Family-owned Trinchero set to acquire storied Mumm Napa winery and brand
Trinchero Family Wines and Spirits has agreed to buy Mumm Napa from the French company Pernod Ricard. The sale of Mumm Napa to Trinchero, a family-owned, St. Helena-based producer, announced on Tuesday, could become final in 2026.
The financial terms were not made public. The agreement includes Mumm Napa’s Rutherford winery and brand. It does not include Pernod Ricard’s other assets.
No major personnel changes are planned. “We expect to transition 70 employees from Mumm to Trinchero, including winemaker Tami Lotz,” Trinchero representative Elizabeth Hooker said.
Trinchero produces about 17 million cases annually, including more than 50 wine and spirits brands; Mumm Napa produces about 335,000 cases annually, according to a representative.
The agreement boosts Trinchero’s partnerships with fine wine producers in Italy and Spain.
“The addition of such a storied and respected brand to our portfolio is the continuation of the legacy that our grandparents began in 1948 with a small winery in Napa Valley,” Trinchero president and CEO Bob Torkelson said. “Today, that legacy lives on through more than 50 brands and remains rooted in family ownership and values. We’re proud to grow our portfolio and add to the team that we consider our extended family.
“Mumm Napa is a strategic addition, bringing scale, distribution strength, and brand equity. As one of California’s top sparkling brands with a loyal consumer base, we’re confident it will play an important role as we continue to drive sustained growth for Trinchero Family Wine & Spirits.”
Mumm Napa’s portfolio include the California Sparkling range, Terroir Seiries and direct-to-consumer bottles, including brut, blanc de blancs and blanc de noirs. Prices range from about $18 a bottle to $105.
It will continue to source fruit from Devaux Ranch in Carneros along Highway 12. Mumm has leased the ranch for years.
Rob McMillan, executive vice president and founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division, noted that Pernod Ricard has been selling some of its wine assets to focus on premium spirits.
“The acquisition is part of the wider shift in business philosophies as a reaction to shifting consumer demand,” McMillan said.
“Trinchero has never had a focus on sparkling wine, so they are bringing in expertise in production and add a brand and a category that presents good upside for them and dovetails into their strength in brand building,” McMillan said. “It’s a transaction that supports the strategies of both companies.”
Pat DeLong, founder and managing partner at Azur Associates, a beverage industry analyst, said the sale was not a surprise given that Pernod Ricard has been selling its wine brands portfolio, including Australia’s Jacob’s Creek and Spain’s Campo Viejo. The company said it would focus more on its spirit business, DeLong said.
He noted that Pernod Ricard also wants to grow its ready-to-drink business and this year the company has established this year a new route to market for its ready-to-drink segment. It was clear that Mumm “did not fit their plans,” DeLong said.
Mumm Napa’s sale is “really good news” for Napa County, DeLong said. Trinchero is a family owned business, based in Napa County, and clearly focused on the future, DeLong said. “It’s actually really a perfect fit.”
Trinchero has been a family-owned company for more than 75 years. Mumm Napa’s first sparkling wine was produced in 1983 using the French méthode traditionnelle. Mumm Napa was then known as Domaine Mumm.
