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California-based Jackson Family Wines has bought Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, the two companies announced today.
According to the agreement, Lynn Penner-Ash, arguably the preeminent female winemaker in the state, would stay on as chief decision-maker for the vineyard, while Jackson will "acquire substantially all of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars' business assets, including the winery and approximately 15 acres of sustainably farmed estate vineyards."
Full terms of the agreement, including purchase price, were not disclosed.
The Penner-Ash winery, founded 1998, currently sits on 80 acres of vineyard. Lynn Penner-Ash is considered the first female winemaker in Oregon, and her wines have been well-recognized in the upper echelons of Oregon wine, with pinots routinely scoring in the 90s in Wine Advocate.
The deal will increase distribution and sales of Penner-Ash wine, according to the announcement, and expand access to vineyards. Penner-Ash has already had success with wines produced from Zena Crown vineyards, owned by Jackson Family Wines.
"Artisanal winemaking is first and foremost about grape sourcing," writes Lynn Penner-Ash. "As many Oregon winemakers already know, their Zena Crown and Gran Moraine vineyards are amongst some of the best vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley."
Jackson Family Wines is a huge wine company best known for its vastly successful Kendall-Jackson brand—but the purchase of Penner-Ash's winery is only the latest in an empire of over 440 planted acres of vineyard in Oregon, including the former Solena winery, Gran Moraine; Zena Crown vineyard; and Maple Grove vineyard, purchased March 2013.
Most recently in January, Jackson purchased a large tract of land from Evergreen Aviation—founders of the Aviation and Space Museum museum, as that company goes through bankruptcy proceedings. They intend to develop the property as a vineyard. At the time, they cited low Oregon land prices compared to California.
The Penner-Ash sale is expected to close by May.
Willamette Week