The real facts about Jess Jackson's plan for his Knights Valley winery

In a portion of Knights Valley off Highway 128, a bustling dairy once thrived, an automatic milking machine was invented, and a succession of enterprises — dating back to the Folker Winery—ran their operations.

In their place now stand a vineyard and a small, crumbling, dilapidated old stone winery: among the only remnants of that era. Left to time, the old stone winery building itself would vanish.

In the mid-1990s, California wine icons and history devotees, Jess Jackson, and his wife, Barbara Banke, bought the property. They harvested the existing vineyards and planted more grapes. In 2005, they submitted plans to restore the stone winery’s remaining building and re-establish a small, working winery (now planned for producing a mere 5,000 cases a year.) The project would include a small tasting room (hosting perhaps 15 people a day, if that), and a historical display celebrating the area’s fascinating past.

Sensitive to their neighbors, the Jackson family presented their plans for all to see, invited feedback and followed various suggestions from the community, modifying the original modest design to create an ever-decreasing profile in the valley. In order to maintain both the historical and structural integrity of the old stone building, Jackson supported a historical designation which would allow shoring up the old building’s walls safely. Jackson also went to great lengths to maintain a clean environment around the area, reduce production, minimize potential operational noise and shrink an already small visual profile — all to ensure that his vision of a revived and restored old winery would be in accord with the history and character of the area.

It was surprising, therefore, to see some letters to various publications that opposed this respectful vision. (Some of the letters were signed by the very people who earlier intimated that changes to the plan, such as the ones we’ve made, might help satisfy them.)

More surprising than the letters themselves were the outright falsehoods they contained. Contrary to those claims, our plans do not include an “event center stretching three-quarters of a mile.” The tasting room will not be a version of “Disneyland.” The winery will not pollute the creek. We are not building a “4,000 square-foot events center.” Busloads of tourists will not pack the valley clamoring to visit the little tasting room. The application process has not been conducted “behind closed doors.”

In fact, the process has been very public; the Board of Supervisors made every effort to invite all points of view and act only within its mandate as public representatives. One letter tried to suggest that it was somehow improper for the board to take “original jurisdiction” in approving a lot-line adjustment (a decision that occurred only after multiple public hearings on the plans).

In fact, the decision was not only proper, but commonplace. The motivation for the fear-mongering letters is a mystery, since anyone familiar with the project knows that it poses no threat to the beauty and enjoyment of the valley. On the contrary, the winery and tasting room will enhance the valley.

Throughout their storied careers in viticulture, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke have proven themselves to be good neighbors, dedicated stewards of the land, advocates and practitioners of sustainable farming, as well as generous supporters of our community and compassionate employers. Letters of support, coming from our winery neighbors throughout the area attest to this.

We are looking forward to restoring this landmark and making its history accessible to our neighbors. Time will show the Pelton House winery to be an asset to the community and a tribute to its history.