Jessup Cellars

Yountville, CA winery tasting room and art gallery

Mark Jessup was only 17 when he began his career in the wine industry, working at the former Inglenook winery in Rutherford (now Rubicon Estate Winery). He was the first winemaker at world-famous Opus One, and in 1996 founded Jessup Cellars.

In the mid-1990s the winery ran into financial trouble and was eventually sold to its current owners, Dan and Becky Blue, Roy and Cheri Eisiminger, and Vance and Jana Thompson. The three couples not only retained the winery’s name, but have continued to produce hand-crafted, ultra-premium wines that consistently win Gold and Double Gold medals.

The popular tasting room is in a modest-sized stone storefront building with two old wine barrels sitting out front. The atmosphere inside is casual and quite friendly. You’ll be greeted with something that’s highly unusual—a complimentary nibble plate containing cheese, olives, nuts, dried fruits and chocolate! The walls are covered with art for sale by Northern California artists (if you’d like to see more art, check out the sister gallery adjacent to the tasting room).

Fascinating Fact:

Before coming to Jessup Cellars in 2008, winemaker Rob Lloyd received numerous awards for his wines at Rombauer Vineyards. One of those wines landed on Wine Spectator’s list of Top 100 wines for 2007.

Amenities: Wine Club, Art Gallery, Dog friendly
Founded: 1996
Signature Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Port
Wine Tasting: Basic, no appointment needed;
“Tasting Experiences” by appointment only
Hours: Daily, 10–6

Jessup Cellars
6740 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94559
707-944-8523

wine@jessupcellars.com
www.jessupcellars.com

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Suzie Rodriguez writes about travel, food, and wine from her home in the wine-country town of Sonoma, California. You can follow her travels and musings at The Culinary Gadabout.

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