ALL-IN ON BOOK REVIEWS: Do you have a (non-fictional or fictional) book related to wine, spirits, or beer that you'd like reviewed? Contact me!

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Oh shit! Constellation’s Mondavi Improperly Obtained, Deceptively Use Famed “To Kalon” Designation



Press Release: OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA (March 20, 2019) – Perhaps the most prized vineyard designation in American winemaking is Napa Valley’s “To Kalon” (Greek for “the highest beauty’), created by pioneering winemaker H.W. Crabb in the late 19th century.

But the owner of part of the original To Kalon estate says Constellation Brands and its Robert Mondavi Corporation fraudulently obtained a trademark of To Kalon and have for years deceptively marketed it.

In a lawsuit filed today in U.S. District Court in Northern California, The Vineyard House said it must be entitled to fair use of the To Kalon designation.

Constellation owns 188 acres, a fraction of the original 527-acre To Kalon Estate, yet improperly refers to all of its area holdings as “To Kalon,” according to the suit.

The suit also asks that Constellation discontinue the practice of selling wines improperly labeled “To Kalon” that are actually produced from other Constellation properties, to correct misleading information it filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to conduct an advertising campaign to counteract and correct its false statements to the public, and for unspecified monetary damages.

To Kalon’s Fame and Value

By the end of the 1870s, Crabb transformed what ultimately became a 527-acre estate into one of the most productive wineries in California.  Along with venerated winemakers like Charles Krug and Jacob Schram, Crabb helped transform the Napa Valley into a premier wine region and To Kalon into a national brand.  Crabb established an extensive distribution network that allowed him to ship products to the East Coast and Midwest, helping stimulate demand for Napa Valley wines as early as the 1880s.

In the years since Crabb’s death in 1899, property comprising his estate underwent a series of ownership changes and divisions.  Today, 17 acres of the original To Kalon Estate – land Crabb owned at the time of his death – is owned by The Vineyard House, part of TVH’s total 43-acre parcel in Oakville. TVH’s property clearly dates back to Crabb.

Mondavi and Constellation’s Improper Exclusive Use of To Kalon

To Kalon’s value and mystique continued to grow in the 20th century.  Robert Mondavi acquired much of the historic To Kalon estate in the 1960s and aggressively marketed its connection to the famed property to sell super-premium wines.

In 1987, Mondavi requested and received a trademark for To Kalon from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  While the company had for years labeled its wines “To Kalon”, it claimed the designation had “no current meaning or significance in the wine industry” as support for its exclusive use, even though it had numerous studies to document To Kalon’s enormous value. Mondavi sought exclusive rights to use the vineyard’s name even though it did not own all of the original property and, strikingly, began using “To Kalon” to describe wines produced from other Mondavi properties. Mondavi further marketed the To Kalon connection in the Opus One venture launched with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1984.

The lawsuit claims these actions constitute false advertising and false designation of origin as described in federal law and demands that Constellation stop this deceptive practice immediately.

Further, because To Kalon describes a specific geographic place, federal regulations prohibit its exclusive use. TVH must be entitled to fair use.  Constellation’s trademarks, which were improperly obtained, must be cancelled, according to the suit.
Newer Posts Older Posts Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Labels

*SPONSORED* ABriefHistoryOf Abruzzo Agiorgitiko Aglianico Airen Albarino Aleatico Alentejo Alexander Valley Alicante Bouschet Alsace Apothic Argentina Armagnac Arroyo Grande Arroyo Seco audio article Australia Austria Baco Barbera Barrossa Valley Batman Beaujolais beer Best Of biodynamic blend blog Bogati Bonarda book Bordeaux bourbon box wine Brachetto brandy Bulgaria Burgundy Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Cahors Caino Blanco California Campania Canada Canaiolo. cans Cape Cod Captain America Carignan Cariñena Carmenere Catalonia Cava Central Coast certification Chablis Chalk Hill Champagne Chardonnay cheese Chenin Blanc Chianti Chile China cider Cinsault Clarksburg cocktails Cognac Colombard Columbia Valley comics Cotes-du-Rhone Counoise Croatia CSW Dane Cellars DC dessert wine Distill Wars Dona Blanco Douro Dry Creek Dunnigan Hills Edna Valley Falanghina February Felix Hart Fer Servadou Fiano fiction Finger Lakes Folle Blanche formulas France Franciacorta Frankovka Frappato Furmint Galicia Galilee Gamay Garganega Gascony Germany Gewurtztraminer gin Glera Godello Graciano greco di tufo Greece Grenache Grenache Blanc Grillo Gros Manseng Gruner Veltliner GSM guest blog Heroes history horror how to Hungary interview Israel Italy Japan Jerez Kansas kosher Lambrusco Languedoc-Roussillon Left Coast Leyda Valley Lisboa Livermore Lodi Loire Loureira love letter Macon Madeira Madiran Malbec Malvasia Marcillac marijuana Marlborough Marsanne Marselan Marvel Massachusetts Matchbook Mavrud Mazuelo McLaren Vale mead Melnik Mencia Mendocino Mendoza Meritage Merlot Mexico Michigan mixology Monbazillac Monstant Montecucco Montepulciano Monterey Montery Moscato Mosel Mourvédre Muscadelle Muscat mythology Napa Navarra Nebbiolo Nero d'Avola New York New Zealand news non-alcoholic nonfiction Norello Mascalese North Coast Oakville Oregon organic original meme pairings Palestine Pecorino Pedro Ximenez Perricone Petit Verdot Petite Sirah Petite Verdot photo gallery phylloxera Picpoul Piedmont Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris/Grigio Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir Pinotage Pliny podcast Port Portugal Press Release Primitivo product Prosecco Provence quickie quote rakia recipe retail problems Retsina review Rheingau Rhone Rias Baixas Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Rondinella rose Roussanne Rubin Rueda rum Russian River Sagrantino Sake Salta Sandanski Misket Sandeanski Misket Sangiovese Sangria santa clara Santa Lucia Higlands Sauvignon Blanc science scotch Sekt Semillon Seyval Blanc Sherry Sicily Somontano Sonoma South Africa South Australia Spain spark Sparkling Spider-Man spirits stemware storage study sulfites Superman sustainable SWE Syrah Tannat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Temecula Tempranillo Tequila Texas thc The Flash Tinta Amarela Tinta Caiada Torrontes Touriga Nacional Traminer Trebbiano Trincadeira Turkey Tuscany Ugni Blanc Umbria USA Valdiguié Valiant Valpolicella vegan Veneto Verdejo Verdicchio Vermentino Vermont Vermouth Vernacca Vidal Blanc video Vinho Verde Viognier Virginia Viura vodka Walla Walla Washington State whiskey White zinfandel Wildstorm Willamette wine Wine Bloggers Off-Topic wine club Wine Pick Wolverine Wonder Woman Zinfandel Zweigelt