March 13, 2018, Napa, CA – John Anthony Family of Wines has acquired Church Vineyard, located in the Carneros AVA in Napa Valley, CA. The 10-acre parcel has 4 acres planted to Sauvignon Blanc grapes and is home to a historic church originally built in 1886 in Pennsylvania and meticulously reconstructed at the site in 2003 by original owners Jerri McNair and Bob Frane. The 2900 sq. ft. church was lovingly converted into a two-bedroom home, complete with original stained-glass windows and soaring 41ft ceilings. The Carneros property on Thompson Avenue was selected by the Franes as a special place specifically to house the church that they purchased through Historic Preservation Magazine.
John Anthony Truchard, Founder and CEO of John Anthony Family of Wines and FARM Napa Valley vineyard management company, leased Church Vineyard from the original and subsequent owners, and planted the site to Sauvignon Blanc grapes which he has farmed since 2003. The fruit from Church Vineyard goes into the single-vineyard John Anthony Carneros Church Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.
“Church Vineyard is a unique property, both for the historic beauty of the church surrounded by vines, but also the terroir and micro-climate in Carneros, which produces exquisite, high-quality Sauvignon Blanc,” said John Anthony Truchard. “The wine we make from this vineyard has consistently received some of the top scores for Sauvignon Blancs since its first vintage of 2005.”
John Truchard has wanted to own this property for over a decade, asking for first right of refusal from the original owner were they ever to sell. The opportunity arose in 2011, but at that time John Anthony Family of Wines was deeply invested in growing its wine portfolio and couldn’t divert the capital required for the purchase. Fortunately the investments in the brands paid off and provided John with the ability to now purchase the property.
“Ever since I planted the property in 2003 it has been one of my aspirations to purchase the Church Vineyard so I could secure this iconic landmark and grape source for all time. I’m excited to preserve the beauty of the building and to keep growing grapes here for the rest of my life and for future generations,” stated Truchard.
Suzanne Truchard and Michael Crane of Napa Valley Land Brokers assisted the transaction. “It was especially rewarding to secure this property for John, knowing how meticulously he has farmed these vines for the past 15 years and the dedication he and Michele have given to growing their company,” stated Suzanne. The Church Vineyard is John Anthony Family of Wines’ first owned vineyard property in the Napa Valley.
“It’s interesting, when my parents got involved in the wine business in the early 1970’s the hard part was growing the grapes and making the wine. Today the hard part is establishing a brand in an ever competitive marketplace,” Truchard continued. “My parents at Truchard Vineyards grew grapes and built a winery in order to produce their wine. I couldn’t afford to do that so I went about it in reverse by building the brands first and using those profits to buy the land.”
For more information, please visit www.johnanthonyvineyards.com.
About John Anthony Family of Wines
John Anthony Family of Wines includes John Anthony Vineyards, FARM Napa Valley and JaM Cellars. John Anthony Vineyards features wines created from small vineyard sites from the Oak Knoll District, Carneros and Coombsville regions, all available in the winery’s downtown Napa tasting lounge. FARM Napa Valley was started by John Truchard as a farming company in the Napa Valley. Realizing that he was farming some of the best dirt in the Napa Valley, John began producing wine from several of the small hand farmed lots in the name of the farming company. The FARM Napa Valley logo is inspired from the simple philosophy that great wines are grown in the farmers’ shadow. Second-generation
Napa Valley vintners John and Michele Truchard are the “J”and “M” in JaM Cellars. JaM Cellars is dedicated to creating super-approachable wines that can be enjoyed anytime – whether a special occasion, everyday celebration, or just a day of the week with a “y” in it!
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