Jam Cellars’ Butter Chardonnay

NAPA — On this week’s episode of Rock’N Vino, Coco Sterzenbach and Mike DeWald take you behind the scenes of Napa’s JaM Cellars winery. Founded by John and Michele Truchard, JaM provides the perfect fusion of wine lifestyle with music culture.

Geoff Whitman, the winery’s executive vice president of sales, sits down to talk about how the winery came to embrace music as part of its brand, due in no small part to BottleRock Napa Valley. Concertgoers at BottleRock have surely seen JaM Cellars’ branding all over the festival grounds. The winery was one of the fest’s original partners. Along with BottleRock, JaM Cellars also opened a new music hotspot in downtown Napa, and partners with festivals across the country.

Geoff Whitman of JaM Cellars. Courtesy.

Whitman talks about how the JaM Cellars tasting room fits the musical aesthetic—featuring a live performance space and state-of-the-art recording studio; his own musical background, and crossing paths with his own musical heroes like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.

Whitman, himself a winemaker, developed his own wine, Ledbetter Wines, collaborating on a label design with famed rock and roll photographer Danny Clinch.