Proving Quality and Consistency Can Scale A Winery

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr

Jess Jackson never thought of himself as a winemaker until 1982, when a surplus of grapes compelled him to make wine under his own label. Since the inaugural vintage of his now ubiquitous Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay that year, Kendall-Jackson has become a household name.

When Jackson died in 2011, his wife, Barbara Benke, and their children carried on one of the few remaining family-owned wineries in America. Today, however, Kendall-Jackson sits within a global portfolio of some 40 brands, including California stalwarts like La Crema, Freemark Abbey, Stonestreet, La Jota, Lakoya, and other distinguished labels.

Chances are you’ve enjoyed a Jackson Family Wines bottling—maybe their three-decade best-selling chardonnay or a highly praised La Crema pinot noir. Though these grocery-store wines can draw the scorn of wine snobs, Kendall-Jackson keeps delivering reliably good bottles at attractive prices.

Kris Kato knows the skepticism he faces among collectors, but it doesn’t faze him. After abandoning a pharmacy career in 2014 to explore fermentation—first home-brewing beer, then making wine—he rose through the ranks and this year became the company’s head winemaker, succeeding Randy Ullom. While boutique vintners might produce a few hundred cases annually, Kato and his teams craft nearly six million.

He admits that fellow winemakers sometimes react as if top-tier wines belong only to small estates. “My badge of honor,” he says, “is proving that a broader producer can make better wine at scale using tried-and-true methods.”

Small outfits are vulnerable to poor vintages and disease, but large houses like Kendall-Jackson can source grapes from multiple controlled sites, smoothing out year-to-year variability. Kato firmly believes blending fruit from different appellations yields more consistency than a single-vineyard approach. Not everyone agrees, but it’s how he keeps prices in check. Their $17 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay combines grapes from Monterey, Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties—while a Russian River Chardonnay at triple the cost comes from one vineyard. La Crema’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir sells for under $20; few California pinots can match that value.

Kato travels over 300 miles to visit Kendall-Jackson’s coastal vineyards, where dedicated teams share the company’s ethos: sourcing from cool maritime sites, expressing terroir, respecting sustainability and honoring Jess Jackson’s commitment to quality. Economies of scale help control wild swings in barrel, yeast and supply costs driven by tariffs and inflation.

Yet Kendall-Jackson isn’t just about volume. We recently sampled several single-vineyard releases—just a few hundred cases each—sold only at the winery or through its clubs. Each wine demonstrated Kato’s ability to compete with the best boutique producers, and we were as impressed by these limited editions as we are by the exceptional quality-to-price ratio of their everyday lineup. Wines that cross several appellations can be homogenized, whereas a wine from a single vineyard tends to have more unique, specific flavors. K-J’s single-vineyard wines have more precise profiles.

Kendall-Jackson Sable Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 ($50). The Anderson Valley site of this vineyard is 1,700 feet in elevation, so it has unique soil and climate characteristics to make for a sturdy wine. Melon aromas with citrus flavors and a textured feel. Crisp acidity.

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chenin Blanc 2024 ($17). Juicy and ripe apple and grapefruit flavors make this a fun wine to sip or pair with fowl and fish.

Kendall-Jackson Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($70).  Sourcing grapes from high-elevation vineyards in the Mayacamas Mountains, K-J has a winner here. Dense black cherry and currant flavors with fine tannins.

Kendall-Jackson Outland Ridge Pinot Noir 2023 ($60) From Alexander Valley, this delicious pinot noir has raspberry and strawberry notes with a touch of blueberry.

While these wines cost $50-60—still a bargain compared to wines costing twice as much—there are several wines under $25 that deserve your attention. One thing we have learned after several blind tastings is that Kendall-Jackson wines are always well-made and deliver consistent, reliable quality for the price. It’s Vintner’s Reserve program and Gran Reserves out-deliver.

Wine picks

Sor Ugo Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2022 ($57). This is an incredibly tasty blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot for Aia Vecchia.  Ripe blue fruit and black currant flavors with distinctive hints of licorice and spice.

Bernardus Carmel Valley Ingrid’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 ($55). Ripe tropical fruit and peach notes with a hint of spice. Delicious and full bodied.

Gassier Le Pas du Moine Cote de Provence Rose 2024 ($35). A classic combination of cinsault, grenache, syrah and vermentino go into this exotic and lively rose from southern France. Bright raspberry fruit mingles with notes of peach and mango. Full bodied, it can complement just about any food group.

Auteur Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2023 ($60). We loved this seamless and inky pinot noir. Lush in texture with sweet cherry flavors and layers of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

Brassfield Block 14 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($65). Sourced from a special block, this single-vineyard cab is a first for this Lake County producer. It’s a terrific, concentrated wine with ripe currant and blueberry, plum fruit and firm tannins.