Duckhorn Wine Co. (DWC), Napa Valley, Calif., announced the acquisition of Calera Wine Co. The sale includes the Calera winery, its brand, tasting room, estate vineyards, and all inventory and assets.
“Like our own founders, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, Josh is a visionary and pioneer who has spent more than four decades shaping the modern American palate for luxury wines. What he has achieved at Calera has been nothing short of remarkable,” said Alex Ryan, president and chief executive officer of DWC, in a statement. “Calera is one of the world’s great wineries, and we will ensure that Josh’s legacy of quality and excellence will continue to flourish for decades to come. For us, this is a fantastic opportunity to establish a presence on the Central Coast with one of the region’s most iconic wineries.”
Calera will continue to produce its acclaimed portfolio of wines at its seven-level, gravity-flow winery in Hollister, Calif. All key personnel, including Winemaker Mike Waller, will remain with the winery. Jensen, who is 73, will continue to remain involved at Calera and will join the Duckhorn Wine Co. Board of Directors, where he will serve alongside his longtime peer, Dan Duckhorn.
“Calera is my life’s work. In this era of industry consolidation, it was vital to me that I chose a partner that not only shares the values that have always defined Calera, but that also has the market presence to provide our wines a continued strong and secure route to market,” Jensen said.
Jamie O’Hara, president of TSG Consumer Partners, which owns DWC, said in a statement, “Duckhorn and Calera are both innovators and leaders that have spent decades building the trust and respect of their customers and industry partners.”
In addition to the winery and tasting room, the sale includes Calera’s Selleck, Jensen, Reed, Mills, Ryan and de Villiers estate vineyards in the Mt. Harlan AVA. BI