Matriarch Of Calif. Wine Family Dies Of Leukemia

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Patty Bogle, the matriarch of a wine dynasty in the Sacramento delta region, has died after a battle with leukemia.

Bogle and late husband, Chris, founded Bogle Vineyards in 1979, starting with 18 acres of grapes and building their business into a regional wine powerhouse. The vineyard is the 14th largest winery in the country, shipping 1.2 million cases a year.

Patty Bogle's son, Warren Bogle Jr., told The Associated Press that his mother died Friday. She was 59.

The Sacramento Bee reports that the Bogles started the winery with modest goals, but the business soon took off. Patty Bogle said in a 2009 interview that "it grew as demand grew."

She championed petite sirah, a grape that produces rich, red wine and grows well in Clarksburg, 20 miles south of the state capital.