George A. Vare Jr., 76, died April 12 in Napa. Vare entered the California wine business in 1972, when he purchased Geyser Peak Winery as part of the mergers and acquisitions team for Schlitz Brewing Co. He served as president of Geyser Peak Winery before leaving in 1979 to embark on a series of winery startups. In 1994, together with three partners, he formed Silverado Partners, which led the buyout of Beringer Vineyards from Nestle with Texas Pacific Group. He served as director of Beringer Wine Estates Holdings Inc. through its acquisition by Foster’s Brewing Group in 2000. In 1996, he co-founded and built Luna Vineyards and later became a grower and proponent of the aromatic white grape Ribolla Gialla.