Bronco Wine Co., a US family-owned business, has acquired “key assets” of local Californian winery Wine Hooligans at an auction.
Financial terms of the transaction remain undisclosed.
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Ceres-based Bronco Wine has held a majority stake in Wine Hooligans since 2023, and will “now fully control” the group’s Portlandia, Shortbread, and Broadside brands as well as the “alcohol-removed” brand Sea Monster.
As part of the deal, Bronco Wine will also take over Wine Hooligans’ production facilities along with those of beverage solutions and equipment provider BevZero in Santa Rosa, California.
“These facilities will continue to play a key role in Bronco Wine Co.’s commitment to producing high-quality California wines while expanding its capabilities in the premium wine segment,” Bronco Wine said in a statement.
Bronco Wine president and CEO Dominic Engels, who stepped in to head up the company in November, said “the majority” of Wine Hooligans employees would remain working for the business.
“Our partnership over the last two years with Wine Hooligans has allowed us to witness firsthand the innovation and dedication that have defined these brands, and we are committed to maintaining their quality and distinctiveness as we move forward,” he added.
The move follows on from Bronco Wine’s announcement last week of plans to cut jobs, saying that the move would affect “a number of positions across the organisation”.
When asked for confirmation by Just Drinks on the number of lay-offs, the company declined to comment further at the time.
Local media, including CBS News, suggested 81 employees were at risk.
The retrenchment exercise has been made as the group carries out “a strategic restructuring plan to enhance operational efficiency and adapt to the challenging headwinds in the wine industry”, according to the statement.
