In a move showing the value placed on prestigious, artisanal brands in the wine market, Jackson Family Wines is buying Copain Wines, a small and well-regarded winery in Healdsburg, The Chronicle has learned.
With the Copain buy, Jackson Family continues to stake a major claim in high-end Pinot Noir, barely a month after acquiring Oregon winery Penner-Ash.
Copain winemaker Wells Guthrie, who co-founded the business in 1999 with San Francisco holding company Murano Group, will become a Jackson Family employee and continue to make wine under the Copain name.
Prices vary widely in the wine business based on location, product type and whether the deal includes assets like wineries and vineyards.
In Pursuit of Balance is a nonprofit association of wineries, of which Copain is a member.
Guthrie started Copain after stints as a tasting coordinator with Wine Spectator magazine and as an intern with Rhone vintner Michel Chapoutier.
The brand’s focus is on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley and Yorkville Highlands areas.
If its recent buying spree is any indication, Jackson Family, which built its reputation on brands like Kendall-Jackson and La Crema, appears to be betting big on boutique Pinot Noir brands heavy in single-vineyard bottlings.
Copain, Penner-Ash and Siduri, which joined the Jackson Family portfolio last year, all fall into this category — and represent a significant departure from the La Crema set in price, style and target audience.
“We certainly have been focused on acquisitions of strong luxury Pinot Noir as a business,” Reimers says.
