Jason’s interest in winemaking started in middle school, when his family took up grape growing in the Los Carneros region of Sonoma Valley. Over the course of several years, observing his family develop raw land into Pinot noir and Chardonnay vineyards sparked his interest in winemaking and his studies at UC Davis, where he earned a degree in Viticulture and Enology. He says, “Growing up in a vineyard gave me a great foundation for science and chemistry. When I realized that the wine industry is the place where science and creativity meld, I knew it was the path for me.”
He learned several aspects of the business working at wineries like Patz and Hall, Gloria Ferrer, Franciscan, and Kim Crawford, before being drawn in by the family atmosphere and breadth of varietals to explore at V. Sattui, where he joined as Assistant Winemaker in 2015. He’s known as an innovator at V. Sattui, quietly carving new paths in the winemaking programs. He says that at V. Sattui he’s learned “I can do more than I could have imagined.”
He lives in Angwin with his wife Sasha and their two small children, Zoe and Henry. He loves spirits – in fact, he’s behind V. Sattui’s new brandy program. While he’s short on free time, he does manage to occasionally perform the Mill’s Mess of juggling (look it up) when he’s not enjoying great wines with his favorite people.