Jim Rollston

Coming Up

At The Farmhouse Inn, Jim Rollston led the wine program, a role that puts cellar discipline and service cadence on the same level. He then led the wine program at Cyrus, where the focus sharpened further on how wine can structure a meal rather than sit beside it, before becoming Wine Director at Manresa in Los Gatos, CA. Taken together, the progression shows a steady narrowing of attention onto the same trade question: how a wine list can shape the room as much as the glass.

Where They Are Now

As Wine Director at Manresa in Los Gatos, California, Rollston works from precision and persuasion in equal measure. His language around benchmark wines is plainspoken and practical: "There’s something about these benchmark wines that brings so much to matching with food, and there’s probably a reason why they have stood the test of time and the comings and goings of fashion." The point is durability—wines that hold up because they have balance, character, and enough definition to settle into a meal cleanly. He has also said, "I want to give someone a reason to come into the dining room. They are unicorn wines for a big crowd of Burgundy drinkers." That puts the commercial side of the work in view: the list is built not just to serve a menu, but to draw people in. At Manresa, guest choice sits inside a framework of serious bottles, selected to command attention without overtaking the food.

In Their Words “There’s something about these benchmark wines that brings so much to matching with food, and there’s probably a reason why they have stood the test of time and the comings and goings of fashion.” “I want to give someone a reason to come into the dining room. They are unicorn wines for a big crowd of Burgundy drinkers.”

Honors

Jim's honors include Sommelier of the Year (2017).