Jeffrey Jindra

The Climb

Sparkling wine asks for patience, technical control, and a steady hand, and Jeffrey Jindra’s training at Sonoma State University gave him the foundation for that kind of work. Since 2018, he has been winemaker at Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo, a post that places him inside one of the region’s more exacting categories. The craft here is not about spectacle. It is about structure, lift, and the discipline to keep both in balance.

Today

Since 2018, Jeffrey Jindra has served as winemaker at Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo. The wines are described without ornament: “We make sparkling wines from Mendocino County Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.” That directness suits the category. In sparkling wine, clarity matters; the fruit, the method, and the handling have to carry the work. His own framing keeps the focus on what the wine should do in the glass. Brightness, balance, and texture are the terms that come through, along with a practical rejection of excess. The goal is not decoration. It is to make wines that move cleanly across the palate and still feel alive.

Signature

Jeffrey Jindra’s signature wines include Crémant and Brut Rosé Excellence. Read together, they show two ways of working within sparkling wine: one more restrained and classical in feel, the other more openly expressive through color. In both cases, the same core holds—structure, acidity, and effervescence doing the main work.

In Their Words “When I craft these wines, I am thinking about how to demonstrate the terroir of our region in a glass – fruit-forward wines with a perfect balance of acidity and effervescence.” “Sparkling wine doesn’t need to be a celebratory beverage, and it’s part of my job to dispel that.”

Recognition

His language ties the work to place and to the rules of the category: “When I craft these wines, I am thinking about how to demonstrate the terroir of our region in a glass – fruit-forward wines with a perfect balance of acidity and effervescence.” He also makes the use case plain: “Big occasions are great, but so is the everyday.” Together, those lines position Jeffrey Jindra as a winemaker working to widen the frame around sparkling wine and return it to the table, not just the toast.