Kendall-Jackson parent said to lay off 170

Jess Jackson and his Jackson Family Wines, which owns Kendall-Jackson and dozens of other wine brands, is laying off approximately 170 staffers, in response to a worsening economy and tough times for high-end wine sales.

According to a report Monday in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, about 170 people have lost their jobs over the last two weeks, most of them last Friday.

“We’re not disclosing the numbers, but there was a reduction in force affecting every area of the organization,” said Caroline Shaw, a spokeswoman for Jackson Family Wines. She said the organization needed to adjust staffing due to the bad economy, adding: “These are uncertain times. We can’t foresee what the future will hold.”

Jackson Family Wines sells about 5.6 million cases a year, making it the largest wine company in Sonoma County, according to the Press Democrat.

It had about 810 employees in mid-2008.

Overall, U.S. wine sales grew by less than 1 percent last year, the lowest increase in years, and many observers say high-end sales, in particular, are being hurt by the worsening economic climate.