Privately-held, family-run wine business prepares for broader growth trajectory with new category launches under the new name of John Anthony Wine & Spirits
Napa, CA (June 4, 2024) – John Anthony Wine & Spirits—formerly John Anthony Family of Wines, the Napa-based wine company founded and led by John Anthony Truchard—announces its official name change ahead of multi-category expansion plans in the coming year. Growing up farming his family’s Napa Valley vineyards, one of the first Carneros estates planted in the 1970’s, Truchard started his own company under the John Anthony Vineyards label in 2003. The company has flourished through respect for viticultural heritage, dedication to precision winegrowing, and the pursuit of meticulous winemaking. John Anthony Wine & Spirits will continue its commitment to innovating in the world of wine while simultaneously expanding its portfolio to spirits, alcohol alternative beverages, Sakes, and more.
“Growth for growth’s sake has never been my driving force. Adversity in the form of a slow economy in 2007 presented an opportunity to do things differently in the wine industry with JaM Cellars and Butter Chardonnay. It was an uncomfortable but organic journey—I believed we could make exceptional wines, while demystifying them for a broader audience, and sell them at a terrific price. But it was unclear just how successful Butter would become,” explained John Anthony Truchard, Founder and CEO of John Anthony Wine & Spirits. “Now, as we leverage that success and expand, it’s important to respond to market opportunities, but also to be inspired and believe in the products we make—and their promise of superior quality and taste. All of the company’s innovations have been true to that premise: from ButterCans that taste identical to Butter Chardonnay in bottle; finding an untapped niche in Paso Robles with Serial Wines; venturing into traditional Japanese Sake with an American Master of Sake; and soon to release a real-Tequila RTD that we’ve been perfecting for years.”
Remaining true to John Truchard’s mission to uphold authenticity and quality from grape to glass, John Anthony Wine & Spirits will extend this core belief and practice throughout each new brand. As a testament to its pursuit of excellence, John Anthony Wine & Spirits has forged strategic partnerships with true masters in their respective crafts—a renowned American Master of Sake, a revered Japanese Master Sake Brewer, and a skilled Tequila distiller in Mexico. These artisans expand John Anthony Wine & Spirits’ production expertise alongside the Executive Winemaker and Winemaker who have scaled the company’s wine production tenfold in the last decade. Together these artisans prime the company to create remarkable new beverages that capture the best of tradition and terroir.
John Anthony Family of Wines was named a top 25 company in Wine Business Monthly’s 2024 Winery Review and has consistently pushed boundaries—from demystifying wine; venturing into new regions like Paso Robles; pioneering wine in cans; strategic line extensions; and crafting unique, cross-AVA blends. JaM Cellars, the maker of best-selling wines including Butter Chardonnay, announced earlier this year the second expansion of its popular Butter line with two new wines: 2023 Butter Sauv Blanc, California and 2022 Butter Pinot Noir, California. The brand’s Butter Chardonnay is the #2-selling Chardonnay in $ volume in the U.S.1, having earned the Impact Hot Brand Award five times since its inaugural release in 2010.
“I have huge respect for the successful family-run and privately-held drinks businesses in our industry—they’ve paved the way in branding and beverage innovation. John Anthony Wine & Spirits’ north star is to be the next great, privately-held, billion-dollar beverage company and it’s critical to me that we stay true to our values as we grow,” added Truchard. “We’re looking at a future of great-tasting products we believe in and those will continue to be in wine and beyond—distilled spirits, low-alcohol, alcohol alternatives, RTDs, low-sugar, and functional beverage brands will all play a part in our growth if they over-deliver on flavor, value and enjoyment.”
Expanding the portfolio’s beverage offerings beyond wine is no coincidence. Over the past few years, the global alcoholic beverage industry is increasingly investing in innovation and expansion in low- and no-alcohol beverage categories in an effort to support long-term growth and respond to the increasing health and wellness trends in many developed markets, according to Fitch Ratings2. Additionally, Wine Industry Advisor reported the beverage industry is experiencing tremendous disruption across all categories as a result of Millennials and Gen Z who are challenging the level of consumption, health benefits, and drinking style for the first time in decades3.
In the next year John Anthony Wine & Spirits retailer partners can expect to see interesting new line extensions from Serial Wines; several, natural-fruit flavors of a new Tequila-based, ready-to-drink cocktail in a can; and new low and no-alcohol wines that will change the quality perception of this fast-growing segment for a new generation. To learn more about John Anthony Wine & Spirits and stay up to date on upcoming launches, visit JohnAnthonyWS.com.
About John Anthony Wine & Spirits
John Anthony Wine & Spirits includes John Anthony Vineyards, Serial Wines, Weather Wines, and JaM Cellars, with Sake and spirits labels releasing this summer. John Anthony Vineyards produces exclusive Napa Valley wines created from small vineyard sites in Oak Knoll District, Carneros, Calistoga and Coombsville regions, all available in the winery’s downtown Napa Tasting Lounge and limited releases in national distribution. Serial Wines is a curated collection of wines from Paso Robles and beyond—lush and vibrant, sourced from exceptional vineyards in this exciting wine region. Weather Wines is a collection of Burgundian-varietal wines grown in their most-perfect microclimates across AVAs and highlighting the dynamic relationship between vines, terroir, and the elements. JaM Cellars was founded in 2009 in response to the downturn in the economy and experienced triple-digit growth in its early years by offering wines made in the tradition of great California winemaking at accessible sub $20 price points. Today, Butter Chardonnay from JaM Cellars is the #2-selling Chardonnay above $13 in the U.S.1.
