We all know about consolidation—it happens in nearly every industry in the world. In the drinks business, we’ve all lived it. In most cases, the acquired company ends up losing much of its identity as production, distribution, and pretty much everything else, is absorbed into the acquirer’s operations. By the end of it all, there’s not much left of what once was. But some buyers make acquisitions to preserve and nurture great brand names, and Bill Foley is firmly in that camp. His involvement in the wine business began as little more than a weekend hobby in 1996, when he and his wife, Carol, bought a vineyard in Santa Barbara. Since then, Foley has built his own private wine empire, with a portfolio of wineries that includes Chalone, Chateau St.…
