October 31st – Flying Blue, a collection of industry veterans founded by Roger Scommegna and Ryan Kepler, specializing in winemaking, sourcing, logistics, packaging, and design with an international footprint, announced today that they are teaming up with winemaker Alisa Jacobson.
The partnership will usher Alisa Jacobson’s Rare North, Avec Moi, and Alisa Jacobson brands to Flying Blue’s network. While Alisa Jacobson is widely known for her focus on crafting wines from vineyards in cool-climate regions, farmed in an environmentally conscious manner, the partnership with Flying Blue is centered around supporting environmentally conscious female-owned winemakers and brands with a sense of place.
The Rare North and Avec Moi brands highlight Jacobson’s two winemaking homes in Oregon and California’s Central Coast. And with Flying Blue, Jacobson is launching a new brand called “Alisa Jacobson,” which rolls out with a Sparkling wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. “These are sassy sustainable wines, driven by a theme of female empowerment,” explains Jacobson, who notes that the label also allows her to “lean into my California roots.”
Both Rare North and Avec Moi have a distinctly sustainable appeal. Rare North, a Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir sourced from LIVE sustainable and organic vineyard sources, launched with a 93-point score from Wine Enthusiast magazine. Avec Moi debuted with an organic rosé that has become a darling among retailers that care about organic non-GMO foods and wines.
“Flying Blue is the ideal sales and marketing company for these brands,” says Jacobson. “Apart from having the same values, I’m enamored with their stellar all-female sales team! They’re innovative and energetic and have cast a broad, yet discerning, net in the marketplace. They’re positioned to take my wines to the next level and to do so mindfully. I couldn’t be more excited to be on board with them.”
Based in Chicago, IL, Flying Blue was founded in 2018 by Roger Scommegna and Ryan Kepler. Flying Blue represents a diverse and eclectic portfolio of family-owned wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink brands.
“Alisa Jacobson’s selection of wines fit extraordinarily well into our collection of brands,” says Ryan Kepler, President of Flying Blue. “As is the case with us, what matters most to her is the customer. She produces affordably priced wines, often from organically farmed sites, is a climate activist, and social justice advocate who cares about the environment and others. Aside from her wines being delicious and beautifully balanced, they are also made and farmed conscientiously. We at Flying Blue and Alisa share similar values, and we are excited to partner with her.”
About Flying Blue
Flying Blue is a collection of industry veterans founded by Roger Scommegna and Ryan Kepler. Focused on the customer, specializing in winemaking, sourcing, logistics, packaging, design, and superior execution with a global footprint. To learn more, visit https://www.flyingblueimports.com
About Alisa Jacobson
Alisa Jacobson is a UC Davis graduate with a viticulture and enology degree. Jacobson has produced everything from California sparkling wine to Argentine Malbec. In 2003, after a short stint at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, she joined Joel Gott Wines. She rose to Vice President of Winemaking, managing all winery and vineyard operations in California, Oregon, and Washington and for projects in Argentina, Chile, Italy, France, and New Zealand until 2021.
Today, Jacobson produces several wines, including Turning Tide, Rare North, Avec Moi, and Alisa Jacobson. The Alisa Jacobson portfolio allows Jacobson to lean on her California roots, while the Rare North label showcases her talents in the Willamette Valley using grapes from the Halona Woods Vineyard, a Vineyard she manages in the Mount Pisgah-Polk County AVA. Inspiration for Avec Moi is drawn from the evocative Art Deco era, which was marked by the women’s liberation movement, a prosperous economy and improvements in technology, and, therefore, lifestyle; a progressive time where luxury meets leisure.
Jacobson currently resides in San Luis Obispo County, owns two vineyards in the Santa Ynez AVA, and is housed at a winery in the heart of Santa Ynez Valley. When she’s not busy making wine, she’s following her other passion, helping the wine industry mitigate and adapt to climate change. She is the co-chair of the Unified Grape and Wine Symposium Program Development committee for the 2023 and 2024 conventions. Jacobson also sits on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the Winegrape Smoke Exposure SCRI Grant and is the chair of the research committee on the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force.
https://www.rarenorthwines.com/
https://www.turningtidewines.com/
