Winemaker - Jac Jacobs
Le Vigne Winemaker Jac Jacobs grew up in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley and as a child his family traveled quite often to Lake County in Northern California for vacation. In 1979 he met Patricia who he married in 1981 at his parent’s home in Lake County. While on their honeymoon in Sonoma County, Trish and Jac decided to leave the hustle and bustle of the valley and his job at Pacific Telephone for the wine country and the lifestyle that accompanies it.
Jac, his wife Trish and daughter Taylor moved from Southern California to Sonoma County in 1982 where Jac began working at Mark West Vineyards and Winery. It was this introduction to the industry by Bob Iantosca, Mark West Assistant Winemaker, which instilled in Jac a love for the wine business and gave hope to the dream and possibility of a career in making wine. Working closely with Bob and consulting Winemaker Larry Wara, Jac was able to learn enough to be promoted to the position of Assistant Winemaker in 1985 when Bob left Mark West to help start Gloria Ferrer Champagne Cellars.
An opportunity arose to work in Lake County at Konocti Winery In 1986 and Jac took the position of Assistant Winemaker. Then in 1987, with the departure of the existing Winemaker, Jac was promoted to Winemaker. This was a tremendous opportunity to work with 2 of finest Winemakers and pioneers in the wine industry, John Parducci and
Andre Tchelistcheff, something that Jac is truly grateful for. Jac and Trish’s son Mathew was born around this time and spent the first years of his life growing up on the family vineyard in Lake County.
Jac felt the urge to work back in Sonoma County and in 1992 he was hired as Winemaker at Topolos Winery in Forestville. Topolos was a small family owned winery that specialized in small lot, single vineyard Zinfandels and Alicante Bouschets. Additionally while at Topolos, Jac also developed an affinity for and started making port-style wines, his passion for these wines continues here at Le Vigne Winery to this day.
After 12 years at Topolos Winery Jac started looking for a new challenge and had heard many great things about the Paso Robles region, an area they had always passed by on their travels between Southern and Northern California. So in August of 2003, Jac along with his wife and son moved from Sonoma County to California’s Central Coast to begin making wines in Paso Robles for the Filippini Family at Le Vigne Winery. Since then he has been learning the different nuances of the appellation and making high quality wines from the estate and satellite vineyards that the winery manages or purchases fruit from.
