Sazerac Co. v. Fetzer Vineyards, Inc.

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

William H. Orrick, United States District Judge

INTRODUCTION

I conducted a bench trial from June 26-30, 2017 on plaintiff Sazerac Company, Inc.’s (“Sazerac”) trademark and trade dress infringement case against Fetzer Vineyards (“Fetzer”), and heard closing argument on August 14, 2017. In the final analysis, this case was not close. Sazerac claimed that Fetzer’s trade dress on its 1000 Stories red zinfandel wine infringed the trade dress of Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace bourbon. But it did not establish that Buffalo Trace bourbon’s trade dress was similar to 1000…