Otago)
About Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery
Founded initially as a small wine farm in 1981 by hospitality-industry pioneers Don and Rhonda Carano, the Ferrari-Carano family has become well-known for the quality of their wines, their commitment to hospitality, and their estate vineyards, which span three counties and six appellations. They operate the Ferrari-Carano Estate Winery Dry Creek Valley and the PreVail Mountain Winery on RockRise Mountain in Alexander Valley.
