Discover the History of Kendall-Jackson Winery

In this podcast transcription with winemaster Randy Ullom, you will discover the History of Kendall-Jackson Winery and its unique produces a classic style of California Chardonnay

In addition to the Kendall-Jackson history, you will learn how Randy Ullom, a self-described “rock hound” (geologist) turned into a Master Winemaker.

In this Time Stamped Randy Ullom Interview Transcription, This is What You Will Learn …

00.18 Randy Ullom, Winemaster at Kendall Jackson, reveals the SECRETS behind the fantastic 2018 harvest.

Though there was the SCARE of cool weather during harvest, the sun is shining and everything looks GREAT.

00:53. Even winemakers need to have their steak – Randy talks about why Keen’s Steak House is his favorite restaurant in NYC and what Kendall Jackson wines they carry.

02:02 Randy Ullom’s title is “WINE MASTER.”

It’s all part of the history of Kendall-Jackson winery ….

Are you CURIOUS what the life of a “wine master” is like?

Randy reveals all in his own words.

Yet the short of it is that he has a different role every day of the year.

For example, he’ll explain that in summer, he’s tasting grapes as he walks through the vineyard blocks.

Then he’ll explain that in fall, he’ll be tasting wine with the rest of the team, and also keep his eye on the bottling schedule.

In late winter until early spring, he’ll explain that he’ll be traveling around the world for brand dinners and performing training for distributors.

Randy Ullom’s Childhood Dreams

04:00 Are you curious what Randy Ullman, Winemaster, wanted to be as a child?

He’ll tell you that he wanted to be a “ROCK HOUND.”

OKAY, the translation of this is that he had always been interested in rocks and geology.

He wanted to pursue a degree in mining and engineering. T

hough three solid universities beckoned, he loved to SKI so he chose UTAH for the deep powder.

But OH NO!

Randy’s dad thought he was spending too much time on his university “minor” of skiing rather than proper academic studies.

“I’m not paying for those grades,” Randy recalls his father saying.

So it was decided that Randy would go to Chile to take a break from his studies, ski, and see what was important to him.

Randy Ullom: How One Month Turned into Three Years

05:00 In Chile, Randy found himself in the midst of a passionate wine culture.

He learned winemaking, wine tasting, and the aspects of distribution.

When he came back to the USA, he realized he wanted to make his living in wine, so switched his university studies to enology and viticulture.

06:44 Returning to the USA, Randy talks about the wine culture of the 1970s.

You’ll hear him explain that people were just starting to call varietals by their names. (In the past, jug wines had names like Hearty Burgundy instead of Pinot Noir).

Randy Ullom On The History of Kendall-Jackson Winery

In this segment of the podcst, Randy talks about Jess Jackson, the founder of Kendall Jackson and Jackson Family Wines.

Randy calls Jess Jackson a visionary. He says that Jess realized that there was a new future for wine.

Jess Jackson sought out different “flavors” in the various appellations of California.

Mr. Jackson also realized that you could blend together a fabulous wine from the different region and that barrel fermentation and maturation gave the wine more complexity.

“Jess Jackson created a wine that was flavorful, looked good, SMELLED GOOD, and had a long lingering finish. The rest is history.”

Jess Jackson and Randy Ullom in Santa Barbara

08:40 Randy – in a kind way – laughs about the way that Jess Jackson hooked him in to being his right hand man

–working on a new brand in Santa Barbara;

— dealing with the winery in Mendocino;

— and then seeking out new terroir for the planned new winery in Chile.

Randy reveals that since Jess Jackson knew Randy loved Chile, he would take on the offer.

Exciting New Projects at Kendall-Jackson Winery

13:57 Randy continues to talk about the new projects Jess Jackson asked him to contribute to, including wineries in Argentina and McClaren Vale, Australia.

14:17 Curious about the most exciting regions in Chile?

Here Randy will tell you directly.

The most exciting regions are in Conception in the South and La Serena in the north.

The southern part would be more like west Sonoma, the north is more like Santa Maria in Santa Barbara.

“We are in the process of planting more vineyards in Conception. We looked all over for the nicest place for Cabernet Sauvignon and found it in Alto de Maipo just south of Santiago.

Can this rival California’s Howell Mountain???

Randy Ullom Discusses the Kendall Jackson Cooperage

16 06 – Did you know that Kendall Jackson has their own cooperage?

Yes! Randy explains how it happened in this section.

He also explains that being able to control the oak used to mature their wines is very important to Kendall Jackson.

