His and Her Old-Timey Stores: Boisset Buys Oakville Grocery (His Wife Gina Gallo Owns Dry Creek Valley Store)

Oakville Grocery was on the verge of bankruptcy when the late Leslie Rudd
stepped in 2007 to restore it

Boisset Collection today announced its purchase of Oakville Grocery.

Founded in 1881, Oakville Grocery is the oldest continually operating grocery store in California and has been a destination for nearly 140 years.

The purchase includes the Oakville store and property, the Healdsburg location and the brand from the Rudd family, proprietors of Rudd Estate and PRESS Restaurant, who completed significant restoration of the Oakville property, grocery store, and adjacent Victorian house during eleven years of ownership.

The store and its brand join Boisset’s portfolio of historical wineries and retail destinations.

“I have always adored the Oakville Grocery for what it represents for Napa Valley, for California and for America,” says Jean-Charles Boisset, Proprietor of Boisset Collection.

“It is a landmark and iconic destination at the crossroads of history in Napa that has been the community gathering place, mercantile, farm stand, and grocery for neighbors and visitors alike for well over a century."

"The Rudd family have been remarkable stewards, believing in its past and future, and infusing the property with the passion, care and respect it deserves. We are exceptionally honored to be entrusted to carry forward this timeless property and continue their dreams.”

Boisset plans to offer a selection of fresh and local products from farmers, artisans, and purveyors in Napa and Sonoma, with local, sustainable, and organic food.

“Oakville Grocery has been a staple of Napa Valley since 1881,” says Samantha Rudd, proprietor of Rudd Estate and PRESS Restaurant.

The store has been a popular upscale market for tourists for the last decade

“My family purchased it in 2007 in order to revive the illustrious historical store that has meant so much to this community. My father’s vision was to restore it to its rightful place in California wine country, and to ensure that its legacy remained for the local and tourist community for decades to come.”

Oakville Grocery joins Boisset Collection’s historical wineries and destinations in California and France, including Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 as the first premium winery in California. Boisset’s portfolio is anchored in history, heritage and terroir in Napa, Sonoma, Burgundy, Jura, Beaujolais, the Rhône Valley and the South of France.

Boisset’s Atelier Fine Foods in Yountville, opened in 2016, was the company’s first foray into gourmet food and will continue its mission and focus on a curated selection of high-quality gourmet products.

Said Rudd, "We are confident that Jean-Charles will protect and enhance the Oakville Grocery brand, property, and business for future generations of customers. Our trust in Boisset’s vision was an essential consideration as we selected the right steward for Oakville Grocery’s future, from one family to another and from one steward to the next.”

Boisset has long championed certified sustainable, organic and Biodynamic® practices at its DeLoach and Raymond Vineyards wineries in Napa and Sonoma County.

“With Oakville Grocery, the gathering place of Napa and Sonoma, we as well are responsible vis-à-vis the community, the local vintners, growers and gardeners, the prior owners, and our guests and employees to protect its past and enhance its future.

Boisset will begin operating Oakville Grocery in early 2019.

Boisset is married to Gina Gallo, who owns the iconic, historic Dry Creek General Store in Sonoma County.

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