Business Spotlight

“We’re always looking for the next perfect wine or great vineyard. That prospect of making something really spectacular, discovering something new is what motivates me.” One of the industry’s top executives and innovators, Jackson Family Wines Chairman & Proprietor Barbara R. Banke has spent the last two decades leading the company she co-founded with her late husband, wine icon Jess Jackson. In addition to their flagship Kendall-Jackson winery, Banke and Jackson shaped nearly two dozen premium wineries across Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Mendocino counties. Today, the Jackson Family portfolio is a global collection of worldclass vineyards and wineries, including acclaimed properties in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, France, Italy, Chile, Australia, and South Africa. Banke takes a handson role developing and promoting Jackson Family wine estates, as well as in new vineyard acquisitions and a broad range of other strategic initiatives. A well-known philanthropist, Banke is a passionate advocate for children’s and educational charities around the country. Most recently she was the Chair of the Sonoma County Wine Auction raising a record breaking $5.2 million for the local community. She and Jackson committed nearly $4 million to the Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building at UC Davis, designed to train the next generation of winemakers in sustainability practices. In addition, Banke and her family contributed $500,000 to help launch the Family Justice Center Sonoma County, assisting victims of domestic violence. She is also a global ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

When she is not sourcing new vineyard sites, Banke is active in Stonestreet Farm, the family’s Lexington, Kentucky-based equestrian racing stables. Stonestreet Farm has produced Horses of the Year Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, as well as Eclipse Award winner Good Magic and Cartier Award winner My Miss Aurelia.

Banke is a graduate of UCLA and Hastings Law School. A former land use and constitutional law attorney, she spent more than a decade arguing cases before the United States Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal. She raised three children with Jess (Katherine, Julia and Christopher Jackson), who are each involved in Jackson Family Wines. TOPS caught up with Banke to discuss the many roles she embraces – and to find out how she juggles so many important commitments.

FAMILY, WINE, HORSES & COMMUNITY

How Barbara Banke, Chairman & Proprietor of Jackson Family Wines and Owner of Stonestreet Farms, is carrying on an incredible family legacy. courtesy of Jackson Family Wine photo credit: Equisport Photos - Matt and Wendy Wooley

Q: Tell us a little bit about how you became involved in the wine industry. In 1974, my late husband Jess Jackson purchased an 80acre pear and walnut orchard in Northern California and replanted it to Chardonnay grapevines. Jess turned a slowdown in the grape market into an opportunity with his first wine – the 1982 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay. The wine was hailed as a new hallmark style of California Chardonnay and won the first-ever Platinum Award for an American Chardonnay at The American Wine Competition. Kendall-Jackson was officially on the map. In the early years, I continued my law practice while also working with my husband to grow our family wine business. He was having a great time making wines, so I retired from my practice in 1990 to join him full-time. From the start, we shared a vision to create extraordinary wine from the best vineyards. My background in real estate law served us well over the years as we acquired vineyards along California's coastal ridges to ensure longterm quality and growth for Kendall-Jackson as we built out our family wine business. Today, we're in our 40th year and celebrated our anniversary at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City, where Jess sold his first case of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay. It is an honor that our signature Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay has remained the number-one selling Chardonnay in America for 30 years.

Q: Why is it important to you to stay involved with your family's horse farm here in Lexington? Our family's legacy in winemaking runs deep, and while wine enthusiasts know Kendall-Jackson as the producer of America's favorite Chardonnay and La Crema as one of the pioneering wineries in Russian River Valley, our family's endeavors in horse racing are lesser known. Jess's passion for horse racing was ignited as a young boy when he watched Seabiscuit win the 1938 Bay Meadows Handicap from atop his uncle's shoulders. Many years later, our success in the wine business afforded us the opportunity to indulge in his passion, which is now mine, for Thoroughbred racing. We opened Stonestreet Farm in 2005 on premium farmland in the famous Bluegrass region of Kentucky. The guiding focus of Stonestreet is to breed and develop quality Thoroughbreds with strength, stamina and class. A band of over 100 broodmares with world-class pedigree and performance attributes is the foundation; continually improved with high-caliber retirees from the racing stable, as well as the purchase of top-class young performers and proven producers. Based in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, our breeding division is housed across 1,800 acres of the best limestone-based grazing. Our program values minimal human intervention and a good balance of proper nutrition, handling, exercise, and rest. Our business model includes welcoming retired fillies into the broodmare band and supporting our colts at stud. We are committed to providing the horses that do not enter the breeding operation every opportunity to succeed in a second career. Stonestreet retirees complete the New Vocations program while we remain financially accountable.

