Jackson Family Wines buys $4.6m Oregon site

Jackson Family Wines (JFW) has paid $4.6m (£3.2m) for a large facility and land in the Willamette Valley as it looks to boost production in the region.

Jackson Family Wines bought the Soléna Estate Winery in Yamhill, Oregon, in 2013

California-based JFW bought the facility and land in McMinnville, in the Willamette Valley, from Evergreen International Aviation Inc as part of the latter’s bankruptcy sale, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported.

The site will complement JFW’s already considerable vineyard holdings in the state, which is well known for its production of high-quality Pinot Noir.

“The central location of the Evergreen site is convenient to all our Willamette Valley vineyards,” a company spokesperson said.

“Our long-term plans include development of a wine production facility, though we don’t have a timeline or specifics to share at this point.”

The company, run by Barbara Banke since the death of her husband Jess Jackson in 2011, already owns 444 acres of planted vineyards in Oregon.

In 2013, it bought Zena Crown properties in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, as well as the Gran Moraine vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton region.

Also in 2013, as reported in the drinks business, the company also bought the Soléna Estate winery and 35 acres of its 55 acres of vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Soléna Estate subsequently bought a new facility for the production of its wines.

The upward trend for Oregon Pinot Noir shows no sign of abating, with a report in January 2015 indicating that the state’s revenues rose by 49% between 2010 and 2013, boosted by a combination and internal and international investment, and a focus on producing high-end wines.

According to the Oregon Wine Board, the Oregon region was home to 676 wineries in 2014 producing 78,264 tonnes of wine grapes – 45,239 tonnes of which were Pinot Noir.