To Kalon: A creek on California’s most famous vineyard is the site of a contentious, yearslong fight

WINE TALK
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The To Kalon place name vs. trademark issue may be resolved this week. I’m rooting for Graeme. (This is a Gift link, so it should work for everyone.)

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/to-kalon-creek-vineyard-20359903.php?utm_content=cta&sid=53b5ef689dbcd4d80c00005b&ss=P&st_rid=null&utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_term=headlines&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL2Zvb2Qvd2luZS9hcnRpY2xlL3RvLWthbG9uLWNyZWVrLXZpbmV5YXJkLTIwMzU5OTAzLnBocA%3D%3D&time=MTc0OTY1MDU1NDgyMw%3D%3D&rid=ZmI1ZjZmZmQtNTZhYy00NmM5LWE3NTEtZjFhYjlmYzdlZGI0&sharecount=MQ%3D%3D

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Thanks for posting Carole. Rooting for Macdonald family as well!

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Looks like some corporate bullying. Ironic, since Constellation did such a great job of diluting the Mondavi brand.

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I have always thought of it as a vineyard, not a brand - go Graeme. Ironically I double-decanted a '13 MacDonald for a dinner tonight.

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Thanks for posting - and a fascinating story and isssue. I certainly do hope that the MacDonalds’ succeed - though trademarks are certainly tricky things . . .

Cheers

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I wasn’t able to download the full document/PDF, but here is a link that will provide a lot more information (with a little technical proficiency).

UC Davis/To Kalon

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I don’t recall the exact time line but my recollection is Bob Mondavi did a pretty good job of diluting his brand long before Constellation took over completely in 2004.

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Certainly Constellation has some rights to the name - they paid a big number for Mondavi and deserve the right to preserve the name. Not withstanding that, it is a creek which is located in a place. I am very confused as to how naming a creek To-Kalon damages their brand - especially considering Macdonald sold their fruit to Mondavi for their Reserve Wines for decades.

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Read the House of Mondavi some time ago, so don’t recall the exact details. But my recollection was that when it was sold it was not a supermarket brand.

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The underlying issue is that if becomes a geographic name, then the To Kalon trademark could lose exclusivity, be watered down, or potentially voided.

Think Macdonald “To Kalon Creek Vineyard” Cabernet.

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Makes sense except it would only be applicable to the geography which is almost wholly owned by Constellation. I guess MacDonald and Detert could be affected. Who else?

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Woodbridge was started in 1979.

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Beckstoffer, though their settlement may make it moot. Either way, even if the change doesn’t really matter today, who knows what tomorrow might bring.

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If it is deemed a brand not a place they could sell Mondavi Lodi To Kalon Zinfandel

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Seems ludicrous to me that someone can trademark a vineyard name that has been around and in common use for 150 years and force other current legal owners of the vineyard to not use it.

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I am not certain they couldn’t do that now but I think that would be counter to their current strategy of selling parts of their portfolio that is lower end.

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You’re missing the point. That example is just for impact. They could use it for a high-end wine also from another part of Napa or Sonoma or anywhere if it is a brand. As a brand, it is much more valuable to them than if it is attached to a specific site.

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exactly this… https://tokalonvineyardcompany.com/

Nothing stops them from having a line of wines, using their brand name, sourced from any other vineyard…

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I think it’s already been established that it is currently a brand name. They currently can sell your example, though it’s clear that would be folly.

Then again, the Mondavi name has been so watered down, its not out of the realm of possibility.

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And that is entirely the point! Right now it is a brand. If it becomes a place also there can be a challenge to it being a brand either directly or indirectly