Napa Valley’s Sequoia Grove Winery names Jesse Fox winemaker

Jesse Fox has been named winemaker at Sequoia Grove Winery in Napa Valley.

Fox most recently served as winemaker at Amici Cellars in Napa Valley, the winery stated. He began his winemaking career in the cellars of Harlan Estates’ The Napa Valley Reserve and Promontory; he also served as the assistant winemaker at Ram’s Gate in Sonoma-Carneros.

Fox also studied at Le Cordon Bleu and Cornell University and worked as a chef for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, according to the Rutherford-based winery.

“Sequoia Grove is an historic, benchmark Napa Valley winery, which bestows on us a responsibility to simultaneously respect our past and build a promising future,” stated Rick Bonitati, president of Sequoia Grove. “The appointment of Jesse Fox to winemaker is the culmination of a six-year strategy of thoughtful, significant investments and measures to ensure our future lives up to the pioneering vision that the winery was founded on in 1979. All the pieces are in place for Jesse to hit the ground running.”

Since 2016, Sequoia Grove has invested $25 million in all facets of the winery, hospitality areas, vineyard acquisitions and replanting nearly 80% of its estate properties, which include 97 acres in three vineyards.

Investments include the recent purchase of the 21-acre State Lane Vineyard in the Yountville AVA, a new cutting-edge winemaking facility, new buildings inspired by the 110-year-old tasting barn, private spaces for events, and the development of a visionary culinary program overseen by Executive Chef Britny Maureze.

Sequoia Grove worked with wine industry executive search firm The Cypress Group to fill the role.