WALLA WALLA — Seven Hills Winery, one of Walla Walla’s founding wineries and a standard-bearer for the Valley’s Bordeaux-style wines, is getting a California owner.
The Napa Valley’s Crimson Wine Group on Wednesday announced the acquisition of the 28-year-old winery. Founders Casey and Vicky McClellan will stay on with the operation, with the former continuing as winemaker and general manager.
Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed in the announcement, but Wine Spectator reports Crimson Wine Group paid $5.75 million for the winery. The transition is subject to federal and state regulatory approvals.
Casey McClellan said Crimson’s focus on quality made the company the right one to take over.
“It was critical to our family to transition Seven Hills Winery into the right hands, and Crimson’s commitment to producing quality wines from the best-of-class vineyards and wine estates is well aligned with our philosophy,” he said.
This isn’t the first Washington wine in Crimson’s portfolio; it also owns Double Canyon of Prosser.
The company is known for estate-grown wines owns and manages more than 895 acres of vineyard land across five regions. Its domestic estates and wine brands also include Pine Ridge Vineyards (Napa), Seghesio Family Vineyards (Healdsburg, Calif.), Chamisal Vineyards (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), and Archery Summit (Dayton, Ore.).
“We are constantly evaluating the market for the right growth opportunities and fit, and Seven Hills Winery is a strategic match for Crimson,” said President and CEO Patrick DeLong in the announcement. “The acquisition of Seven Hills Winery is complementary to the Crimson mission and portfolio, adding a high-quality growing region that excels in the production of merlot and Bordeaux-style red blends.”
