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We’ve added a new key player to our V. Sattui team this year. Assistant Winemaker Jason Moravec joined our V. Sattui Family in July, and we are thrilled to have a passionate winemaker who literally grew up in a local vineyard. Jason’s family lived on a farm on the Sonoma side of the Los Carneros appellation where they grew 10 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. From an early age Jason has been working and learning the industry from the ground up!
Q: How was your first harvest with V. Sattui?
A: My first harvest with V. Sattui was fast and furious! My first day on the job was just a few months before the beginning of harvest and we still had months of bottling to finish. I hit the ground running and took the reins on bottling our 2013 red wines. At the same time we prepped the winery for an early harvest. The 2015 vintage was a true test of how quickly I could adapt and it went amazingly. Due to the drought and other factors during bloom, 2015 will be low yielding but exceptional quality year. I can’t wait to get crafting and shaping these wines through the blending process.
Q: You grew up helping your parents grow grapes. When did you know you wanted to be a winemaker?
A: I knew I wanted to work in the industry when I was 10 years old. I saw how it brought my family together on our vineyard ranch in Sonoma. But it wasn’t until I was 16, when I started working in the tasting room at Gloria Ferrer Winery as a bus boy, that I really knew what I wanted to do. I found that the winemaker, Bob Iantosca, was this critical focal point that pulled all sides of the wine industry together. I saw that the winemaker gets to be all over the place– in the lab, in the vineyard, in the cellar, and even in the sales market. And I wanted that. I couldn’t wait to discover the intricacies of every department and to make my own wines for everyone to enjoy.
Q: I love pulling into our parking lot in the morning and seeing your car parked next to Vittorio’s Vineyard– plugged into an outlet we have there. When did you start driving an electric car, and what does it say about you?
A: We only have one world, and it’s our responsibility to protect it for future generations. Since I’m always seeking out new ways for our winery and vineyards to become more sustainable, it feels only natural to live life in the same way. I started driving an all electric car in 2013, and love that I have already gone 40,000 miles on zero gas.
Q: Not to be depressing– but let’s pretend it’s your last day on Earth. What are you drinking? Eating with it? And who are you with?
A: That’s an interesting question for me because my birthday is December 21st, and a few years back it was thought that the world would come to an end on December 21st 2012. So I threw an end of the world birthday party and invited all my friends and family to join. I vividly remember by the end if the night my grandfather “Opa” was strumming his guitar and everyone was singing along with drink and food in hand. A roasted New Zealand lamb shank in one hand, and a glass of Mount Veeder Cabernet in the other was the icing on the cake of a wonderful experience with family and friends.
Q: What is it like to work with Brooks Painter?
A: He is a wealth of winemaking experience and knowledge, and has been a pleasure to with. I can only hope to continue my own career in the same way.
Q: I know you’ve only been at V. Sattui for a few months. What are your first impressions?
A: V. Sattui is a solid family of knowledgeable and inspirational people. I am very excited to be a part it.
Q: What are you hoping to accomplish in the future at V. Sattui?
A: I hope to bring some new flare to the wines and culture, while respecting the solid foundation and history that V. Sattui Winery has come to represent.
