News Briefs for January 3, 2020

•The Family Coppola Winery has hired Gary Sitton as vice president of winemaking. In his new role, Sitton will lead the winemaking team and head up production operations for all three Coppola wineries: Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Virginia Dare Winery, and Domaine DeBroglie. Sitton has held lead winemaking positions over his 20-plus year career with Blackstone, Clos du Bois, and most recently, Ravenswood.

•Sonoma County, California-based Geyser Peak Winery is set to close its Healdsburg tasting room, according to a report from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The closure comes amid a period of turbulence for the brand, as Australian owner Accolade Wines (acquired by private equity firm the Carlyle Group in 2018) attempts to sell its California brands. Geyser Peak has faced challenging conditions over the last six years, dropping from a peak of 280,000 cases to 175,000 cases in 2018, according to Impact Databank, as consumers gravitate toward more premium offerings.

•Hazel Murphy, former chief of Wine Australia and pioneering proponent of Australian wine, has died. Murphy joined Wine Australia (at the time Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) in 1985 and spent 17 years promoting and teaching the global wine industry about Australian wine. Following her retirement from Wine Australia in 2002, Murphy worked as the European consultant and director of Chapel Hill Winery. Wine Australia has overseas offices in the U.S., U.K., and China, dedicated to developing the Australian wine market around the globe.

Tagged : Family Coppola Winery, Geyser Peak Winery

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