Thirty years have passed since visionary winemaker Jess Jackson produced his first bottle of Kendall-Jackson wine. It wasn’t just any wine: the iconic 1982 Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay was crafted from a handful of distinct vineyards in several cool coastal regions of California. The wine sold out within a matter of weeks, and the following year, it won the first Double Platinum award ever at the esteemed American Wine Competition. This instant success set a standard for Kendall-Jackson wines that has never been compromised. Today, the winery consistently produces extraordinary wines from its own 14,000 acres of estate vineyards in prime coastal regions across the state.
From day one, Kendall-Jackson has been family owned and operated. This fact surprises many wine lovers, who assume that a winery of this stature must have been acquired by a major corporation by now. But Kendall-Jackson remains family run: a fact that is crucial to all aspects of the business. For one thing, with future generations of Jacksons to consider, the winery puts its long-term interests before short-term financial gains. There’s also the integrity of the family name, which appears on every bottle of wine it produces, to uphold.
Through the past three decades, Kendall-Jackson has frequently found itself in the limelight with countless honors and accolades for the way it does business and its stunning portfolio of wines. Yet there’s something very simple and approachable about this winery. It remains focused on time-honored family principles of hard work, uncompromising quality, and hospitality.
When the time came to observe its 30th anniversary, the winery decided to honor its guests with a complete renovation of its beautiful hospitality location and grounds in the heart of Sonoma County wine country. Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens was rejuvenated to provide an immersive, educational experience to help its guests appreciate the dynamic relationship of wine, food, and wine country living. A state-of-the-art kitchen wing was added along with renovations to the winery’s gardens, culinary gardens, and orchards, to enhance the wine tasting experience.
Arriving guests follow a sidewalk along a meticulously manicured lawn lined with rose bushes and poplar trees to the hospitality center’s front door. Inside, they discover a glorious room cast with plenty of natural light and a handsome wooden tasting bar in the center of the room. Guests are greeted warmly and their Kendall-Jackson tasting experience begins. The tasting bar menu outlines the basic options: a Classic tasting of their choice of four wines from a list of eight releases, or a Reserve tasting of four limited reserve releases. But, remembering that this is Kendall Jackson, the winery that pioneered the concept of wine and food pairings and wine education, many guests take their tasting to the next level and ask for a seated wine and food pairing experience.
They are guided to a table where they embark on the amazing culinary adventure of their choice: a wine and cheese pairing; a wine and dessert pairing; or a Reserve wine and food pairing. Each delectable bite is prepared in the kitchen by Kendall-Jackson’s culinary team and then proudly presented by a member of the staff. Each wine is carefully poured and described in a way that helps guests understand more about the wine’s flavors and its compatibility with certain foods. Kendall-Jackson believes that wine and food experiences should be relaxed and unhurried, so guests can truly savor every sip and morsel.
It doesn’t take long to realize that taste is everything at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens. When the last bite of their pairing is consumed, guests are welcome to stroll over to the kitchen and peer into the windows to see the culinary team in action. Guests who want a closer view can ask for an impromptu walk through the kitchen itself, where compliments are always welcome. “The culinary garden inspires me a great deal,” says Executive Chef Justin Wangler. “It’s always fun to walk around the garden on a beautiful day harvesting produce at its peak. The change in seasons is inspiring as well, we change the way we harvest, cook and eat based on what is available at the time.”
Justin works closely with Kendall-Jackson’s Tucker Taylor who rejuvenated the winery’s sensory and culinary gardens. Tucker, who most recently spent five years transforming the gardens of Chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, says he knew what he wanted to accomplish the first time he walked Kendall-Jackson’s gardens with Chef Justin. “It’s exciting to collaborate with the chefs and winemakers,” Tucker says. “I love the challenge of entertaining them with new crops and seeing the resulting creativity.” Under Tucker’s direction, the garden has been altered to allow for more growing space and a place for guests to enjoy true farm-to-table dining experiences. “My overall goal of the garden is to help educate and hopefully inspire our guests,” he says.
Guests are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the culinary gardens, in fact the gardens are located out the kitchen door, just beyond the demonstration gardens (which include vineyard rows of several different grape varieties, and a wine sensory garden). Each sensory garden grouping is dedicated to the flavors of one varietal. At the center is a selection of planted vegetables and herbs that will pair well with that particular varietal. Guests are welcome to pick a ripe berry or herb and taste to teach their palates about the flavors in wine and food.
Inviting guests to explore and discover is nothing new to Kendall-Jackson, but now the experience is more fun and engaging than ever. This isn’t surprising really. In its 30-year history, Kendall-Jackson has always been at the forefront of finding ways to help wine lovers appreciate the natural affinity of food and wine. As the family winery’s founder, the late Jess Jackson, once said, “Wine celebrates friends, family, and love—all the best things of life.”
Indeed, the rejuvenated Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens is dedicated to celebrating wine, food, and all the best things of life, with every guest who walks through the door.
WHAT TO BUY
’12 K-J Avant Chardonnay – $17
Fresh, crisp, clean, green apple, lemon drop
’12 Highland Estates Camelot Chardonnay – $24
Lush, rich, pineapple, citrus, vanilla
’13 K-J Avant Sauvignon Blanc – $17
Bright, lime citrus, passion fruit, lemongrass
’12 Grand Reserve Pinot Noir – $30
Elegant, bright, strawberry, blackberry, cinnamon spice
SPECIAL NOTES
Culinary and sensory garden tours, wine and food pairings, special events, annual Heirloom Tomato Festival, wine club membership benefits, sustainable farming practices.
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Steve Cooper is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Hitched. You can follow him on Twitter at @hitchedmedia.
