Wine Investment Group Makes Big Moves in Pacific Northwest

(WineSpectator) - Bacchus Capital Management, a private equity firm with six wineries and brands in Oregon and California, is placing a big bet on wine in the Pacific Northwest with two new deals. Wine Spectator has learned that the firm is buying Oregon's Panther Creek winery, hiring well-known winemaker Tony Rynders to head the cellars. The San Francisco-based firm is also buying a stake in DeLille Cellars, one of the first wineries to pioneer Bordeaux-style blends in Washington state.

Sam Bronfman, a former president of Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines, and investment bankers Peter Kaufman and Henry Owsley cofounded Bacchus in 2007, initially offering financing to West Coast wineries. When the opportunity to partner with winemaker Ed Sbragia arose in 2011, the company decided to take the plunge, opting to buy shares of his winery. The deal gave Sbragia the capital to build his business and gave Bacchus a stake in the profits. Since then Bacchus has also provided financing to Andretti Winery in Napa, Central Coast winery Qupé and bought a share of Maritime Wine Trading Collective, an importer and distributor.