PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A jury has awarded $450,000 to a Rhode Island winemaker who accused her son and a former employee of stealing trade secrets in a case one of the defendants called “sour grapes.”
The jury found that Daniel Ribeiro and Andrew Gold took information, including recipes for “wine slush” and wine infused with fruit essences, from the Conventry vineyard when they started a rival winery in Chepachet.
The Providence Journal reports (https://bit.ly/2rSU9Pi ) Gold’s mother, Sheila Gold, said she felt vindicated by the finding.
Riberio, a former sales manager for Sheila Gold, said the new winery never made any fruit-infused wines. He believes the jury felt sorry for Sheila Gold, who invested much of her retirement savings into her now-closed winery. He said he’ll appeal the ruling.
___
Information from: The Providence Journal, https://www.providencejournal.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.