FILTER BY:
06.01.2021
Walla Walla’s Iconic Southwind Vineyard, Glass House venue to join Sagemoor Vineyards family
Sagemoor Vineyards announced an agreement today that will bring Southwind Vineyard and the iconic Glass House event space into the Sagemoor family. The purchase of the historic Walla Walla Valley estate will bring Sagemoor closer to the more than 30 Walla Walla wineries already working with the five existing Columbia Valley vineyards.
Southwind and the iconic Glass House was purchased by Horizon Vineyards, a partnership between Sagemoor Vineyards and private equity firm Resource Land Holdings (RLH), located in Denver, CO. Led by Director of Wine and Grape Sales Kent Waliser and Vineyard Manager Lacey Lybeck, Sagemoor manages the four vineyards (Bacchus, Dionysus, Gamache and Weinbau) in the Horizon portfolio, as well as its namesake Sagemoor Vineyard. Together, they supply more than a dozen premium wine grape varietals from over a thousand historic vineyard acres to many of Washington’s premier wineries.
“We are excited to add Southwind Vineyard to our portfolio and continue operating it as an ultra-premium flagship vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley,” said Kent Waliser of Sagemoor Vineyards. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Sagemoor in Walla Walla, one of the Northwest’s top AVAs. We look forward to increasing our ability to supply our winery partners with high-quality grapes from top vineyard sites and for future growth in the vineyard.”
Located just west of Milton-Freewater on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, Southwind is the largest vineyard property within the SeVein Vineyard development, a collection of some of the most acclaimed vineyards in Walla Walla. The Southwind property includes over 330 acres, with approximately 70 acres of developed, ultra-premium vineyard. Southwind is known for its variety of distinct soil types, including fractured basalt and high elevation wind-swept hilltops, as well as some of the valley’s first plantings on phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Several of the Northwest’s top wineries have made high scoring wines from the vineyard including Dusted Valley, Cadaretta, Domaine Serene, and Devison.
The Southwind property is also home to the distinctive Glass House, an iconic venue that has served as a gathering space for countless industry events. The unique glass structure is perched on a hilltop in the center of the vineyard and is equipped with garage doors so guests can enjoy the open air and sweeping views of the Blue Mountains and the Walla Walla Valley.
“Southwind Vineyard is a gorgeous site, with varied terrain from shallow soils with fractured basalt to deeper windblown loess,” said Lybeck. “I look forward to learning more about the site as we begin managing this vineyard and providing top-tier grapes with a unique flavor profile to our customers.”
One of the longtime winery partners at Southwind, Dusted Valley, will continue to work with the vineyard.
“The grapes grown here, and the subsequent wines crafted from those grapes, are a singular expression of the Walla Walla Valley,” said Chad Johnson, winegrower and owner of Dusted Valley. “The five vineyard designate Dusted Valley wines crafted from Southwind always display old world sensibilities with a core of new world fruit, deeply concentrated with a breadth of flavors and amazing structure. We are excited to continue our long working relationship with Sagemoor Vineyards and their fantastic viticulture team.”
Erik McLaughlin of Metis, a mergers and acquisitions advisory firm in the Pacific Northwest, worked with both parties to complete the sale.
About Horizon Vineyards
Horizon Vineyards is a partnership between Sagemoor Vineyards and Resource Land Holdings (RLH). Sagemoor Vineyards is an iconic mainstay of the Washington wine industry, having owned and operated a collection of the state’s most revered vineyards including Bacchus, Dionysus, Sagemoor, Weinbau, and Gamache. Find out more at www.sagemoorvineyards.com. Resource Landing Holdings (RLH) is a real estate and natural resource focused private equity firm that invests in and builds sustainable partnerships and joint ventures with owners and operators in a variety of asset classes throughout the United States, including agriculture, timber, mining, energy, environmental protection and mitigation, and water rights.
About Southwind Vineyard
Southwind Vineyard is the largest vineyard property within the SeVein Vineyard development, a collection of some of the most technologically advanced vineyard properties in the Walla Walla Valley. Located just west of Milton-Freewater on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, Southwind includes over 330 acres with approximately 70 acres of developed, ultra-premium vineyard. Several of the Northwest’s top wineries have made high scoring wines from the vineyard including Dusted Valley, Cadaretta, Domaine Serene, and Devison. The property is also home to the Glass House, an iconic event venue with sweeping views of the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains.
About METIS
METIS is a premier mergers and acquisitions advisory firm in the Pacific Northwest focused on the global adult beverage and hospitality industries. METIS (and its antecedent company) have been advising privately-held businesses on capital transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and recapitalizations for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.metisnw.com.