La Uva Fortuna, formerly known as Rusty Grape Vineyards, will permanently close its doors later this year following multiple accusations that the owners did not pay the wages owed to employees.
The boutique winery, located just east of Battle Ground, offers Italian cuisine and wood-fired pizza. The business additionally operates the wood-fired pizza cart, Pizzaolo, at Battle Ground Station. Jeremy Brown, the owner, announced that all operations will cease before the end of the year following public outcry sparked by former employees they were not paid their wages.
The controversy began on Sept. 14 when Clark County resident Marla Burns posted on accusing the winery of withholding payment from her daughter, a former employee. Burns claimed that her daughter received bounced checks, was denied tips and did not receive pay stubs during a month of working at the company. Burns’ post also referenced a dishwasher who allegedly worked for three months without being paid. Burns added that she planned to file a formal complaint with Washington Labor & Industries (L&I).
“After [I] got involved, they paid her cash and still did not give her tips from a month of work,” Burns wrote.
Brown denies the Burns’ allegations. The following day, on Sept. 15, La Uva Fortuna Farms responded with a public statement on Facebook, asserting that the employee had been paid in full, including her tips.
“As a small business, we face real challenges that can sometimes impact operations, including payroll,” the winery’s statement read. “Despite these struggles, we make every effort to ensure that our team is paid fairly and promptly. In this specific case, the employee has been paid all wages and tips due. This individual left our team about a month ago to return to college, and we have not received any communication from them regarding unpaid wages or missing pay.”
The statement encouraged any current or former employees with concerns about their pay to reach out directly to the winery.
However, Burns’ post continued to gain attention, as several former employees shared similar allegations of unpaid wages on Facebook. Following Burns’ post, six reached out to The Reflector directly. Melissa Schneider and her daughter, Hanna, both former employees, claimed they are still owed $700 and $1,200, respectively. They worked as a waitress and dishwasher from June 2020 until they left, citing missing paychecks. The Schneiders said they filed a complaint with L&I, the investigation for which is currently ongoing.
“It was money that we expected to get, and the economy’s crap right now. Everything’s expensive. I mean, it would definitely help our family out. … I know that it’s not a ton of money, but it’s enough to make a difference in our lives,” Melissa Schneider said.
Another former employee, Mackenzie Ladd, who said he worked a year as a bartender and later a manager, alleges a pattern of paychecks bouncing starting in 2016, just two months after the winery supposedly had a record-breaking revenue month in August of that year. Ladd claims his brother was fired after he spoke about pursuing legal action after seven of his paychecks bounced.
Ladd, who originally shared his experiences in a 2017 Facebook post, expressed frustration that similar issues with employee pay have continued years later.
“That seems to be their plan for when winter months come,” Ladd said. “Instead of laying people off or hiring seasonally, they just withhold money from everyone’s paychecks and hope that no one really pushes back.”
In response to the ongoing allegations, La Uva Fortuna Farms issued another public statement on Sept. 18, reaffirming that the employee in question had been paid in full and emphasizing that no wage complaints had been filed with L&I. The winery explained that they had reviewed the situation with both L&I and legal counsel and confirmed nothing was owed to the former employee.
“We cannot post the former employee’s information for public review — it would be illegal and irresponsible to do so,” the statement read.
Brown shared a Sept. 16 email from an L&I customer service specialist under the post that indicated no formal complaint had been filed under an employee’s name. However, the email did not specify which employee, and Burns’ daughter could make a claim following the email.
The post also explained that Brown and the winery had been blocked from responding to the initial Facebook accusations, leaving them unable to address the claims until after they had gained traction.
“We hope that, upon discovering the facts, they will correct this misinformation and, in the same spirit, post on social media acknowledging that the former employee was paid in full including tips,” the statement read.
The post did not address comments made by former employees directly but added, “Any current or recent or past employees feel that there is an issue with your pay we encourage you to reach out to Labor Board, to make a wage complaint and us directly. We [are] more than willing to review and work closely with the Labor and Industries agent to review information and ensure all wages and tips are fully paid if any claims such exist.”
In the same post, Brown announced that La Uva Fortuna Farms would be closing by the end of the year.
“After much reflection and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close down operations at La Uva Fortuna Farms / Rusty Grape Vineyard at the end of this year. Over the next 45 days, we will be winding down operations, marking the close of a chapter.”
Brown declined to speak with the Reflector but reiterated former employees can contact him or L&I if they feel payments weren’t received. To learn more about Labor & Industries wage claims, visit lni.wa.gov.
