Jackson Family Wines buys Copain

Having just bought Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in Oregon, Jackson Family Wines has expanded its portfolio again with the acquisition of Copain Wines in California.

Copain Wines in Healdsburg

The California wine giant snapped up the Healdsburg-based cool climate specialist this week for an undisclosed sum. It will be business as usual at Copain, with founder and winemaker Wells Guthrie at the helm and in control of winemaking decisions including grape sourcing.

“My family and I were impressed by Wells’ exceptional wines and his dedication to producing wines that display a distinct expression of their vineyard site,” said Jackson Family Wines chairman Barbara Banke, who was recently crowned The Drinks Business Woman of the Year.

“We see significant opportunities for growth and look forward to collaborating with Wells and his team to continue the great work they do,” she added.

Founded in 1999, Copain specialises in cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot and Syrah from the Anderson Valley. “The Jackson family’s commitment to preserving the integrity of what we’ve built, while providing the resources to elevate our wines will be a winning combination as we look to promote our style of winemaking on a broader scale,” Guthrie said.

Jackson Family Wines will give Copain sales, marketing and distribution support. Its wines will be distributed through JFW’s West Burgundy Wine Collective.

Last month Jackson Family Wines snapped up Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in Oregon. Three years prior it bought the Zena Crown vineyard in Willamette Valley.

Jackson Family Wines is made up of over 40 different wine brands, with substantial winery and vineyard holdings throughout California and Oregon – 12,500 hectares of vines in the former and 182 hectares in the latter.

Founded in 1982 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Jess Jackson, JFW also makes wine in Australia, Chile, France, Italy and South Africa.