Randy Ullom Passes the Torch

Randy Ullom first joined Jackson Family Wines in 1993, and for much of his career there, he has been the head winemaker for Kendall-Jackson wines, making the most popular Chardonnay sold in America: the Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve. “[The wine] brings a smile to a lot of people’s faces,” he told Wine Spectator in 2022. He explained that founder Jess Jackson’s goal was to make an expensive-tasting wine for the average person, a mission he was honored to take on.

Now, after decades at the helm, the most famous mustache in wine is stepping back. Taking the helm for Ullom will be Kris Kato, who has worked as winemaker at the Kendall-Jackson winery in Monterey County since 2014, where he oversaw the Central Coast piece of winemaking for the brand.

Both winemakers sat down in Wine Spectator’s Napa office recently to discuss the transition with senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec.

Randy, how did this decision come about?

Randy Ullom: I’ve been thinking about it to myself for a couple of years. Last year I was talking to Rick [Tigner, Jackson Family CEO] and thought, I’m getting on in life.

The catalyst to this was last year, my parents, within six months of each other, both passed. Basically, up until they were 85 they were in really good shape. And then 85 to 90, they started to go downhill, and then the 90 to 95, I don’t even want to go there.

So I’m looking at myself. I will be 72 in a few months. As much as I love this job and the company, at some point I want to be able to take several weeks off, but in this position I really couldn’t. It was really hard to go away for two weeks, because there are so many demanding decisions multiple times during the day.

As much as I love everyone, I do want to have more time off. You know, I’ll probably never, ever really be gone. I’ll be around, you know, spiritually. My official role is to be like a mentor or a guide or a sounding board for anybody, especially Kris. Feels like I’m busier now than I was before.

Kris Kato: It’s been really great. I remember when we met, we had talked of what it would look like. I would say having Randy around has been the best from my standpoint. I was like, how am I going to do everything? But Randy’s like, “I’m here, you know.” So it’s been wonderful. I am so appreciative.

Kris, for the people who haven’t met you yet, tell us more about your background.

Kato: I’m originally from the Pacific Northwest. I’m born and raised in Portland, Oregon. My grandparents were from Japan. My parents were both born in internment camps. After [World War II], jobs were really hard to come by, but on my dad’s side of the family there was an 80-acre farm up in Gresham, Oregon.

As a kid, that’s where I first got around agriculture. It was Brussels sprouts, it was berries. Those are my earliest memories, being a kid riding around with my grandpa out in the fields. When it was packing season, it was all hands on deck.

So I always had a strong tie to agriculture, and when I was ready to go to school, I didn’t know what to do. But there was a lot of pressure from my family to be a dentist, be a pharmacist, a “noble profession.” I went to Oregon State originally to be a pharmacist, and I very quickly figured out that’s not what I wanted.

I’m not that smart, but I really enjoyed science. I always enjoyed being around the kitchen, cooking. How do I incorporate that? My friend Jason was in the viticulture enology program, and that was a perfect blend of applied science and creativity.

It felt a little rebellious to go tell my family I want to make wine. I remember my dad going, “There’s no such effing thing.” My friend Jason and I started brewing beer together, and that’s when it just clicked. It was like, wow, you can make a living brewing beer and fold in science and art. It was just one of those magical things.

What was your first batch of beer?

Kato: It was a porter. I got the advice that when you start out, start out with dark beer, because it hides all the problems. That got me involved in the viticulture and enology program at Oregon State. I got my degree in fermentation science. But at the time, in the late 90s, brewing jobs were really hard to come by.

So I pivoted to wine. One summer, I worked as a busser at a resort in Bend, Ore., at the Sun River Resort, and that’s where I realized how much I liked wine. I remember drinking Elk Cove Pinot Noir with cedar plank salmon, and that will turn anyone onto this good life.

My advisor in college said if you really want to get into wine, go to California, cut your teeth with some big wineries. Everyone envisions this really glamorous boutique winery, but there are only so many of those jobs in existence.

For me, that advice was perfect. Jason had a job with Gallo making brandy. So my very first job was in the research department with Gallo, just getting a foot in the door. I worked there for about a year and then got an opportunity to go work for Fred Franzia [of Bronco Wine Co.].

I worked for Fred from about 2000 to 2006 and it was macro big. This was not quality premium winemaking, but this was winemaking at scale based on economy. I learned a lot of valuable skills. Mostly on the logistics side about how to manage big programs.

