kendall jackson

White Rocket Wine Gets Folded Into Jackson Wines

Filed under: Wine

A few years ago in order to tempt the new wine consumers of the Millennial generation, winemaker Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke launched White Rocket Wine Company, a hipper, cheaper companion to their existing wines. Now in a response to the recession, White Rocket has been closed down and the company has been consolidated back into Jackson Family Wines. The company made wine with cute and simple names like Dog House, French Maid, Tin Roof and Ray's Station and was based in Napa. The brands will continue to exist and will continue to be made by winemaker Melissa Bates and operations have been moved to the main Jackson company in Santa Rosa, California.

It's just the latest move by the wine company as a response to poor sales. Kendall-Jackson also has dropped its $100,000 annual sponsorship of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts and earlier this year Jackson Family wines let go around 170 employees.

When it's bad for the biggies, it's also bad for the small wineries too. Northern California's wineries have had a rough time this year after years of huge growth. Wine tourism in Northern California is down and grape growers are concerned about being able to sell all of their grapes. An article in Wine Spectator reveals that even the larger wineries who might usually be able to capitalize on the lower prices caused by a grape glut are facing supply backups already. Last year the average going rate for a ton of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes was $3,420 but this year ads are already showing prices as low as $2,000. There is some hope that the end result of this may be that value-priced wines in the $10 range might be exceptional in the 2009 vintage.

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Tags: jess jackson, JessJackson, kendall jackson, KendallJackson, wine

Wine Celebrates Race-Winning Filly

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Kendall-Jackson winery owners Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke were thrilled when Rachel Alexandra, the horse they bought just a few days before the Preakness Stakes, won the race. To celebrate the filly's victory Kendall-Jackson winery has announced a limited edition of wines honoring their three-year-old horse. The winery will produce fewer than 300 cases of the wine and each bottle will have Rachel's image. The beautiful horse was also featured in a recent issue of Vogue in a layout shot by fashion photographer Steven Klein. The wine will be available in time for the holiday season.

The winery is also using their winning horse to raise money for a good cause. The Kendall-Jackson/Rachel Alexandra Running Auction is a five-month-long charity auction featuring items donated by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, that are related to Rachel Alexandra's racing season. All proceeds will be donated to The V Foundation to aid in cancer research. Each month a new item of sports collectible memorabilia is introduced. This month the item is Rachel Alexandra's Mother Goose Stakes Victory Blue/White #3 Saddle Towel which has a current bid of $2,800. The final, Grand Item will be auctioned in October, 2009. The cumulative total of all auction proceeds will be presented to The V Foundation after Rachel Alexandra's last race of the season, or no later than November 30, 2009.

[via Baltimore Sun]

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Tags: kendall jackson, kendall-jackson, KendallJackson, preakness, rachel alexandra, RachelAlexandra, wine

Job Cuts At Kendall Jackson

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

One of California's most popular wineries is the latest to lay off workers. Jackson Family Wines, the purveyors of the popular Kendall-Jackson wines, has laid off workers in response to the recession. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that around 170 people in all areas of the winery operations lost their jobs last week Those cut included winemakers, marketing professionals, administrative assistants, accountants and hospitality staff. According to The Press Democrat's Outlook survey in mid 2008 Jackson Family Wines had 810 employees in Sonoma County making this a sizable reduction in staff. The company sold an estimated 5.6 million cases of wine last year made from 14,000 acres of vineyards in California, but predictions of continued reduction in high-end wine consumption are affecting the bottom line. While the most popular lines and mid-range wines, like the Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay spotted at the Obama household, are still holding up there is concern for the high-end wine brands will falter. The winery owner, Jess Jackson, is one of the richest men in the nation and has invested in a acquiring a variety of high-end brands in recent years.

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Tags: jackson family wines, JacksonFamilyWines, jess jackson, JessJackson, kendall jackson, kendall-jackson, KendallJackson