Shafer Vineyards sues Angwin vintner over wine name

A longtime Napa Valley vintner has filed a lawsuit against an Angwin-based winery over the use of the name “Hillside Select,” according to a complaint filed in Napa County Superior Court in December.

Shafer Vineyards’ signature wine is a cabernet sauvignon, Hillside Select, which was first produced in 1983 and released in 1985, according to the complaint filed in December.

The suggested retail price for the 2010 Hillside Select is $250 per bottle, according to its website. Shafer has held a federal trademark registration for Hillside Select since January 1990.

The defendant, Mike Beatty, who is doing business as Howell Mountain Vineyards in Angwin, was selling a red wine, Hillside Select. Shafer Vineyards is suing Mike Beatty for alleged federal and state trademark infringement and unfair competition, according to the complaint.


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