The Duckhorn Portfolio, the North American luxury wine company, and Butterfly Equity, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in the food and beverage sector, have entered into a definitive agreement which will see Duckhorn acquired in a $1.95 billion deal.
Following the completion of the transaction, Duckhorn will become a privately held company.
Duckhorn was established in 1976 and is a pure-play luxury wine producer in the United States with a curated portfolio of premium brands, including Duckhorn Vineyards, Decoy, Sonoma-Cutrer and Kosta Browne.
Duckhorn wines are available to luxury consumers on five continents and in over 50 countries. Following the completion of the transaction, the company will continue to be headquartered in St. Helena, California and will operate eleven winery brands under The Duckhorn Portfolio name.
“This announcement is excellent news for the future of our company and for stockholders of The Duckhorn Portfolio, who will receive a substantial premium,” said Deirdre Mahlan, Duckhorn President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson.
“Based on our long history of success and innovation, and our position as one of America’s most successful luxury wine companies, Butterfly believes strongly in The Duckhorn Portfolio and is fully invested in helping us achieve our next phase of growth.
“Just as important, Butterfly brings a proven track record of strengthening its portfolio companies while helping them advance their long-term strategic objectives. Through our partnership with Butterfly, we expect The Duckhorn Portfolio will have enhanced resources to build on our strong foundation and to further scale our operations.
“We are excited to work with the Butterfly team to begin writing an exciting new chapter in the story of The Duckhorn Portfolio.”
Founded in 2016, Butterfly is a private equity firm dedicated to investing in the “seed-to-fork” food ecosystem in North America with a diverse portfolio including Milk Specialties Global, Chosen Foods, MaryRuth Organics, Orgain, Bolthouse Fresh Foods and QDOBA, among others.
“We are honored to partner with Duckhorn and welcome the Company to the Butterfly family,” said Adam Waglay, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Butterfly.
“This is an incredible opportunity, and we look forward to bringing our specialized expertise and deep food and beverage network to bear to help amplify and accelerate the Company’s mission to have their wine poured wherever fine wines are served throughout North America and the world.”
“As a leading pure-play luxury wine producer, Duckhorn has, in our view, the best portfolio and strongest fundamentals in the industry,” said Vishal Patel, Partner, Butterfly.
“We believe the Company’s curated suite of luxury wine brands, structurally advantaged business model, and world-class team have laid the foundation for a powerful, scalable platform, which will continue to drive growth both organically and through strategic acquisitions.”