Huneeus Vintners, owners of Napa Valley’s Quintessa and Chile’s Veramonte, purchased The Prisoner and Saldo brands and inventory from winemaker Dave Phinney’s Orin Swift Cellars, based in Rutherford. Both brands are Zinfandel blends. Phinney will maintain control of production and winemaking long term, and he retains ownership of Orin Swift Cellars and its other brands.

Ascentia names sales/marketing officer 
Ascentia Wine Estates, Healdsburg, appointed Todd Devincenzi its chief sales and marketing officer. Previously, he was vice president of sales at C. Mondavi & Sons, St. Helena.

John Anthony tasting room coming
John Anthony Vineyards, Napa, plans a tasting salon in the Avia retail space on First Street in downtown Napa. Owned by John and Michele Truchard, John Anthony produces 4,000 cases yearly from small blocks. See more at javwine.com.

Donelan starts new brand   
Joe Donelan, founder of Pax Wine Cellars, is launching Donelan Family Wines, focused on Syrah and other Rhône varieties from Sonoma County vineyards. Tyler Thomas is winemaker. Learn more at donelanwines.com.

Goelet restructures
Goelet Wine Estates created a new entity to oversee production, finance, sales and marketing for its international portfolio of wineries including Napa Valley’s Clos du Val. Adam Torpy was appointed CEO. Previously, he was CEO for Goelet’s Taltarni, in Victoria, Australia.

Wine Institute wins USDA funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated more than $7.17 million to WI under its Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program.

Back to school at Sonoma State
Applications for the fall semester Wine Business MBA program at Sonoma State University are due March 31. All classes are in the evening. For more information, visit mba@sonoma.edu.

Wine Institute stalwart dies at 102 
Doris Brown Paulsen, who was hired by Leon D. Adams as Wine Institute’s switchboard operator and receptionist in 1934 and rose to serve as head of the institute’s trade department for decades, died Jan. 6 of natural causes at her San Francisco home. In 1941, she was named the first California Wine Queen, representing the industry at promotional events across the U.S.