I do not know Penner Ash and stumbled over this when looking for a bank press release I just issued. I can’t find anyone in CT who has written a note on their wines whose handle I recognize, but they seem to have a following. Nothing like Mega-Ultra-Giganto Wine Conglomerate gobbling up another winery. Not that I begrudge the owners from selling if they got the price that they wanted.
I recall their pinots being fairly good. Their prices were more than the average WV PN.
Penner-Ash is, or I should say, was, a serious winery making serious wine. Whether or not folks liked them or not is a case of YMMV, but the wines were competent and intended to be good quality. This is sort of sad.
I’ve enjoyed the Penner-Ash pinots that I have had. I think I can find better at their price point, but they certainly are enjoyable.
Not sure if being acquired by JW is automatically dooming a winery.
Pinot Pinot Pinot. Everybody wants Pinot. Hope The Next Big Thing doesn’t come along too soon for these guys. lol
I have copied what the winery sent to people on their mailing list. I visited their winery this past fall for the first time so it isn’t like I have any kind of history with their wines.
As you can read, this isn’t an outright sale. Lynn Penner-Ash will still be making the wines and the day-to-day operation of the winery will essentially be the same.
When Adam Lee posted the Wine Spectator article on Facebook, I asked if this was similar to the sale of Siduri to Kendall-Jackson. He said he had no idea as he had no inside info. As a longtime purchaser of Siduri, I have seen no change in the operation of the winery. The same people I was dealing with before the sale are still there doing the same things. The only thing I see that is different is a new vineyard designate bottling in the club shipment that arrives this week.
I wouldn’t be too concerned about the sale based on what I am reading. It seems like a win for both parties and unlike many corporate sales, the consumer will not get the short end of the stick. If you were a fan of Penner-Ash before today’s sale, you should have confidence to expect the same quality in the future.
Big News from Penner - Ash Wine Cellars
A message from Lynn and Ron
At a small intimate industry lunch almost 30 years ago, iconic winemaker André Tchelistcheff told me that great winemakers must prioritize their craft over all else, even family. As a newly married young winemaker I was shocked, confused and certainly disappointed that an industry idol of mine would take such a singular approach to winemaking. When I shared this with Ron later that evening, his response was spontaneous, “What a crock of s#*t”. We discussed the slippery slope of obsessive pursuits and concluded that we both preferred a life focused on balance, and that family would always take precedence over work.
Fast forward to the present. We both can honestly and proudly claim the evolution and success of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars is in large part due to balance … whether it be the wines, expanding vineyard portfolio or the early years in which one of us would stay home with the kids while the other presented our wines in the marketplace. Our growth over the years has been slow and calculated, never compromising quality, and more importantly, never compromising the needs of our family. To say it’s been challenging these past 18 years is an understatement, but we must also express our pure joy in realizing the Penner-Ash brand is consistently recognized as a top-tier Oregon producer. That said, the time has come for us make one last move to maintain the coveted balance we so desire.
We are excited to announce that we have reached an agreement with Jackson Family Wines (JFW) to combine efforts to produce, market and sell Penner-Ash wines. We have been buying the Zena Crown fruit from JFW for the past 3 years, and from day one have been impressed with their attention to detail in the vineyard and shared vision to grow and produce exceptional Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. Family owned and operated, JFW’s commitment to invest in the Willamette Valley is unprecedented, and once again validates our industry’s position as a world-class wine region.
I can honestly say our new partnership will only enhance my ability to focus on what I love doing most, making wine. I will continue my role as winemaker with not only our current proven vineyard sources, but with exciting new vineyard resources in the JFW portfolio. Ron will now have the ability to expand his focus on community outreach and supporting our favorite non-profits. Our amazing staff will essentially continue in their current positions with the additional back-end business support of JFW.
We will continue to do what has motivated us since our first vintage in 1998; produce the best quality wine possible while providing exceptional service and hospitality to our loyal supporters.
Our shared vision with Jackson Family Wines preserves the balance we committed to each other after that infamous lunch so long ago. Ursula LeGuin once wrote, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end. “ Join us, as our journey continues with undaunted optimism.
Salud!
Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash
Yes, I don’t have any specific knowledge as to the exact details of the sale. But I do know, from talking with Lynn and with the people at JFW, that it sounds pretty similar to my deal with Siduri. I anticipate they will still be around and things will continue on largely as before.
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines
Here is another reason why I’m not concerned. This is from the Grape Collective’s article discussing Oregon wines with Cristom’s Steve Doerner. Cristom's Steve Doerner Talks Oregon Pinot Noir
“For example, recently, I guess it’s been three or four years now, the Jackson family bought a bunch of land up there. There are a lot of people that were sort of nervous, and wondered what’s it going to do to the industry. They actually said all the things that we wanted to hear. Just because they were big, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and figured they’re going to be an asset to us and why not assume the best instead of assuming the worst. I think it turned out that way. They’ve been very neighborly and they haven’t changed the culture. They’re all about sustainability, and high quality, and family businesses helping each other. They’re very cooperative.”
That’s way too reasonable for the internet. Let’s get back to demonizing big corporations and how the profit motive makes everything worse.
Maybe my years in public education have taught me a thing or two. As a fellow administrator told me, “There is your side, their side and the truth, which usually lies somewhere in the middle. Your job is to figure where in the middle it fits.”
My knee-jerk reaction was to see how much property Penner-Ash owns: 15 acres. So, I am now thinking that the acquisition is a step in strengthening Jackson Estate’s upper tier and possibly helping to legitimize their own fine wine labels.
I know d##k about P-A.
Maybe this will be the impetus to get rid of those ridiculously large/heavy bottles.
Congrats to Lynn. Lots of hard work for many years. The facility and property is gorgeous, not sure how it happened without a decent amount of debt…investors?
Never been much of a fan of the wines in terms of style…or her efforts for other producers. Pretty much always “well made” IMHO. Hopefully it all works well for her moving forward.
RT
K-J seem to be expanding in OR and that is probably all there is to it. Just visited the Siduri tasting room and they indicated that they might expand their Oregon portfolio.
When Jess Jackson bought the Liparita vineyard in 1996, that was one of
the shrewdest purchases in modern Napa history. And also one of the
dumbest sales.