Californian winemaker Castle Rock Winery is moving its processing and bottling operations to local peer Martin Ray Winery.
Castle Rock Winery's production will migrate from a site belonging to Viña Concha y Toro in Mendocino County, California, to Martin Ray’s facility, further south in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, the group told Just Drinks.
The business described the move in a statement as “a strategic transition… aimed at enhancing production capabilities and market presence”.
Castle Rock Winery added the “transition will enable Castle Rock to scale its operations, maintain its commitment to quality, and further enhance distribution across the US and international markets”.
Greg Popovich, Castle Rock Winery's owner, said: “By partnering with a winery that shares our dedication to high standards and sustainability, we’re positioning ourselves to continue delivering the exceptional wines our customers have come to love while exploring new opportunities for growth.”
Popovich added the move also had a family link, with Courtney Benham, owner of Martin Ray Winery, being his cousin.
Castle Rock Winery makes its wines with a number of third-party wine producers on the West Coast of the US. These are situated in Columbia Valley in Washington state, Willamette Valley in Oregon and three regions in California: the Central Coast, Lodi and Sonoma County.
Set up in 1994, Castle Rock Winery’s portfolio includes white wines, such as a Central Coast Chardonnay and a California Sauvignon Blanc, a Monterey County Rosé and red wines like Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Mendocino County Pinot Noir.
When asked whether Castle Rock Winery's move of operations away from the Viña Concha y Toro site in Mendocino would impact the production of its Mendocino County Pinot Noirs from its range, the group said none of its wines would be discontinued, with it continuing to source grapes from the region.
The company did not confirm from where it sources its Mendocino grapes but did note it had worked with Viña Concha y Toro solely for production purposes.
According to the group’s website, its wines are distributed across the US, as well as Canada and Japan.
