kendall-jackson

Kendall-Jackson Offers Customized Wine Service

Filed under: Wine

For the wine lover who has everything popular California winery Kendall-Jackson has a new service that is a step above their usual offerings. For $30,000 Kendall-Jackson winemaster Randy Ullom will spend three days with a wine lover, doing extensive wine tastings with them, learning their preferences and creating an ideal customized blend based on their tastes and personality. The purchaser will later receive a case of 12 bottles of the wine with a personalized label. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity. Those interested in the program should email for more information at customWine@kjmail.com.

Tags: customized wine, CustomizedWine, kendall-jackson, wine, winery

Wine Billionaire Wants To Rename Mountain

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Billionaires have a lot of power but do they have the power to change the map? That's what wine tycoon Jess Jackson would like to happen. According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Jackson's company, Jackson Family Enterprises has asked to rename a Sonoma Valley mountain as part of a marketing strategy. The company has petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change the name of Black Mountain to Alexander Mountain as part of an attempt to create a special grape-growing designation of the same name on Jackson's property. Jackson lives on 5,400 acres that he calls Alexander Mountain Estate. He does not own Black Mountain but lives near it. The mountain has had the same name for generations. Jackson wants the name change because Jackson Family Wine applied several years ago for a Alexander Mountain viticultural designation to highlight the wines coming from this specific area.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will run any potential name change by several city councils in northern Sonoma County and Native American tribes with ties to the area. Some say that the Alexander Mountain name may be fitting because it reflects the proximity to Alexander Valley. The mountain seems to have originally been named for its color (its thick crop of chaparal makes it a little darker than other mountains nearby) but the name Black Mountain is pretty common, there are three others in Sonoma County along and 266 more Black Mountains across the U.S. A Black Mountain viticultural area would not be specific enough because of the commonality of the name. Jackson has already changed the name of the road onto his property from from Foote Road to Alexander Mountain Road. He may have a bit of a wait for his mountain, it can take years to get this kind of a request approved.

Source

Tags: jackson family wines, JacksonFamilyWines, jess jackson, JessJackson, kendall-jackson, sonoma county, SonomaCounty

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]

Source

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.

Source

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

Kendall-Jackson Vineyards Toasts The Obamas

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The current U.S. President George W. Bush doesn't drink wine but President-elect Barack Obama does and one winery has already made an overture to him. As our sister blog, Slashfood recently mentioned Kendall-Jackson winery announced that it is sending 'a few congratulatory cases' of its Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay to President-elect Barack Obama. In a People magazine interview before the election Obama mentioned the wine which sells for $14 a bottle. The K-J Chardonnay is a popular favorite in many homes and a lovely, drinkable wine, but we might recommend that Obama step up the Kendall-Jackson ladder a little bit when entertaining. May we suggest the aptly named Stature? The 2003 Stature is a limited-production blend drawn from five classic Bordeaux varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. At $95 it costs a bit more but we think the dignitaries will approve.

Source

Tags: kendall-jackson, wine

Kendall-Jackson Highland Estates Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Kendall-Jackson has a new project aimed to appeal to oenophiles who might steer clear of the wildly popular main Kendall-Jackson brand. Appellation America reports that Highland Estates wines uses grapes sourced from various estate-owned high ground vineyards up and down the California coast . Each region is kept separate to preserve the individual qualities of its terroir. The line is priced from $25 to $60 and includes two Chardonnays, a Pinot Noir, a Syrah, a Merlot and three Cabernet Sauvignons. The first releases is only about 9,200 cases. The Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley shown here sells for $50 and there are 1,200 cases.

Source

Tags: california wine, highland estates, HighlandEstates, kendall-jackson, wine