Osteria IL Centro recently had the pleasure of hosting Dan Parrot, CEO of Jax Vineyards, for an exclusive wine tasting event! Members of the OIC Wine Club gathered together in person once again (for the first time since the pandemic) to try 5 different California expressions from Jax Vineyards with Parrott sharing his wine expertise about each bottle along the way. OIC also served up several courses of gourmet caliber hors d’oeuvres (seared tuna, lobster cakes, and lamb chops were a few of the delicious hits!) for Wine Club members to dine on between bottle samplings!
Dan Parrot, CEO of Jax Vineyards
Dan Parrott
Parrott took on the role of CEO at Jax Vineyards 10 years ago, bringing a wealth of wine-world knowledge with him to the family-owned winery. Before joining the Jax team, Parrott worked at a number of fine dining restaurants as he put himself through college. Working at these restaurants and getting to know their wine programs sparked his interest in wine, but at the time he had other career plans on the horizon.
After graduating from college with a degree in photography, Dan served in the U.S. Army working as a war photographer. After that journey, he was drawn back to the world of restaurants, working at numerous different venues building out their wine programs. While passionate about the wine, Parrott wasn’t as enthusiastic about working restaurant hours, so he moved into the wine supplier space. For the next few years, he worked directly with small producers located in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, opening up markets for them in the Midwest and along the West Coast.
Parrott just happened to be at the right place at the right time when Jax Vineyards decided to bring on a new CEO and he leaped at the opportunity.
Jax Vineyards
Jax Vineyards is located in Calistoga, Napa Valley, the northernmost part of the valley, an area particularly known for its Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs. The family-owned winery enjoys the perks of being a small, yet concentrated production – picking the grapes exactly when they want and creating different styles of wines within the price points they desire. For their vineyards, Jax only utilizes sustainable farming practices, acting as good stewards of the land that helps produce the fruit that makes their wine.
In addition to their estate-grown label, Jax Vineyards offers another collection – the Y3 series. For these “true to varietal” wines, Jax purchases fruit from other small growers around Napa Valley and Sonoma. These wines allow Jax Vineyards to further showcase just how unique the terroir across these regions can be, as well as maintain strong relationships with local growers who share the same values at Jax.
Parrot’s previous experience working with Old World wine producers shines through in his work at Jax Vineyards. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the California wine world was run by the saying “bigger is better” with a heavy focus on bold Cabernets and oaky, buttery Chardonnays. Parrott brings a little bit more refinement to Jax Vineyard’s wines, with a lighter touch that allows the personality of the fruit and terroir to be front and center.
Parrott presented the following wines during the tasting:
- Jax Y3 Rosé ‘22
- Jax Y3 Chardonnay ‘21
- Jax Y3 Pinot Noir ‘21
- Jax Estate Cabernet Franc ‘20
- Jax Estate Block 3 Cabernet ‘19
When the evening came to a close, OIC Wine Club members were given the opportunity to purchase any of the wines they had tasted that night.
If you would like to be invited to the next wine event at Osteria IL Centro, please join the OIC Wine Club! Membership is completely complimentary and provides members with a number of other perks beyond these exclusive wine events!
Click here to become an OIC Wine Club member!
