CAMERON HUGHES WINE SOLD

PERHAPS IT WAS SIMPLY a case of too much growth too fast. Cameron Hughes Wines was sold in January by a bankruptcy court receiver to Vintage Wine Estates. Hughes was quickly successful more than a decade ago when he began offering low priced wines from prestigious regions packaged under his own label. He established a relationship with Costco that enabled him to maintain a lean operation while offering a product that resonated with shoppers. But Hughes ran into financial problems when he tried to expand his brand into the more traditional three-tier system, selling bottles of California Cabernet made from bulk wine in supermarkets. Hughes’ business was placed into receivership in 2O15 because of $15.3 million in bank debt and, with his access to capital limited, he was never able to pay it off. Under the new deal, both founders Cameron Hughes and Jessica Kogan will remain in leadership roles in the company; Cameron Hughes as Vintner and face of the brand and Jessica Kogan as the Chief Marketing Strategist and Innovation Officer. The majority of employees will retain their positions. Hughes will continue to source small-lot, limited production wines for the Cameron Hughes brand as he has in the past. Vintage Wine Estates was founded in 2OO9 and was listed as the 17th largest wine company in the US by Wine Business Monthly last year. It has already bought well-known brands BR Cohn, Clos Pegase, Cosentino, Girard, Swanson and Viansa.