Randy also describes the process of sourcing trees, and what it takes to split and age them, a process that takes over three years.

16:22 Randy expands on the topic of why barrel maturation is important, and discusses how different toasts of barrels attribute different spice aromas and flavors to the finished wine.

Read more about Kendall Jackson here

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Kendall-Jackson Winery Tasting

Kendall-Jackson is one of the more historic wineries in California.

In many ways, it set the tone for the classic flavor of “California Chardonnay” most of us enjoy today.

In the late 1970s, Jess Stonewall Jackson – then a successful attorney – bought some vineyard land for family weekends.

As he learned more about vineyards, grapes, and winemaking he decided to make his own wine.

By the early 1980s, he had access to grapes from various regions of Northern California, as well as (expensive) French oak barrels.

His plan was to make a Chardonnay wine in the style of classic Burgundy from France, yet at an affordable price.

Challenges For Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay

So in the early 1980s, Jess Jackson had created the quintessential affordable, delicious Chardonnay. The challenge at that point in time was distribution.

A natural salesman, Jess Jackson had a stroke of luck when visiting the Oyster Bar restaurant in New York’s Grand Central station.

He offered the wine buyer a taste, and it was well received.

This bit of good luck eventually resulted in nationwide distribution. It paved the way for the multi-million dollar Kendall Jackson brand.

Kendall-Jackson Winery Tasting – How to Prepare

When it comes to your Kendall-Jackson Winery Tasting, you have many options.

Regardless of which way you plan to visit, please print out or write down the “essential” list of how to prepare for wine visits.

If you are driving to Kendall-Jackson from San Francisco or another city, consider investing in the audio recording of the book about Jess Jackson called “A Man and His Mountain.”  That way, when you arrive you and your friends or family will know more about Mr. Jackson than any ambassador or guide can tell you.

Kendall-Jackson Winery Tasting – Options

1. Kendall-Jackson Winery Tasting Without A Reservation

If you are reading this as your party is speeding along the highway to Kendall-Jackson in Sonoma (5007 Fulton Road, Fulton CA 95439 707 571 7500) the first thing you should know is that the hours of the tasting room are 10am to 5pm daily (holidays not included).

And no worries if you do not have a reservation. You may be able to taste at the bar. At the time of this writing, you have a choice of two different tasting experiences. One is $15 and the other is $20, with the difference being the quality levels of wines you will taste.

This said, even if you are in transit you may still be able to take advantage of the two-for-one tasting coupons available at the Kendall-Jackson website that are sometimes available.

Also inquire if the tasting fee can be waived if you buy bottle(s) of wine. The policy changes every so often so be sure to ask.

2. Kendall-Jackson Winery Tasting : The Food and Wine Pairing Experience

Kendall-Jackson has many different food and wine pairing experiences that change with the seasons. Some are “small bites” paired with small pours of Kendall-Jackson wines.

The classic food and wine experience is a lunch, that you can book on opentable.com. This is typically a five course meal of fresh “farm to table” food” from the gardens of Kendall-Jackson, and local purveyors.

For example, on a recent visit the food and wine pairing experience happened in the outdoor patio. The menu included smoked trout, duck breast, Akaushi beef, and buttermilk pie, Vegetarians may be able to ask for a substitute, yet ideally this is done in advance.

A host will pour your Kendall-Jackson wine and explain the wines as well.

In my opinion, this is the most relaxing way to enjoy the Kendall-Jackson experience. True, it is more expensive than the bar tasting. Yet the food is fabulous and you have the undivided attention of your host.

On beautiful days, the outdoor patio is a wonderful experience.

If you are lucky, your host may also take you to see the gorgeous Kendall-Jackson gardens

Special Event Dinners

A few times a year, Kendall-Jackson offers some VERY special dinners. My favorite is the dinner involving all-you-can eat Dungeness crab and family style side dishes paired with Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay.

Though this is basically for wine club members, savvy non-members can attend but you need to buy your tickets fast! Contact Kendall-Jackson for details 800 769 3549  or email events@kj.com

Throughout the year you can also choose from many farm-to-table wine and food pairing experiences. These are open air feasts in the stunning Kendall-Jackson Estate Gardens. You will sit at a shared table including the KJ team of wine experts, culinary staff, and the master gardener.

The family style dinner experience includes fresh produce from the day’s vegetable harvest and local purveyors. Dinners are usually sold out so book as soon as possible.

A few times a year, Kendall-Jackson also offers very special events, such

Open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

5007 Fulton Road, Fulton CA 95439 707 571 7500

Kendall-Jackson

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