Jackson Family Wines (JFW) has officially launched its inaugural collection of wines from France's Loire Valley under its Passerelles brand.
The Passerelles range debuts with four wines from the 2023 vintage: Sancerre, Saumur Rouge, Touraine Oisly, and Anjou Blanc, priced between $25 and $40 for a 750ml bottle.
Passarelles was founded by JFW in 2022 with a "small scale" rollout of the 2022 vintage taking place in 2024, the group told Just Drinks. Following expanded production and the introduction of the Saumur Rouge, the latest release marks the official launch of the project.
While JFW owns the Passerelles brand it has not acquired vineyards in the region, it confirmed.
Instead, it has partnered with producers in each appellation, including Lionel Gosseaume for Touraine Oisly and Domaine Michel Girard et Fils for Sancerre.
“By partnering with distinct growers who share our farming ethos (all are sustainable, organic or in transition) and creating our blends in concert with them, we feel we are providing the marketplace with authentic classics such as Sancerre, as well as under-the-radar wines such as Touraine Oisly, Anjou and Saumur that deserve greater recognition,” the group said.
According to JSW, the Passerelles wines “stand out as unique offerings” within its portfolio.
The California winemaker believes that its new range can carve out a niche in the US market as the Loire Valley’s has a reputation for “fresh” whites such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, as well as lower-alcohol Cabernet Franc.
The foray into the French region was also supported by “a clear increase in consumption of white wines and lighter-bodied reds”, the group said.
According to JFW proprietor Barbara Banke, over the past five years, the company has “seen a global explosion in consumer interest in all their star varieties - Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Franc primary among them”.
This is a “natural evolution for us to bring the exceptional quality of wines coming from this historic, beautiful river valley into our portfolio of world class wines”, Banke added.
The Passarelles launch marks an expansion of the US-based company's global portfolio, which already includes over 40 wineries across the US, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Chile, and South Africa.
The distribution of Passerelles wines will focus on both on- and off-premises channels exclusively in the US, particularly targeting fine dining and independent retail outlets.
Passerelles joins Château Lassègue as JFW’s second French wine brand. Unlike Passerelles, JFW owns the vineyards associated with Château Lassègue.
In June 2023, JFW entered the UK wine market by launching a range of English wines through a production contract, and had at the time indicated an interest in acquiring land in the future.
