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Obituaries

Brock Lindsay, Co-Owner of Succession Wines, Alta Cellars, Dies at Age 40

Brock Lindsay, 40, winemaker and co-owner of Succession Wines and Alta Cellars, of injuries sustained in an utility vehicle accident. Survivors are his wife, Erica, and daughters, Layla and Reese. After graduating from Montana State University in 2006, he became a structural engineer and project manager for Highmark Concrete

'Rocky' Wirtz, Breakthru Co-Chairman, Dies

W. Rockwell (Rocky) Wirtz, who led Wirtz Beverage as it morphed of Breakthru Beverage Group, has died after a brief illness. He was 70 years old. Wirtz Beverage, which began in 1945, was part of Wirtz Corp., which began in 1926 as a real estate company, owning and managing more

Mitchell Katz, Winery Owner, Dies in Crash

Mitchell Katz, 59, owner of Mitchell Katz Winery, Livermore, Calif., was killed in a Friday afternoon crash. Katz had founded his winery in 1998 to honor his grandfather who made hand-crafted wines. The winery produced single-vineyard wines that capture the essence of each vineyard, its website says.

Michael Benedict, Don St Pierre Sr. Die

Michael Benedict is a renowned botanist and vineyard pioneer who changed Santa Barbara County's wine industry. He was 83 of melanoma. He co-founded Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1971. You can read a profile here. Don St. Pierre Sr., who won fame with importer and distributor ASC

Ivan Menezes, Diageo CEO Who Crafted Firm, Dies

Sir Ivan Menezes, CEO of Diageo for the past decade, died Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 64. Menezes was present at the creation of Diageo plc, and over 25 years crafted Diageo to become "one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer companies," Javier

Dan Clarke, 78, Wine Writer, Publisher, Dies

Clarke began writing about wine, food and travel in 1984 when he founded Foothill Wine Press, which evolved into the California Wine Press, In 1993, he created California Wine and Food, a print magazine that later became an Internet publication. More recently he published Taste California Travel and Taste Washington

John C. Cushman, Founded Zaca Mesa Winery, Dies

In 1973, John C. Cushman III, along with five friends, established Zaca Mesa as the third winery in all of Santa Barbara County. The winery gained prominence in 1978 when it became the first to plant Syrah in Santa Barbara County, and was instrumental in launching the Santa Barbara Rhône