Jackson Family Wines buys South African vineyard

Jackson Family Wines has bought its first vineyard in South Africa, the company announced Wednesday, as it continues to expand its reach outside of Wine Country.

The Santa Rosa-based vintner has bought the Fijnbosch farm, which includes a 20-acre vineyard in the Stellenbosch region just east of Cape Town, said spokeswoman Kristen Reitzell. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The deal comes as Jackson Family Wines prepares to release next year a new wine, Capensis, made from the Fijnbosch vineyard’s chardonnay grapes in a joint venture with Antony Beck, whose family owns Graham Beck Wines in South Africa. Capensis will be sourced from chardonnay grapes from two other South African vineyards and have a limited production of 1,000 cases.

Jackson Chairwoman Barbara Banke has been looking to expand her company’s portfolio outside of California, most recently by buying properties in Oregon and Australia, including purchasing the Australian Hickinbotham property in 2012.

The purchase was helped by insight from Graham Weerts, a native South African who serves as the winemaker for Jackson’s Stonestreet Winery in Sonoma County, Reitzell said. Weerts is working with South African vineyard manager Rosa Kruger on the Capensis project, which will be sourced from the 2013 vintage. Kruger has worked in the Fijnbosch vineyards for the past 10 years.

Both Banke and Beck have a strong interest in equestrian racing as well as their family-owned wineries.

“The venture started as a friendship between Banke and Beck who share joint passions,” Reitzell said.

The vineyard is planted on steep terrain of the Groot Drakenstien Mountains in the Banhoek Valley and has cabernet sauvignon grapes. It is part of a 121-acre property surrounded by indigenous flowers and natural shrubs.

Large wine companies such as Constellation Brands Inc. and E&J Gallo Winery have done business in South Africa. But Joe Ciatti, a partner at Zepponi & Co., said he did not see a groundswell movement by local vintners to go into the South African market, especially given the large export costs.

But the purchase does reflect a growing trend in the North Coast wine industry, where there are fewer land opportunities and large vintners are open to other regions to source wine and build a brand, said Rob McMillan, executive vice president of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division.

“It’s a small acquisition, so more like putting a toe in the market at this stage,” McMillan said via email.

You can reach Staff ?Writer Bill Swindell at ?521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. ?On Twitter @BillSwindell.