'Devastated': Livermore Community Shocked By Death Of Winery Owner

LIVERMORE, CA — The 59-year-old owner of a Livermore winery was killed Friday afternoon in a car accident on East Avenue, according to Livermore police and the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.

Mitchell Katz, the owner of Mitchell Katz Winery, was involved in a fatal two-car crash on East Avenue at Mitra Street, according to the Livermore Police Department. An initial investigation said that a black Subaru collided with Katz’s white GMC SUV while Katz was changing lanes on East Avenue. The driver of the Subaru is a man in his 20s from Westley who is cooperating with the investigation, police said.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. The Alameda County Coroner’s Office released Katz’s name on Monday.

Katz was the long-time owner of Mitchell Katz Winery, located on South Vasco Road. Katz opened the winery in 1998 and named it after his 96-year-old grandfather, who devoted more than 50 years to home winemaking, according to the winery's website. The winery is “dedicated exclusively to single-vineyard wines that capture the essence of each vineyard.”

The winery closed for the weekend, and Katz’s sons Jackson and Wesley released the following statement on the winery’s Facebook page:

“We have suffered a tragic loss… Our dad, Mitchell Katz, was unexpectedly taken from us this past Friday evening, July 21, 2023. At this time, we don’t have any additional information to offer. As expected, we his family and extended family, are all devastated and saddened by this tragedy. Thank you to all who have reached out with your sincere condolences . We ask for your continued support and respect of our privacy during this time. Your patience is appreciated as we gather more information and begin to heal. All further updates will be posted on the winery Mitchell Katz Winery Facebook page.”

The post received a flood of comments. “I LOVED working for him for so many years with an amazing group of people - and he was a fun and dedicated boss and we all had a blast with so many memories!” one former employee wrote.

“Your dad was a great guy, and we had many good times doing winemaker dinners at the [Pleasanton Hotel] and food for his release parties. I will miss him,” wrote another person.

“Nothing surpassed your fathers absolute adoration for you boys. He talked of your success and how proud he was constantly. You were his life. We are so grief stricken and we are so so very sorry,” wrote another.