A popular winery known as “the gateway to Sonoma” due to its plum position has been wholly acquired by one of its original founders and folded into a new company. The first wine estate that people drive past when they turn off Highway 37 on route to Sonoma, California, is Ram’s Gate Winery, meaning the property is in plum position for wine tourists looking to explore the region. Founded in 2011, with the property designed by famous wine country architect Howard Backen, the 125-acre (10ha) estate has just been acquired by O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported, some industry insiders have remarked on the chasm between the US$75-$85 per bottle Chardonnays and Pinots that Ram’s Gate produces and the comparably inexpensive wines among the rest of O’Neill’s portfolio such as Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay which retails for around US$11.99. However, there is a watertight link between the two companies, as Jeff O’Neill, founder and CEO of O Neill Vintners & Distillers, also happens to be one of the four original founders of Ram’s Gate. He stepped back from the Sonoma business to focus on O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, but has now bought out his other Ram’s Gate partners to become the winery’s sole owner. The winemaking team, led by Joe Nielsen will stay on following the acquisition. O’Neill had not planned on bringing Ram’s Gate under O’Neill’s wing, but said that “an opportunity presented itself for us to get in the Sonoma region, and it was
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
