High-Profile Napa Valley Winemaker Arrested For Illegal Gun and Drug Possession

A member of the family that runs wine brand Sutter Home was arrested on suspicion of three felony gun violations and a misdemeanor drug offense, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Deputies arrested Carlo Trinchero after finding 11 guns at his home, a violation of his probation following his conviction for assaulting his girlfriend in 2017. According to the Chronicle, Trinchero was “booked on suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun, being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, unlawfully possessing an assault weapon banned in California, and drug possession”; less than one gram of methamphetamine was found when Trinchero was stopped in his vehicle by detectives.

No formal charges were filed as of Monday, and he was released from jail after posting $50,000 bail. Trinchero, 35, currently works for the family wine company, managing the Trinchero Family Estates label. The company is said to be the third-largest wine producer in the country and runs over 50 wine and spirits brands.

Canned tuna companies face more fallout for price fixing

The Supreme Court denied review of an April ruling that reinstates a big class action suit against StarKist, Bumble Bee, and Chicken of the Sea for price-fixing cans of tuna between June 2011 and December 2016, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. This is after both StarKist and Bumble Bee have already answered to federal charges of conspiring to price fix their tuna, pleading guilty and being fined $100 million and $25 million, respectively. Bumble Bee’s former CEO was also convicted of criminal price-fixing and sentenced to 40 months in prison, according to the Chronicle, and the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019.

Listeria outbreak reaches California’s deli counters

A listeria outbreak found in six states — Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, and California — is being vaguely linked to cold cuts, lunch meats, hot dogs, pates, and cheeses sold at delis, the Sacramento Bee reports. The Centers for Disease Control issued an investigation notice on November 9 but has not yet tied the outbreak to a specific company or source, instead warning consumers in the affected states to avoid eating meat or cheese from any deli counter for the time being, unless it’s reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F. One person has died from the outbreak, with 13 people hospitalized and 16 falling ill with the virus.

Red red wine, you make me feel so fine

After a night in Los Angeles, the Vinguard is bringing its event, Wine Flare, to San Francisco on Wednesday, November 16. The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Ruby, featuring queer natural winemakers such as Emme Wines, Terah Wine Co., En Cavale Wine, and more. Tickets are available on a sliding scale basis and 10 percent of the proceeds will go toward the Zebra Coalition, an organization that provides services to LGBTQ youth ages 13-24.