Los Angeles, August 16, 2013 – Roll Global, LLC, today announced the acquisition of Vintage Nurseries, LLC, a Wasco, California-based producer of grafted grapevine rootstocks for the wine grape, table grape and raisin markets.

“Roll Global has been invested in California agriculture for more than 30 years, and entered the wine business almost three years ago,” said David Ricanati, President of Roll Global’s wine business. “As we developed our own vineyard holdings, we learned firsthand about the cyclical nature of grapevine planting. It is clear that the wine industry is in the midst of a strong planting cycle, and we believe in the long-term prospects for grape growing. We see the acquisition of Vintage Nurseries as a natural complement to our wine holdings.”

The acquisition includes 755,300 square feet of production and growing facilities, and 1,169 acres of owned and leased land in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The area’s unique combination of soil and climate are ideal for the development of grape rootstock, and the company’s location close to both California Route 99 and Interstate 5 facilitates rapid delivery to customers.

“We’ve developed and utilize a number of highly efficient growing and processing techniques that contribute to high yields and low operating costs,” said Garry Nelson, general manager of Vintage Nurseries, who will remain in his position following the acquisition. “These techniques make us both a high-quality and price-competitive producer – and an attractive supplier to grape growers, especially in California.”

Vintage Nurseries produces grapevines by grafting a scion (the aboveground, grape-bearing portion of the grapevine) to a rootstock (the belowground root and stem structure that conveys water and nutrients from the soil to the fruit-bearing portion of the vine). The company leverages more than 100 varieties of scions and 26 varieties of rootstock to offer combinations that are ideal for customers’ various growing conditions.

About Roll Global, LLC

Roll Global is a $3 billion international company focused on healthy brands for healthy lifestyles. Our products include fresh fruit and tree nuts; floral delivery; and premium beverages such as artesian water, California wines and pure pomegranate juices and teas. Over the last decade, we’ve transformed the healthy pomegranate and POM Wonderful into a worldwide phenomenon, FIJI Water into the country’s No. 1 imported bottled water, and Wonderful Pistachios into one of America’s top-selling snack nuts. Our wine holdings include JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles and Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma. Our diverse holdings make us the world’s largest grower of tree crops, America’s largest citrus grower, and the world’s largest flower delivery service. As a privately held company, we don’t respond to restless shareholders or the whims of the stock market. Our decisions are driven by the long-term health of our businesses, our customers, our employees and our planet. To learn more about the Roll brands, visit www.roll.com.  

About Vintage Nurseries, LLC

Vintage Nurseries is the industry's leading provider of dormant field-grown benchgrafts, greenhouse-grown benchgrafts, dormant rootstock rootings and other vineyard-related products to wine grape, table grape and juice grape growers across the country.  Vintage Nurseries is recognized throughout the grapevine nursery industry as the high-quality, low-cost producer of dormant and greenhouse-grown benchgrafts and other vineyard-related products, with a reputation for strong customer service and for product quality and manufacturing innovation. 

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