Champagne brand Louis Roederer has purchased Russian River Valley’s Merry Edwards Winery for an undisclosed figure. The deal will see the luxury French company famous for producing Cristal Champagne take over the brand, winery, inventory, six vineyards, and Sebastopol tasting room, Wine Spectator reports.
The Sonoma County winery is best-known for its iconic Pinot Noirs, and also offers a small amount of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The winery’s founders, Merry Edwards and husband Ken Coopersmith, will continue to work with the brand for a short time during the transition period.
Edwards founded the Pinot-Noir-focused winery in 1996, and worked as head winemaker at the property until last year, when she stepped down at the age of 71. Edwards never intended to sell the winery, but when she was approached by a broker six months ago, she started to reconsider.
“I met with a lot of companies, and when I met with Roederer, we were instantly at ease with each other,” Edwards told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Frédéric Rouzaud, president and CEO of Louis Roederer, shared a similar sentiment: “It’s difficult to explain, but we felt very comfortable very quickly,” he said. “Of course the wines and the terroir were important, but above that, her personality, sensibility, and her story and vision made for a quick decision.”
Merry Edwards Winery becomes the fourth California property owned by Louis Roederer, which also counts Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger Cellars, and Domaine Anderson as part of its holdings. The Champagne brand also owns numerous properties in France and Portugal.
