California was in the air at the US Ambassador’s residence in Attard as Kendall- Jackson wines from the United States’ east coastal state flowed freely during a wine tasting event for employees of the US Embassy in Malta.
The event was hosted by Master group with the Kendall-Jackson range of wines, a top-notch Californian brand recently added to their portfolio of international brands of wines distributed in the local market.
The event was introduced by Ambassador Molly Bordonaro who thanked Master group for organising this event and making the US staff at the Embassy “feel more at home”. “Through this event, we would like to welcome Kendall-Jackson, one of the finest American wines to Malta. Besides bringing a taste of America to Malta, the introduction of Kendall-Jackson wines in the local market will help all Americans residing or visiting Malta feel closer to home.”
Organised to tie in with the eve of America’s most important holiday, Thanksgiving, the event then proceeded to a tasting of a selection of wines from the Kendall-Jackson estates. The tasting was conducted by Peter Ferguson, head of European sales for Kendall-Jackson who introduced the brand and its origins and explained how the company grew in relevance within the fast development of the wine industry in California.
Mr Ferguson described how the roots of the Kendall-Jackson brand go back to 1974 when Jess Jackson and his family bought an 80 acre pear and walnut orchard in Lakeport, California and converted the orchard into a vineyard. Jess began selling his grapes to local wineries and in 1982, he produced his first bottle of wine under the Kendall-Jackson label.
“When the Jackson family founded Kendall-Jackson in 1982, they simply wanted to create extraordinary wine from California’s best vineyards. The beginnings were already successful since a year later, in 1983, their Chardonnay won the first Platinum Award ever presented by the American Wine Competition. For over 15 years running now, Kendall-Jackson has been America’s favorite wine. Kendall-Jackson grows grapes on some 12,000 acres of California Coastal vineyards, and continues to evolve its practices and increase the quality of its wines. The brand will always be committed to creating the very best wine. Jess, a founding member of Family Winemakers of California, and his family still run the day-to-day business of the winery,” added Mr Ferguson.
Mr Ferguson then conducted the tasting of seven varieties of Kendall-Jackson wines as he gave a thorough description of each wine and its respective food complement. The Kendall-Jackson wines tasted on the night were the Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay 2004, Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2003, Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir 2004, Vintner’s Reserve Zinfandel 2002, Vintner’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 and the Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002.
The tasting event was followed by a social reception at the residence hosted by Ambassador Bordonaro during which the wines could be further enjoyed together with a selection of foods and delicacies prepared especially for the evening.