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K-J founder richer than Oprah, Forbes list says
October 21, 2000
By TED APPEL
Press Democrat Staff Writer
The wine boom has now created its first billionaire: Jess Stonestreet Jackson, who started with a small vineyard in Lake County and built a wine empire headquartered in Santa Rosa that produces premium wine around the world.
Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, is one of the 400 richest people in America, according to a yearly list published last week by Forbes magazine.
With an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, Jackson debuted at No. 223 on Forbes' list of the super-wealthy, beating out junk bond king Michael Milken, talk show magnate Oprah Winfrey, Disney chief executive Michael Eisner and Jackson's archrival in the wine business, Ernest Gallo.
Just have to post a quick word about Prune (First Street btw 1st and 2nd Ave.) We were going there when it first opened (about a year ago?) and have always liked it, but for some reason we stopped going. I guess it just got too popular. It's a very tiny place. But this week we went twice, and once again I am sold. Incredible. You must have the anchovie app (even if you think you don't like anchovies.) The ham and fig app is quite beautiful, and the carnivores made quick work of it. The bone marrow entre had my friend Andrew (an englishman not too easily impressed by such things) absolutely swooning. The grilled whole fish of the day is a simple, dependable dish, if you lean more toward the sea. Small, reasonably priced wine list, but bring your own for $15 if you must have something fabulous (the food is worth it.) The staff is great. Make reservations. Did I mention to make reservations? Tiny bar, and no place to wait (which you might have to do even with reservations) but well worth it.
Just killing time. Search engine fun. 71CFF links:
Here. Here (scroll down to "Old Friends".) Here (huh?) Here. Here.
we need to do a simple white truffle meal at some point--fresh eggs / truffle's + simple pasta / truffle's--jmb can you find out if we can get some wholesale??
Maybe Wheel will comment more fully, but here's my quick take. We went to ESCA last night, which is the all seafood restaurant in the Mario Batali empire (you know, the guy with the food show, the long red hair, and the funny shoes who brought us Po, Lupa, and Babao.) The menu had us absolutely dizzy. We literally wanted to order evey single thing (well, O.K., only MB and I wanted to order the sea urchin.) All Italian wine. A great Northern Italian white from the area (Tirol) we traveled through last year, and an amazing example of the elusive (red) Lagrain (sp?) grape which we searched for in Italy, but now it seems finally found the one we wanted right here in NYC. With the Quinterelli for dessert we were feeling no pain. Oh, the food? Great. The fried fish was amazing (vongole and the frito-misto (sp?),) maybe the best I've ever had. Pasta's (as you might expect at a Mario restaurant) were perfect, although the perriwinkle and chilie was not as amazing as we had hoped. The eel (appetizer) was also not a favorite (although surely not bad.) The beet and botarga salad was a winner, as was the big stuffed clam (anyone remember what that was called?) I'd say: order lots of appetizers. Expensive; sure. Weird location - 43rd and 9th; for sure. Good time; good bet.