“A Man and His Mountain” tells the story of the everyman who created Kendall-Jackson and became America’s greatest wine entrepreneur
SONOMA COUNTY, CA – Jackson Family Wines, a portfolio of exceptional wines including Kendall-Jackson and more than 30 individual wineries around the world is proud to announce the publication of the authorized biography of company founder, wine industry visionary Jess Stonestreet Jackson, entitled “A Man and His Mountain; The Everyman who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America’s Greatest Wine Entrepreneur.”
To be released on October 22, 2013 by PublicAffairs Books (a member of the Perseus Books Group), “A Man and His Mountain” tells the extraordinary story of the self-made man who built Kendall- Jackson from nothing into the biggest- selling brand of ultra-premium wines in the U.S.—all after the age of 50 years old.
Jess Stonestreet Jackson was one of a small band of pioneering entrepreneurs who put California’s wine country on the map. His life story is a compelling slice of history, daring, innovation, feuds, intrigue, talent, mystique, contrarianism, and luck, offering a unique window on the elegant, adventurous, and cut-throat worlds of Jackson’s two passions: wine and horseracing.
Time after time his decisions would be ignored, derided, then finally envied and imitated, as whole industries watched him become a millionaire and tried to keep up. He reinvented himself at mid-life, and became founder and CEO of Kendall-Jackson Winery. The empire he constructed endures and thrives even after his death in 2011. In “A Man and His Mountain”, Pulitzer prize winning author Edward Humes brings us the tale of the brilliant, infuriating, successful man who seemed to win more than his share by staying far ahead of the pack.
Written with the full cooperation of the Jackson family, the book is a no holds barred portrait of this complicated and brilliant businessman. “My family and I are so proud of Jess’ legacy,” says Barbara Banke, chairman and proprietor of Jackson Family Wines and Jess’ wife and business partner for 25 years, “our hope is that this book inspires others to follow their passions as Jess did.”
About Jackson Family Wines
Jackson Family Wines (JFW) is a family-owned company that crafts award-winning wines of distinct character and quality. With a focus on sustainable viticulture practices, responsible vineyard and natural resource management and unparalleled winemaking, the family’s portfolio comprises more than 35 renowned wineries. In addition to their acclaimed California andOregon producers, JFW includes fine wines from France, Chile, Italy and Australia. JFW and its various wineries are led by chairman & proprietor Barbara Banke and the Jackson family. Learn more online at www.kj.com.
About PublicAffairs
PublicAffairs is a member of the Perseus Books Group. The Perseus Books Group was created with the belief that works of literary fiction and serious nonfiction are both necessary and desirable and that an innovative and aggressive new model of publishing can fill a void in today’s marketplace and allow works of quality to be published both profitably and well. Devoted entirely to supporting and fostering such works, each Perseus Books Group member is editorially independent and individually focused, and all are committed to publishing books that matter.
