Partial Settlement Reached In Feud Over Nantucket Wine Festival

A partial settlement has been reached in the feud over the Nantucket Wine Festival that was sparked back in June by an alleged hostile takeover attempt by Gordon’s Fine Wines & Liquor, a Boston-based distributor and retailer.

The maneuver prompted festival owner Nancy Bean to file a federal lawsuit against Gordon's and The White Elephant Hotel, but the latest filing in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts indicates the dispute may be headed toward a resolution.

Bean has reached a settlement with The White Elephant in which the hotel has agreed to not conduct any event with Gordon's or any wine festival in May 2025 or May 2026, according to the documents filed with the court. The claims against the hotel have since been dismissed.

Developer Steve Karp's White Elephant had been named in the lawsuit by Bean after the hotel struck a deal with Gordon’s to run an all-new "Nantucket Food and Wine Experience" in 2025. The new event would have been held next May during the same week as the 27th iteration of the old festival.

Bean declined to comment on Thursday.

Bean's complaint against Gordon's, however, remains pending, and the settlement document indicates she may file amended claims against the company "because of their broader and more deliberate activities targeting the plaintiffs dating back to 2023," Bean's attorneys wrote in the notice of the partial settlement. A preliminary injunction hearing is set for next Monday, November 18th. 

Bean's remaining claims against Gordon’s include false and misleading advertising, unfair and deceptive trade practices, trademark dilution, breach of contract, tortious interference, and conspiracy.

“What has become clear is that the Gordon Parties did not intend to enter into a genuine partnership with the Nantucket Wine & Food Parties, but rather to take control of the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival and to do so without paying fair value,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, the Gordon Parties have engaged in a campaign of false and misleading advertising and promotions, after gaining access to proprietary and confidential financial information for other purposes, to exploit years of Bean’s hard work and success and claim the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival as their own.”

Gordon’s Fine Wine initially claimed that it had purchased the Nantucket Wine and Food Festival but later retracted that statement and clarified that it was producing a new event entirely.

While Bean asserted in the lawsuit that the 2024 Nantucket Wine & Food Festival was completed with “rave reviews and substantial positive feedback,” the trouble began shortly thereafter. Gordon allegedly “made negative comments to Bean about the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival. Bean also heard from others that Gordon disparaged the Nantucket Wine & Food Parties, falsely stating in substance that vendors did not want to do business with her. Gordon attempted to buy the festival from Bean with “an unreasonable proposal” to take over management of the event, which Bean declined.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, The White Elephant opted not to comment on its decision to back Gordon’s Fine Wine over Bean but did provide a statement confirming that a new deal was in place with Gordon’s.

“We are honored that our harborside hotel will continue to serve as the official host for this dynamic partnership with The Gordon Companies. We look forward to carrying on the tradition of providing food and wine excellence for locals and visitors alike on beautiful Nantucket,” The White Elephant’s statement read.

But that deal, according to the partial settlement agreement, appears to be over.

Signed by Khaled Hashem, the president of White Elephant Resorts, the partial settlement agreement stipulates the following:

• White Elephant shall not contract or in any way conduct an event with, and shall prevent its affiliates from contracting or conducting an event with, Gordon Event Services LLC, Gordon Companies, Inc., or any of their affiliates, for any event in May 2025 or May 2026;
• White Elephant shall provide written notice of irrevocable withdrawal of its submissions of any and all applications for permit(s) that have been submitted by it or any of its affiliates as an applicant or co-applicant to the Town of Nantucket for the Nantucket Food and Wine Experience and/or related event(s);

Read the full settlement agreement by clicking here

The Nantucket Wine Festival was founded in 1996 by Denis Toner, a longtime Nantucket seasonal resident. Bean began her tenure with event in 2007 when she was hired by Toner to become the director of operations. Then, in 2012, Toner sold the festival to Bean and her then-business partner, Mark Goldweitz. Since then, Bean has become the sole owner of the festival - acquiring it for approximately $1 million, according to the lawsuit - and rebranded it as the Nantucket Wine and Food Festival.