The Jax Team started with family when siblings Kimberly (think cowboy hats with a tireless joie de vivre) and Trent Jackson (think “Godfather” but always with a smile) saw great potential in their “green thumb” father’s (David) Calistoga vineyard. David (the family patriarch who loves dogs and tinkering in the vineyard with gin and tonic in hand) followed his lifelong dream to own a vineyard. Jane (the artist with a keen eye for design and style) always weighs in on our endless aesthetic decisions. In 2012, we recruited talented industry veteran Dan Parrott (even keel, laser focused and an operational guru). Our hospitality and wine club manager, Paityn Peterson (friendly, calm, and always “on it”) treats our guests and wine club members like the royal family. Kirk Venge (aka jetsetting spear fisherman), our third generation winemaker constantly astounds us by crafting complex napa valley wines from bud break on the vine through the barrel. Our tasting room team is always committed to educating our guests about the Jax portfolio and napa valley wines in general while treating our guests like family.
After a successful decade stint in technology, Kimberly earned her MBA at Vanderbilt and took over the business in 2003. From the day she stepped in (at 200 cases in production), Kimberly handled every function of the business. Now that JAX has grown to 22,000 cases in production, she shares the responsibility with her incredibly devoted team. Her passion and vision is clear when she shares her story. She loves to speak about her experiences building her business and her philosophy going forward.
Green thumb David Jackson tracks his Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon vines from the day the bud breaks through harvest. David is absolutely integral to the winery as he provides the fruit source for our estate Cabernet Sauvignon. A passionate green thumb, David encouraged and supported Kimberly and Trent to launch the winery using the fruit form his vineyard in northern Calistoga.
Raised in Newberg, Oregon in an oenophile family, Paityn has always loved and appreciated the world of wine. In college, she interned in several Oregon based wineries including Domaine Drouhin, Alloro Vineyards, and Archery Summit as cellar intern, in hospitality and in wine club management. Paityn kicked off her tenure at Jax as a team member in our tasting room where she showed strong leadership skills and great appreciation for our clients and brand. In her free time, Paityn loves to rock climb, attend music concerts, spend time with friends, and learn more about the wine world. We assure you that you won’t miss her warm smile, upbeat personality and welcoming energy when you step into our urban oasis at Jax SoMa.
Now involved in real estate development in Australia, Trent joins regular JAX conference calls and has been instrumental in our marketing, sales, and distribution strategy.
An incredible artist and designer, Jane has been actively involved in the label design and branding process at JAX Vineyards. Jane also designed the beautiful provincial style tasting room and grounds. Her most recent contribution to JAX is her incredible art comprised of mixed media and often incorporating JAX in her pieces. Her art will be regularly profiled in the news and events section.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Honor has built a stellar track record across all verticals of the wine industry from distribution to the supply side. Based in Southern California, Honor is taking charge of our Southern California market and beyond, bringing her LA vibes and love for Chardonnay along for the ride. We welcome Honor to the Jax family!
Our hospitality team is groomed to provide both an educational, and relaxed tasting room experience. Each member has a strong knowledge of our portfolio as well as wines in general. Expect this stellar team to treat you like royalty although the buck stops at foot massages around the fire pit! (Members left to right in the picture. Alan, Kat, Victoria, Amy, Annie, and Kimberly.)
Manages the operations, sales and distribution for the winery. Dan has a strong background in hospitality, sales and marketing across multiple segments of the wine business. For over decade, he managed hospitality and wine programs at some of the most esteemed culinary venues in the country. Most recently Dan was the Brand Ambassador for Martine’s Wines where he worked with cult French producers such as Domaine Leroy, Patrick Piuze, Domaine du Pegau and Chateau Rayas.
A Napa Valley native and second generation winemaker, Kirk has been exposed to the world of winemaking from day one under the watchful eye of his father, Nils Venge. His passion for the industry continued to grow through college at UC Davis followed by tenures at several wineries including Mumm, Raptura Vintners in New Zealand, and finally Venge Vineyards. Working with our vineyards since 2003, Kirk has a keen involvement in the redevelopment, clone selection and farming practices of our vineyard site. Most importantly, he crafts our fruit into the elegant and well balanced wines that we enjoy year over year.
The next generation is being groomed daily to join the Jax force. Their experience includes assisting in the tasting room, picking grapes at harvest, cleaning up red wine spills, and endless somersaults in the vineyards. Pictured from left to right Jamison, Kendall, Morgan, Alexa, Kirra.
