Meanwhile, investors are betting on the U.S. wine market’s encouraging growth trends and are actively trying to expand their portfolios while the industry regains its footing and acquisition prices are relatively low. San Francisco-based private equity firm Bacchus Capital Management, which mostly provides financing to wineries but sometimes invests in them as well, purchased a stake in Sbragia Family Vineyards in October and is actively seeking out other deals. “The U.S. wine market is growing, so it’s a good place to be,” says Sam Bronfman, managing partner at Bacchus. “While the trend line dipped during the recession, it will go back up over time as people go back to buying higher-priced wines.” - from WineSpectator.com