Jeff’s path to the cellar was set early. Raised in California’s agriculturally rooted San Joaquin Valley, he gravitated naturally toward farming and fermentation, ultimately pursuing Enology and Chemistry at California State University, Fresno, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a foundation grounded equally in science and intuition.
He sharpened his skills in Paso Robles, working across a range of winery scales and philosophies at producers such as Justin, Meridian, Eberle, and Shandon Valley Partners. The region’s warm days and diverse sites gave Jeff a broad technical education, but it was the lure of cooler climates that soon redirected his course north.
Oregon proved pivotal. As winemaker at Del Rio Vineyards and Winery, Jeff embraced the challenges of coastal-influenced growing conditions, refining a style defined by balance, precision, and varietal clarity. That trajectory continued in 2008 when he joined King Estate, rising to Director of Winemaking and Viticulture by 2010. Under his leadership, the wines gained national attention, with multiple bottlings earning placement on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 list—an achievement that helped elevate Oregon’s standing for both Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir on the world stage.
In 2014, Jeff relocated to Napa Valley after connecting with John Anthony Truchard, assuming winemaking responsibilities for John Anthony Wine & Spirits. As Executive Winemaker, Jeff brings a rare combination of technical precision, creative range, and brand fluency that allows him to shape wines with distinct identities while maintaining uncompromising quality. From the site-driven elegance of John Anthony Vineyards, Napa Valley; the Burgundian focus of Weather Wines, Sonoma Coast; and expressive Serial Wines—bringing Jeff full circle back to Paso Robles—to the everyday polish of popular California wines JaM Cellars and Butter, Jeff understands how to translate intent into the glass. Whether working at the highest tier of Napa Valley expression or pioneering new formats that meet modern consumers where they are, Jeff crafts each brand with clarity of purpose, technical mastery, and an instinctive understanding of what the wine is meant to be.
Across regions and styles, Jeff’s hallmark remains consistency and finesse. His work has garnered more than 200 90Pt+ scores from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, James Suckling, Jeb Dunnuck, and Wine Advocate, affirming his reputation as a disciplined, versatile winemaker with a deep respect for site and a proven record at the highest level.
