Santa Rosa, CA. October 3, 2016 Vintage Wine Estates announced today that it has procured the rights to distribute Clayhouse (Paso Robles) and Buried Cane (Columbia Valley), brands developed by Middleton Family Wines.
“We have been looking to expand our presence in Paso Robles, California and Washington State,” said President and CEO Pat Roney. “Clayhouse is a stellar addition to our current Paso Robles portfolio, and we are thrilled to have Buried Cane as our inaugural Washington State wine.”
The Middleton family has been working the land for four generations, founding a lumber and forestry business on the Washington State coast in 1898. The family business gradually expanded to include table grapes, wine grapes and wine.
“It was essential that we find the right partner to take these wines to the next level,” commented Rick Middleton, President, Middleton Family Wines. “Vintage Wine Estates is also family-owned and shares with us a commitment to quality and sustainability.”
The name Clayhouse references the historic adobes which dot the Paso Robles landscape, including a preserved adobe house dating back to the 1840s located on the winery estate. All wines are made from certified sustainably farmed grapes from the 1,500 acre Red Cedar Vineyard, on the Estrella River benchlands east of the city of Paso Robles. Plantings here date from the late 1960s, including several own-rooted blocks (Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon). Red Cedar Vineyard has been a source for Vintage Wine Estates’ current Paso Robles brands, Purple Cowboy and Horseplay.
Buried Cane wines are named after a time-honored Washington State practice used to protect grape vines from frigid winter temperatures. Low-growing vine canes (shoots) are buried under the soil, then unearthed after winter freezes pass. The wines include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Heartwood (red Rhône blend) and are sourced from vineyards in the Columbia Valley and Washington State.
The Vintage Wine Estates team will take on all national sales and marketing responsibilities for the two brands effective immediately. The current winemakers for both Clayhouse and Buried Cane will continue to make the wines in the traditional style and flavor profile that have garnered critical acclaim.
Middleton Family Wines will continue to make and represent nationally their Northwest-focused brands Cadaretta and Inconceivable.
About Vintage Wine Estates
Vintage Wine Estates is a privately held wine company owned by a group of vintner families with deep roots in the wine business. The families own a collection of winery estates and brands including Clos Pegase Winery, Cosentino Winery, Girard Winery, B.R. Cohn Winery, Swanson Vineyards, Viansa Sonoma, Windsor Vineyards, Cartlidge & Browne, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Middle Sister, Tall Dark Stranger, Pro-mis-Q-ous, Monogamy, Girl & Dragon, Purple Cowboy and a number of exclusive wine brands. Vintage Wine Estates is a majority partner in Splinter Group Spirits, producing craft Kentucky whiskey (Straight Edge) and American whiskey (Slaughter House). An industry leader across all sales channels and dedicated to providing wine consumers with a range of wines from $10 to $100 dollars, Vintage Wine Estates produces outstanding wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and other premium California winegrowing regions and respects the way people buy their wine—at wineries, at retail, on the telephone, on television, on the Internet and by mail.
About Middleton Family Wines
Middleton Family Wines is part of the family-owned Anderson & Middleton Company, founded in coastal Grays Harbor, Washington, in 1898. Estate vineyards in Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, and in California’s Paso Robles region, are the basis for the Middleton family’s wine business. Middleton Family Wines sells wine throughout the United States, and exports to several foreign countries. The family’s Clayhouse brand (Paso Robles) was introduced with the 2003 vintage. Subsequently, the Middletons introduced Cadaretta (Walla Walla Valley) and Buried Cane (Columbia Valley). Most recently, Middleton Family Wines debuted their line-up of discovery wines under the Inconceivable label.
