Grange Sues Inman Family over Wine Label

[Rebel Rose]

Powerhouse wine producer Penfolds has succeeded in forcing a small (2,500 case) family owned California winery to drop the word "grange" from the front label of their Olivet Grange Vineyard production--even though the term grange is a generic term that refers to a farm. Story here.

Apparently Penfold's was granted an international trademark on the term. When I was young, I was a member of our local Grange (see Wikipedia), which as many of you ruralites may remember, was a network of local associations representing the interests of farmers and ranchers. I wonder how this lawsuit presented by Penfold's would be viewed by the California State Grange.

[doviakw]

I went to kindergarten in the local grange hall (Wayne, NJ so I'm dating myself). An international trademark on a specific, generic word seems a bit broad even if it's in the context of a wine label.

[aprilmei]

This seems kind of ironic. Wasn't Grange forced to drop the "Hermitage" part of their original name?

[mike volker]

I'm guessing Penfold's had better lawyers. Whatever happened to common sense?

Best,

Mike

[Rebel Rose]

This seems kind of ironic. Wasn't Grange forced to drop the "Hermitage" part of their original  name?

Yes! I guess they didn't want to lose the rest of it as well!

Still, very sad for Kathleen Inman and her husband. They settled out of court because they didn't have the funds to fight Foster's (Seven Peaks in the US). But the very thing that Foster's/Penfold's was complaining about--brand confustion--has now been created for the Inmans. Their customers are confused by the label change from Olivet Grange Vineyard to OGV, and it's creating extra work for them to communicate that it is still the same vineyard, same wine.

I hope they get some great press and new customers out of this debacle!