NK Winery sale ‘substantially’ more than $1 million listed
A Northern Virginia couple has bought New Kent Winery, but at a price that a spokesman for the buyers said is “significantly more” than the $1 million figure listed in land transfer records kept by the county’s circuit court clerk’s office. The 18,000 square-foot winery is valued at more than $4 million.
Court records show that Jo Anna and Joe Dombroski, operating under Dombroski Partners LLC, purchased the winery from New Kent Farms LLC on Sept. 8.
When contacted by phone on Wednesday, Jo Anna Dombroski expressed excitement about becoming an owner, but said she “was not at liberty to say” when asked about details of the sale and the apparent bargain basement price tag. But the couple’s spokesman, Rick Rountree of North Carolina-based Rountree Communications, addressed the matter in a phone call later in the day.
“I can’t say specifically what the price was due to privacy concerns in the contract agreement, but I can say it is significantly more than $1 million,” he said. “[The $1 million figure] in no way reflects what the winery was sold for.”
He said the sale was not driven by financial problems or concerns, adding that the principal owners, North Carolina-based Boddie-Noell Enterprises, “didn’t want to continue to be in the winery business.”
New Kent Winery, he said, is a very successful venture, and the Dombroskis plan to build off that success. “They intend to take ownership to the next level, so to speak,” he added.
“They have a long association with wines and wineries, and have visited wineries here and overseas. They believe New Kent Winery is the most unique and beautiful winery they’ve ever seen,” Rountree said. “They have a longtime passion for wines and wineries, and that’s how they came to be connected with New Kent.”
The Dombroskis reside in the city of Manassas in Prince William County where they operate the Dombroski Group LLC, a business management and consulting firm that works primarily with U.S. Department of Defense contractors. Based on Internet sources, Joe Dombroski’s background is with FlightWorks (an aviation consulting group), Northrop Grumman, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (25 years as an agent), and Baltimore City Police (5 years).
Rountree said the new owners are bringing other family members into the winery business. The couple’s son, Jacob, has taken over management of the vineyards, he said, adding that other siblings are expected to be involved. On the Internet, the business name now appears as “New Kent Winery at Dombroski Vineyards.”
The new owners plan to build a permanent, all-season event center on the premises and plant more vineyards, Rountree said. They also intend to host additional regular events and continue with annual events already staged at the winery including “A Taste of New Kent” Wine Festival. Another major, annual event is to debut in 2015, he added.
New Kent Winery, meanwhile, has been open to the public just over six years. The facility, built at a cost of $5 million, held its grand opening in 2008.