Custom Crush Winery Closes, Leaves Vintners Scrambling

Legend Napa Valley, a custom crush winery on a hilltop in Napa County's American Canyon, gave its customers no notice it was shutting down in the middle of harvest season. The move left winemakers panicked and scrambling, the San Francisco Chronicle reports..

Not only did the winemakers have to find new custom crush facilities, but they also had to arrange for the removal of the existing wine that is fermenting and any equipment they had at the winery. One winery operator said it cost him more than $50,000 to move from the winery and indicated that after the crush is completed, a lawsuit is likely.

The property on which the winery sit had been sold last year to a real estate investment management firm which had developed a 291-unit apartment complex next door. But, the firm said, the property was not acquired because it planned to build anything and the real estate firm did not require the winery to close. It said it understood the closure was related to current business conditions.