Charles Banks sells California’s Sandhi Wines

Charles Banks, the former owner of Screaming Eagle, has sold California Pinot and Chardonnay specialist Sandhi Wines for an undisclosed sum.

Charles Banks and his wife Ali

Banks’ Terroir Life Wine Group sold the Santa Rita Hills-based Sandhi to co-founders Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman, and new investor, venture capitalist Steve Webster.

Sandhi was founded in 2009 by Banks, Parr and Moorman with the aim of making high-end Chardonnay from the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara.

The winery is considered part of the California’s new wave of terroir focused estates and is part a member of Parr’s In Pursuit of Balance collective.

“The experience with Rajat and the unique talents of Sashi as a winemaker has been extremely gratifying,” Banks said.

Sandhi will join Moorman and Parr’s Domaine de la Côte in the Santa Rita Hills, and Evening Land’s Seven Springs Vineyard in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills.

“We’re pleased to have Sandhi under the same roof as our two estate projects and are eager to continue our relationships with the growers here in the Santa Rita Hills,” Parr said.

“Charles was fundamental to Sandhi’s inception and success, and we’re extremely grateful for that relationship,” he added.

Among the wineries in Banks’ Terroir Life Group are California’s Wind Gap, Trinity Hill in New Zealand, Mulderbosch Vineyards and Fable Mountain Vineyards in South Africa, Qupe in Santa Barbara and Mayacamas in Napa.