John and Michele Truchard snap up Napa Valley Opera House for $4.2 million

Two Napa Valley winemakers have inked an agreement to purchase the Napa Valley Opera House.

John and Michele Truchard, co-founders of the JaM Cellars brand, purchased the building in downtown Napa for $4.2 million.

Michele Truchard confirmed that the building is in escrow and said the purchase was the result of over a half year of negotiations.

According to a representative for the Truchards and the opera house, Tom Fuller, prior to the purchase agreement, the building has been owned and operated by the Napa Valley Opera House, Inc., a nonprofit organization that serves to preserve the historic building and support community access to the performing arts.

Fuller said the sale was to ensure the “building had a steward who could invest, sustain and protect the historic building and ensure it remained open and operating as a performing arts venue for the community,” adding, “The expanded programming is a secondary win for the community as the proceeds along with the NVOH remaining funds will establish the endowment” to serve community needs.

The Napa Valley Opera house was established in 1880 and restored in 2003.

Fuller said in an email that there were no other interested buyers and confirmed the building has an $800,000 outstanding loan from the City of Napa.

“The [Napa Valley Opera House Board of Directors] will soon be meeting with John and Michele, and the City of Napa, to work out details on continuing the agreement to provide community access for programming at the Opera House” he added.

“Because of that debt, that’s part of the reason there were not a lot of people stepping up to buy it” Michele Truchard said.

Truchard said she is a Napa native and that she and her husband decided to purchase the building to “preserve performing arts in Napa.”

She added the building itself is in good condition and said events and concenters take place there multiple times each week. She said she hopes to continue putting on events at the opera house, and “providing more events, providing more music for downtown Napa and more reasons to visit the heart of Napa.”

Blue Note Napa will also remain the master building tenant including operating the JaM Cellars Ballroom.

“They are enthusiastic about working with the Truchards and do not anticipate any changes to their upcoming shows or services,” the email from Fuller said.