Q: In addition to wine, you're clearly passionate about giving back. Tell us about some of the organizations that are close to your heart. Giving back to our communities where we live and do business is a core ethos in our culture. At Jackson Family Wines, we value partnerships and collaborations that share our commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Whether it is co-founding International Wineries for Climate Action or working alongside the Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Game, and local Resource Conservation Districts to improve salmon habitat in local watersheds, we have a long history of leading through action and partnering with individuals and organizations that share our values. Each year, our company contributes thousands of hours of volunteer time, financial support, and in-kind donations to more than 200+ nonprofit organizations. In fact, our employees have volunteered nearly 6,000 hours to make a difference in our local communities over the past year, including the largest single-day volunteer effort to date for the winery this summer. In addition, Kendall-Jackson launched the Grocery Worker's Appreciation Fund in partnership with United Way in September 2020 during Covid to say thank you to the grocery partners who've supported the winery for the past three decades. We pledged to raise $2 million dollars by 2030 with an annual awareness drive, and we're excited to continue the momentum.

Q: With such a busy life, how do you juggle your commitments while making time for yourself? Overseeing our family's wineries and our horse racing and breeding endeavors keeps me busy. I'm fortunate my family is intricately involved in many aspects of our business and has always shared a passion for making world class wines and raising the best Thoroughbreds. We have a fantastic executive leadership team and strong, diverse leaders across all levels of the company that work hard to support our vision. While we are constantly looking for the next opportunity, when you love what you do, it never feels like work.

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens in Sonoma County, California

Q: What are some of your favorite spots in central Kentucky? I always love spending time at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington. It's so beautiful and peaceful and provides a sanctuary for me when life gets hectic. When it comes to horse racing, Keeneland and Churchill Downs are my favorite race courses in Kentucky. One of my favorite things to do while I'm at my home in Kentucky is to watch the horses train at the tracks.

Q: What's your wine pick for this fall? All our winemaking teams produce spectacular wines, so it's hard to choose favorites, but right now, I'm really enjoying the La Crema Saralee's Vineyard Chardonnay from our estate in the Russian River Valley, the Windracer Sealift Vineyard Pinot Noir from our cool climate vineyards out on the Sonoma Coast, and the Stonestreet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from our mountain vineyards in Alexander Valley.

Q: Kendall-Jackson and La Crema wineries are sponsors of the Kentucky Derby. What can fans expect to see this year, and how can consumers get involved? This will be an exciting year at the Kentucky Derby. Not only will wines be served at all Churchill Downs events, but we'll also have many events happening on-site and at our wineries. La Crema is hosting The La Crema Experience, a mobile pop-up tasting salon at Churchill Downs that's a not-to-be-missed destination, so if you're at the racetrack on Derby Day, please swing by. Back in Sonoma County, Kendall-Jackson is hosting a Kentucky Derby watch party at the winery, complete with betting and fashion contests throughout the day. The winery is launching co-branded Kendall-Jackson & Kentucky Derby commemorative wine bottles with limited edition collaborative artwork showcasing one of Stonestreet Farm's stars, Pauline's Pearl. For more information, tickets to the events, and to purchase wine bottles, visit www.kj.com and www.lacrema.com. • Check out Barbara's fall wine selections!

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