OUR TEAM
Over the past several years, Jessup Cellars has won numerous awards including CellarPass’ ‘Friendliest & Most Knowledgeable Staff’ three years in a row, Napa Valley Life magazine’s ‘Best Wine Club’ and, recently, Yountville’s ‘Business of the Year’.
Below, we introduce you to our work family – all who make earning these awards possible. We look forward to hosting you in Wine Country, bringing our ‘Tasting Room without Walls’ to your home, or helping with whatever your needs may be….
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Vallejo, California
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc with Seafood Paella.
About: Jay cherishes the love of his large extended family and appreciates the priceless blessing of a tight-knit circle of friends. Having sailed the West Indies, traveled across Europe–ending with a two-year residence in Valencia Spain–he now enjoys the simple pleasures of basking in the warm California sun, sipping wine and fully engrossed in a good book. Jay strives to live a life of “Service, Purpose, Meaning and Impact.” His motto: “Collect Moments Not Things.”
BIOGRAPHY
Born and raised in the Napa Valley, Bryan Arbios has always been interested in wine and hospitality. Early in his career, he worked in restaurants and hotels, followed by an internship in Portugal working with a top cork producer to learn the entire process of producing corks.
Bryan worked in the world of logistics over the past seven years, and then in early 2018 joined the Jessup Cellars family. He knew the wine business was in his blood as his family has been associated with it in some form or fashion.
Beginning with his Great-Great Grandfather Felix Salmina – who purchased and managed Larkmead Winery in early 1900’s – quickly built an impressive reputation. By 1930, legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff considered Larkmead to be one of the four “outstanding” wineries alongside Inglenook, Beaulieu Vineyard and Beringer.
Bryan has brought that same passion with him to the Jessup Cellars family. Outside of work, Bryan loves his sports and has been a lifelong fan of the SF Giants, 49ers, and Golden State Warriors. He enjoys baseball, basketball, tennis and golf.
One of his favorite Jessup Cellars food pairings is ‘Juel’ with lamb shank risotto.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Golden, Colorado
Favorite Pairing: Table For Four with Ribeye steak, mashed potatoes and asparagus
About: Christina first joined the Jessup family back in 2008 after graduating from college in Colorado with degrees in hospitality and business administration. Upon moving to Napa Valley, she quickly realized her love of wine, food and unique experiences. She has enjoyed spreading her time over the years in various areas of the company, including the Tasting Gallery, Membership & Hospitality, Marketing and Administration. Her spare time is happily spent with her husband, Matt, and their beloved dog, Hamilton.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Honfleur, France
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Zinfandel Port with anything chocolate.
About: Frederick grew up in France, studied in the UK and Spain (where he met his Georgia Peach). After working several years in his own family businesses in hospitality & wine, he decided to move to the US and continue his family’s long tradition in the wine industry with Jessup! He’s passionate about wine, fly fishing, food and kitesurfing.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: San Francisco
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: A glass of Jessup Cellars Pinot Noir and a gallery full of beautiful art.
About: Cynthia has studied art throughout most of her life. The educational experience that Cynthia considers one her most important and influential was time she spent studying under Nathan Oliveira at Stanford University. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe with her main focus on studying the art and artists of the region. Her works are in numerous public and private collections.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Napa, California
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Jessup Cellars Alexander Valley Zinfandel with cold-serve Thai noodles
About: Born and raised in Napa, Sam originally started his journey into the hospitality industry working in restaurants. In 2017, he moved to Germany and spent a few years there before moving back home in 2020 due to the pandemic. His passions include travel – he has backpacked most of central Europe, the Balkans, and some of the Middle East. He has enjoyed rock-climbing since he was 8 years old which led to his ultimate love – Deep-water solo climbing.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Napa, California
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Jessup Cellars Zinfandel with her Grandma’s gumbo
About: Bailey is a graduate of Southern Oregon University where she played softball and is now happily “retired” from the sport. Her best vacation was a cruise to Mexico with three of her best friends. The “Burger from Hell” at the Coyote Bluff Café in Amarillo, TX is her most memorable culinary experience.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Favorite Pairing: Jessup Cellars Cabernet Franc and Tri-Tip from Buster’s BBQ
About: Growing up in Napa and having an older brother involved in the restaurant industry gave A.J. an appreciation early on for wine and food. That appreciation turned into a passion and now A.J. is currently doing his best to pursue the “good life” and share his love of wine and food with as many people as possible!
