Jess Jackson

Founder of what is now Sonoma County's largest wine company

Fall 1948 Graduate

         Born in 1930 and raised in San Francisco, Jess's early life reads like a B movie. He hawked newspapers at 10, delivered magazines at 11, had a newspaper route at 12, was a soda jerk at 13, and a bag boy at 14. After graduation from Lincoln in 1947, he attened U.C Berkeley, receiving a B.A. in 1952. While at Berkeley, he worked on the docks and later was on the Berkeley police force while at Berkeley's Boalt Law School which awarded him an L.L.B. in 1955.

        Jess rapidly became a highly respected lawyer with, by the early 1970's, a thriving practice on the peninsula. He helped found the American California Trial Lawyer's Association, authored legislation, and rewrote sections of the California Code of Civil Procedure.

        In 1974, Jess and his family bought an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard in Lakeport, converting the orchards to vineyards and selling their grapes to local wineries. In 1981, a downturn in the market left them with no buyers forcing them to bottle wine from their own fruit.

        The first Kendell-Jackson wine was a 1982 Chardonnay. In 1983, it won the first Platinum Award from the American Wine Competition. With each subsequent vintage, Kendall-Jackson became a growing force in the California wine industry. Eventually, Jess gave up his law practice to devote himself to wine. Today, the Kendall-Jackson winery is one of California's most successful family-owned wineries.

        Jess also launched vineyards and wineries in Italy, Chile, and Argentina. In California, he created or purchased some of our most prestigious wineres, including Cardinale, Lokoya, Atolon, Hartford, Verite. In November 2000, Jess retired from Kendall-Jackson but continues to consult with the independent wineries.

        In retirement, Jess has returned to his first love-the land. In addition to grapes, he raises cattle, horses, walnuts, olives, and organic row crops on many of his properties throughout costal California. More than half of these lands are left in natural open space, serving as home to countless deer, coyotes, cougars, fox, hawks, and other wildlife.

        In recognition of his many accomplishments, Jess was inducted into the Abraham Lincoln High School Wall of Fame in May 2001.