That must’ve been during the height of Charles Shaw?

Kato: I was there when that all unfolded, yes.

I really aspired to get on the coast and make more premium wine. That’s what my vision was. I had an opportunity to come work on the coast in the mid 2000s and have never looked back. That was with Constellation. I made everything from Black Box to Blackstone to Estancia to Paso Creek to Mark West. Constellation was a monumental step up in quality, working with coastal vineyards. Getting to work on six, seven different brands, getting out on the road as a winemaker, learning to work with the sales team, winemaker dinners, public speaking—that was for me the value in that chapter of training.

I remember the first winemaker dinner I did. A nice woman said, you know, that was a very nice dinner, but you need some practice. [laughs]

So you left Constellation to go to Jackson Family Wines in 2014?

Kato: Yes. There was kind of an inflection point where I felt I was ready for a new challenge. And then this door opened.

When I was on the Central Coast, KJ was kind of this enigma. But I knew that they were the next quality rung up the ladder and I’d be working for a family. Also, having the resources, all the estate vineyards, the plethora of tools that I would be allowed to have to make quality wines, it was just so unbelievable, that opportunity.

[article-img-container][src=2025-09/wt_ullom-kato-closeup-091625_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Kendall-Jackson) ] [alt= Kris Kato and Randy Ullom in a vineyard.][end: article-img-container]

To paraphrase Randy, he’s said it operates like a boutique winery, but just on a larger scale.

Kato: It’s true. All Vintners Reserve Chardonnay is barrel aged. It sounds impossible. But every decision the company makes is financially driven for quality first. I had to reset a little bit, but in a very good way.

Randy, what do you think is going to be one of the hardest challenges for Kris?

Ullom: The hardest challenge is I don’t think he’s going to have any hard challenges. It’s a natural fit.

I think it’s gonna take just figuring out the production parts. When I started there were two wines. We grew organically. Now there are like 50 wines and all these acres and all these wineries and all that stuff. It’s a little different today.

But if anybody can do it, Kris can. Jess [Jackson] is the one that set this system up—a “winemaster” concept where you’re in charge of everything, but nobody directly reports to you. Which frees you from everything to just focus on winemaking, which is a blessing. It’s wonderful.

Randy, when you look over your career, can you think of a moment when you felt like you became a winemaker?

Ullom: I learned a lot when I worked for DeLoach, for sure. I thought, Oh, this is easy. And then moving over with Jess, it was basically the same concept, just another couple of zeros. Just more territory to cover. But the trick is to have a good team of people, to have faith in and trust and respect them and vice versa.

You can’t be like, it’s my way or the highway on everything. You need to trust in the folks and value their opinion and let them take ownership. If you are a dictator, it’s not going to work. But if you allow everyone to buy in, that makes a great team.

What are the things that you worry about the most?

Kato: How do you balance tradition and legacy with innovation? That’s something I think about every day. KJ Chardonnay has been number one for 33 years. I want it to be number one well beyond my days.

There’s danger in fundamentally changing an item like that. However, we’re in this phase where we’re trying to introduce new consumers and bring new things to market. But where’s the balance? You have to try things. It’s that line of honoring tradition and legacy, but still being kind of hip.

Randy is the GOAT. So this is not my ego aspiring to be Randy, because that is unachievable, right? But where I feel very strongly is the family has entrusted me to steward this wonderful thing forward and maintain the legacy, all the things that Randy’s put into it, and staying true to our core.

It’s a big thing to carry forward, but I’m excited about it. I feel challenged. I feel engaged. It’s going to be hard work, but I’m really excited.

Ullom: We only expect another 30 years from him! [laughing]

Randy, I know you’re a big skier. What’s a skiing trip that you would love to go on that you haven’t had a chance to go on yet?

Ullom: I want to go over to Europe, to the three valleys, or the four valleys over there. I’ve never done that. That’s a three week trip. Plus, I have a little place in Steamboat Springs, so I want to spend more time there, which has just been a week here and there, or two weeks here and there. Maybe I can do like a month, a full month.

Kris, did your parents get to see you realize your dream of becoming a winemaker?

Kato: My mom is around. My dad passed away many years ago, so no. But when he retired, he started taking wine appreciation classes. That felt good.

Are you going to grow a mustache?

Kato: [Laughs] I’ve only been trying for 48 years!

Stay on top of important wine stories with Wine Spectator’s free Breaking News Alerts.