Wine Spectator: Jackson Family’s NBA Deal Aimed At Appealing To Younger Drinkers

The National Basketball Association is embarking on a partnership with California’s Jackson Family Wines establishing Kendall-Jackson as the official wine of the NBA, and K-J’s sister wine La Crema as the official wine of the Women’s National Basketball Association. These affiliations will also extend to Teams USA for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

According to Impact Databank, Kendall-Jackson grew 4.4% to just above 3 million cases in the U.S. last year. The brand has seen double-digit growth from its K-J Lower-Calorie Chardonnay, which grew 30% to 39,000 cases. La Crema slipped a bit in 2023, but remains well above its pre-pandemic volume at 1.42 million cases. La Crema’s Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2021 ($28) was recently named Wine Spectator’s Value Wine of the Year for 2023.

“This is exactly what the wine industry needs,” JFW co-proprietor Chris Jackson told Wine Spectator. “We need to appeal to younger people. We’re growing, we’re expanding, and the NBA is the hottest sports franchise … [and] when they celebrate, they do it with wine.” The list of wine-loving basketball stars grows seemingly by the day, and many current and former NBA pros have created their own wine labels and even acquired their own vineyards.

The WNBA has a similarly growing wine culture. WNBA champion and two-time league MVP Elena Delle Donne launched her own wine label, Deldon Wines, in 2023. “We want to make sure we are advancing and pushing boundaries [for women],” Jackson Family co-proprietor Hailey Jackson Hartford told Wine Spectator, citing her family’s strong women leaders as a natural fit with the WNBA.

Basketball also runs in the Jackson family blood. Kendall-Jackson founder Jess Jackson loved the game, and was friends with Golden State Warriors legend Nate Thurmond. Wine Spectator has more on the new partnership.

Tagged : Jackson Family Wines, kendall-jackson, La Crema

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