Jesse Katz

Terroir-driven winemaking is the frame Jesse Katz gives his work. At The Setting Wines in Napa, where he has been winemaker and founding partner, the measure is how space, place, and time land in the bottle. Katz has described that approach in his own terms: “Like my father’s ability to tell amazing stories through his photography, my greatest joy is bringing together and interweaving the intricacies of space, place, and time – in essence, the terroir – that make a stellar bottle of wine.”

The technical base for that approach came through Fresno State, then through cellar and vineyard responsibility as head winemaker at Lancaster Estate and Roth Winery. That early work is what later supported two separate labels: Aperture Cellars, founded in 2009, and The Setting Wines, cofounded in 2014.

The current role is straightforward: Jesse Katz is winemaker and founding partner of The Setting Wines in Napa. The work sits in the same register as the rest of his career—site-first, process-led, and built around the particulars of the vineyard rather than a fixed house style.

Jesse's signature wines include Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Aperture Farrow Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Blue Ocean Floor, Aperture Estate Farrow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, and Montage Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaker of the Year and Forbes 30 Under 30 mark Jesse Katz's recognition in the trade.