Prominent winemaker, horse owner Jess Jackson dies

GEYSERVILLE, Calif. (AP) - Jess Jackson spent summers picking grapes in California wine country. A few decades later, he'd use those grapes to amass a billion-dollar fortune.

Jackson, the founder of the Kendall-Jackson winery and owner of two of the most widely-recognized thoroughbreds in recent years, died of cancer Thursday. He was 81.

"He was ... a self-made man with a lot of determination," said Clay Gregory, a former president of Jackson Family Wines and now head of the Napa Valley Destination Council. "He was very committed to his vision and worked very, very hard at it."

Jackson made his fortune producing a wine that became the most popular chardonnay in America before turning his attention to the sport of kings and purchasing the horse who became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85 years.

His wine career began in the mid-1970s when he bought an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard and converted it into a vineyard. At the time of his death, Jackson owned about 14,000 acres and a regular spot on the Forbes' list of richest Americans. In 2010, his net worth was estimated to exceed $1.8 billion.

He founded Kendall-Jackson Winery in 1982, sharing the company name with Jane Kendall, his first wife.

A slight accident helped boost early success when the wine came out a little sweeter than expected - attracting soda-loving Americans by the flock. The wine also was a hit with critics, winning the first double Platinum Award ever presented by the American Wine Competition.

KJ Vintner's Reserve became known for consistent quality in a moderate price range, and the privately held company went on to sell millions of cases a year.

Jackson later established Jackson Family Wines with his second wife, Barbara Banke, which included a number of high-end brands including Cardinale and Lokoya.

He's known in the horse racing world as the owner of Curlin -a two-time American Horse of the Year - and Rachel Alexandra - who routinely beat the boys on her way to winning a Horse of the Year honor in 2009.

"Jess Jackson left an indelible mark on thoroughbred racing in a relatively short period of time," said Alex Waldrop, head of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. "He was one of the most sporting owners of his generation."

Jackson was born in Los Angeles in 1930 and raised in San Francisco. Besides farm laborer, his early occupations included stints as a longshoreman and police officer.

After earning a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, he built a career as an attorney in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in land-use and property rights law.

He purchased the orchard in Lakeport, Calif., in 1974 - ostensibly for relaxation. But it wasn't long before he felt the lure of winemaking.

Jackson raced thoroughbreds for a time in the 1960s with an uncle but didn't enter the sport on a larger scale until 2003. He named his horse farms and racing operation Stonestreet Stables after his father; Stonestreet was also Jackson's middle name.

In 2004, Jackson spent nearly $22 million to acquire 95 horses, mostly broodmares.

In 2007, he purchased a majority share in Curlin, who that year went on to win the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic by four lengths and earn Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year and 3-year-old of the year. In 2008, Curlin became one of only a handful of horses to be selected as the most outstanding thoroughbred in consecutive years.

For her part, Rachel Alexandra beat the boys in the Haskell Invitational and the Woodward Stakes on her way to Horse of the Year honors in 2009. She was bred to Curlin in February.

Jackson also made his mark on the sport in other ways, becoming a forceful advocate for developing a league featuring older horses, to keep them running instead of being shipped to the breeding shed.

Throughout his career, Jackson never entirely lost his taste for law, going to court when he felt it necessary to protect his interests.

He once tangled with wine giant E. & J. Gallo in an unsuccessful copycat label lawsuit.

In 2005, Jackson filed a suit accusing former advisers of fraud for inflating prices that he paid for horses. He eventually reached settlements with several of the parties.

That prompted Jackson to push legislation in Kentucky to protect horse owners by preventing agents from profiting from undisclosed payments and commissions. It was signed into law in March 2006.

Caroline Shaw, a spokeswoman for Jackson's company Jackson Family Wines, confirmed that Jackson died at his home on Thursday.

Jackson is survived by his wife Barbara Banke, five children and two grandchildren.

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Online:

http://www.kjwines.com

http://www.stonestreetstables.com