St. Helena, Calif., December 20, 2013—Jackson Family Wines has acquired the Yverdon Vineyard and Winery, located in the Spring Mountain District AVA in Napa Valley, from Terra Valentine owners Angus and Margaret Wurtele. The transaction consisted of the 77-acre property, which included the Yverdon Vineyard, Winery and Villa. The purchase marks the company’s first acquisition on Spring Mountain. The sale does not include the Terra Valentine brand or Wurtele Vineyard. Terra Valentine will continue under its current ownership and management. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“The Yverdon Vineyard and Winery is a great addition to our current portfolio, and we are delighted to now own one of the most distinguished mountain vineyard properties in Napa Valley,” said Barbara Banke, Chairman and Proprietor of Jackson Family Wines. “We have plans to make the property the future home for our highly acclaimed Lokoya wines and will utilize the vineyard as one of our sources to produce our limited production Lokoya Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Located in the Spring Mountain District AVA, the property sits at the peak of the Mayacamas Mountain Range, reaching elevations of 2,100 feet. It is comprised of 25 vineyard acres and 50 acres of native forest land. The Yverdon Vineyard, stone Winery and Villa were founded by Fred Aves in the early 1960s and were named after the Swiss town where his grandparents lived and made wine. In 1999, Angus and Margaret Wurtele purchased the property and it has served as home to Terra Valentine for the past 14 years.
“Since 2003 we have been sourcing from outstanding vineyards on Spring Mountain and it has been a great privilege to be a part of that community by way of Lokoya and Cardinale—to be able to supplement that source with our own property and vision is a natural progression for us, and one that the Yverdon property affords us,” said Chris Carpenter, winemaker for Lokoya and Cardinale. “I am looking forward to literally digging into those soils and getting to know the land and its climate, using our own mountain wisdom and building the kind of intimacy with the property that it takes to create the kind of wines I like to share with our collectors.”
Terra Valentine will continue to produce its signature Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as other wines. Terra Valentine will welcome visitors at a new location in St. Helena in Spring of 2014. The wines will continue to be distributed by The San Francisco Wine Exchange.
“We are happy to announce Sam Baxter as the Managing Partner and President for Terra Valentine,” said Angus Wurtele. “Since 1999, Sam has made the wines for Terra Valentine. He has been associated with the brand since the beginning, and we are thrilled about the opportunity for Sam to build on our success into the future. Sam will be joined by Tracy Smith, who will assume the role of General Manager. After three years of managing our wine club and direct-to-consumer sales, she will continue to be the key contact for all of our customers’ needs.”
Photo by Carolyn Corley Burgess Photography
About Jackson Family Wines
Jackson Family Wines is a family-owned company that crafts award-winning wines of distinct character and quality. With a focus on sustainable viticulture practices, responsible vineyard and natural resource management and unparalleled winemaking, the family’s portfolio comprises more than 30 renowned wineries. In addition to its acclaimed California producers, Jackson Family Wines includes fine wines from Oregon, France, Chile, Italy and Australia. Founded in 1982 by wine pioneer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Jess Jackson, Jackson Family Wines and its various wineries are led by chairman & proprietor Barbara Banke and the Jackson family. To learn more about Lokoya please visit http://www.lokoya.com/.
About Terra Valentine
Founded in 1996 by Angus and Margaret Wurtele with the purchase of the 35-acre Wurtele Vineyard, the winery grew to encompass the former Yverdon winery and estate vineyard, also on Spring Mountain. Terra Valentine is one of the pre-eminent mountain vineyard wineries in the Napa Valley, with a portfolio which includes several Cabernet Sauvignons as well as other varietals and proprietary blends. More information at http://www.terravalentine.com/.