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: All of California
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Carneros Chardonnay with freshly caught Mahi-Mahi
About: Rob’s best vacation ever was wine tasting across Europe with his wife, Bonnie, on their honeymoon. They now enjoy life in Napa with their two daughters. Rob received his Masters Degree in Enology in 1999 from UC Davis interning at Kent Rasmussen Winery. He has made wine for La Crema and Rombauer Vineyards.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Colusa, CA
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Manny’s Blend with Short Ribs.
About: Mike has spent his entire career in hospitality. For 7 years he worked for some of the top private country clubs in both Scottsdale Arizona and Couer de’ Alene Idaho. It was those clubs where he discovered his passion for wine. For the past 8 years he has worked for a couple of wineries, but truly believes he has found his forever home. “The people here, from the members to the staff, are just amazing! I feel truly blessed to be a part of such an outstanding culture.” He and his wife reside in Sacramento where they both enjoy Sunday football days, and trying out new recipes together in the kitchen.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Sonoma, California
Favorite Jessup Cellars Wine Pairing: Virtually any food with ‘Table for Four’
Growing up, I wasn’t around wine much even though I lived in wine country. Throughout high school and post-graduation, my career goal was to be an athletic trainer. While playing for the Santa Rosa Junior College men’s soccer team in 2012, I first got my foot in the wine industry working at Bennett Lane Winery. This is where my passion for wine grew. My love of sports continues, especially my passion for playing soccer.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Carneros Chardonnay with juicy fried chicken
About: Tracy says her most memorable culinary experience was the first time she had soft shell crab as a child. “I was so nervous but I took one bite and LOVED it! I can still see my mother’s grin.” She attributes her love of food and wine to her mother. Rome was her favorite vacation spot and recalls being mesmerized by the Sistine Chapel.
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown:Campeche, Mex
Favorite Jessup Pairing: 2010 Manny’s Blend with Mongolian Pork Chops from Mustards Grill – richness paired with richness.
About: Bernardo began his career the vineyards, learning the intricacies of grape growing and how to adjust to the whims of Mother Nature. He then moved into the cellars at Jessup Cellars, bringing us his complete grape to bottle knowledge to the team. He has a keen understanding of what it takes to make a great bottle.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Gulfport, Mississippi
Favorite Jessup Pairing: Jessup Cellars Sauvignon Blanc with Chesapeake Bay raw oysters & mignonette sauce.
Adrienne is a Southern Belle through and through, born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
She exudes hospitality in everything she does and has a vast background and broad knowledge in wine, sales, spirits, distribution and Southern charm.
Adrienne never meets a stranger and takes pride in building meaningful connections with all she meets in the tasting room and on the road.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Santa Rosa California
Favorite Jessup Wine: It is hard to say as she love them all, but if she had to pick it would be ‘Juel’ – It has so many layers of complex flavors and is a wine that can pair with almost any meal, or even just by itself!
About: Kimberly brings over 20 years of dedicated wine experience & passion to the Good Life Wine Collective family. She loves anything to do with being outdoors – biking and hiking, boating and camping with her husband. Time with family is also incredibly important to Kimberly! She adores being a mother of two beautiful daughters and now she gets to enjoy her grandchildren.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Favorite pairing: Jessup Cellars Merlot and Beef Tartar
Jake is a Southern California native, where he spent most of his time on the beach and in the ocean.
Working in restaurants and hotels after school, Jake gained a passion for food and wine which led him to Napa Valley.
When he isn’t drinking wine or traveling, he enjoys fishing, surfing, and playing guitar.
He is so excited to get on the road and host some memorable in-home experiences with our incredible members!
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Nashville, Tennesee
Favorite Jessup Wine Pairing: Petite Sirah with venison and huckleberry sauce
About: Laurel’s best vacation was a trip to Paris followed by a train ride to Nice and a sailing ship cruise through the Mediterranean and Italian Riviera. She might be called a romantic . . .favorite movie, “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Napa, California
Favorite Jessup Pairing: Chardonnay with fried chicken.
About: Emily naturally made her way into the wine industry and joined the Jessup Cellars family in January of 2017. She is passionate about raising her three kids and enjoys volunteering for the local baseball, football, and cheer teams. Emily and her kids love dog-sitting Hamilton, co-worker Christina Beverly’s beloved dog (look to your right), who spends a lot of time bringing joy to our winery.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: Napa, California
Favorite Jessup Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc with a fried chicken sandwich!
Whitney was born and raised in the Napa Valley. Although her parents are not in the wine industry, her older sister is, which is where Whitney discovered her love for wine and her joy for making people happy. Most of Whitney’s time is spent with her two dogs Cyrus and Dingo, who she says are her world! She also has a huge passion for science and has her A.A in Natural Sciences and Mathematics. She is so happy to be part of the Jessup family!