Jim Shumate

The Climb

Cellar discipline starts early in a career like Jim Shumate’s. At Meridian Vineyards, he began in the barrel room, then moved into Senior Lab Technician and Senior Barrel Technician roles, building experience in the details that define cellar life: measurement, timing, patience, and attention to how each vessel and vintage develops. That progression led to Templeton Wine Services, where he served as Cellar Master and Consulting Winemaker from 1999–2008, expanding both his technical range and his view of how wines are carried from raw material to finished bottle. He then took on a similarly layered role at the Cal Poly pilot winery, serving as Cellar Master, winemaker, and lecturer from 2008–2011. By the time he reached Pomar Junction, the work reflected a career shaped in the classroom, the lab, and the working cellar.

Today

Since 2011, Jim Shumate has led winemaking at Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery in Templeton, keeping the cellar work steady and focused on long-term structure. That approach comes through in the plainspoken note for Cab Forward: “Cab Forward is a Reserve blend of our best barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot. This wine honors the railroad heritage of the Merrill family. Excellent aging potential.” The language is direct, and the method behind it is clear: selection, blending, and confidence in time. At Pomar Junction, that sensibility fits the estate’s identity and the patient work of building wines meant to develop over time.

Signature

Jim’s signature wines include Cab Forward and 2017 Zinfandel. The pair points to the range of the work: one grounded in reserve-level blending, the other in the character that a vintage like 2017 can carry. Across both, the thread is judgment—choosing the right barrels, the right balance, and the right moment to move a wine forward.

In Their Words “Cab Forward is a Reserve blend of our best barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot. This wine honors the railroad heritage of the Merrill family. Excellent aging potential.”

Recognition

Shumate’s background includes a B.S. in Wine and Viticulture from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, tying his education to the same institutions that shaped his professional life. His current roles at Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery and Cal Poly keep him connected to both production and teaching, a career built on the link between learning, cellar work, and place.