Meet James Blanchard of Blanchard Family Wines in Lower Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Blanchard.

Blanchard Family Wines started as a story of two brothers with midwestern roots in Peoria, Illinois. Through their childhood years, they were extremely close, separated by only two years in age and sharing common interests and activities. As they grew through their adolescence and young adulthood, their differences expanded in all aspects of life, until there became a time where there was little to no relationship. They had moved to separate parts of the country, established different ideologies, and taken different paths in life. James studied business, joined the Air Force, and became a combat helicopter pilot. Mark studied English and creative writing and started working in the wine business. As life would take them, there came a point where they both found themselves living in a wine growing region of California, Mark in Napa, and James in the Central Coast area.

Unbeknownst to each other, they were both developing a passion for fine wine and found themselves fascinated by the crossroads of science, art, politics, religion, and history of wine and it’s the effect on people and society. One Christmas holiday, while reunited in Peoria, Illinois, the brothers realized they had this common bond and their paths were forever changed.

James and Mark continued to foster their relationship as they expanded their journey into wine. After several years of Mark working for various wineries in Napa and Sonoma, he settled in the wine country town of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. One fateful evening, while celebrating a milestone birthday, the brothers decided it was time to stop working for others and to start making wine themselves. With the help of critical family and friends, including winemaker Jene Chapanar, Blanchard Family Wines was born.

Beginning with 1 ton each of Cabernet and Zinfandel, the brothers started making award-winning wines, gaining a loyal fan base, and growing their company. In 2018, they were producing 10 different wines, had a growing wine club following, and were examining their next steps. As James was retiring from the Air Force and transitioning to a full-time role with the company, it was decided to make their leap outside of California. In December of 2018, Blanchard Family Wines opened their 2nd winery in Denver, Colorado in the revitalized lower downtown Dairy Block development. Immediately garnering rave reviews for their wines and their tasting room, they have begun to develop a new following and continued growth for their wine and their brands.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No new business is without perils and the alcohol business is no different. Varying and changing regulations from state to state create huge complications in getting our wines to our fans around the country. Fires, floods, and weather patterns create year to year challenges with both the agricultural side of production, as well as consistency of tourist travel. And not to be understated, family businesses can always be a struggle. Balancing personalities, roles, expectations, and finances can be a day to day struggle in any business, and family only adds to that potential challenge.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Blanchard Family Wines – what should we know?
Blanchard Family Wines specializes in handcrafted, artisan wines, from Sonoma County, California. We thrive on creating personal experiences that connect our guests to our story and our products. We have taken this experience from Sonoma and brought it to downtown Denver and are currently functioning as the only Colorado winery that is an extension of a California winery. However, as a company, we are most proud of the philanthropic work we have done as a company and the numerous charitable organizations we support throughout the Denver area and nationally. We feel very blessed to be able to work in a field we are passionate about and giving back to our communities is one of the ways we can pay thanks.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
While Blanchard Family Wines is the creation of two brothers, there would be no company were it not for the hard work and support of both our immediate and extended family. Our primary mentor and teammate has been Jene Chapanar. As a long time winemaker in Sonoma County, Jene not only provides wisdom and mentorship, but his network and friendships throughout wine country have been invaluable to our success. Jene is in the weeds with us, making our wine, making contacts, and ensuring our vision became a reality. Of course, our parents and our significant others have played critical roles financially, emotionally, and physically as well as championing our cause and helping us keep our sanity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blanchardfamilywines.com
• Phone: 303-328-1732
• Email: james@blanchardfamilywines.com
• Instagram: @blanchardwine
• Facebook: Blanchardfamilywine

Image Credit:
Sora Digital

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