JIM HAS BEEN MAKING WINE IN OREGON FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. HE WAS RECENTLY SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT HE HAS ACTUALLY SPENT A CUMULATIVE 23 YEARS IN THE WINE INDUSTRY.
HE STARTED OFF HIS CAREER DURING COLLEGE WORKING FOR LOWER FALLS WINE COMPANY IN NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, NEAR HIS CHILDHOOD HOME OF WORCESTER. HE QUICKLY FOUND THAT HIS PASSION FOR LIBATIONS AND TRAVEL MADE FOR QUITE INTERESTING CAREER PROSPECTS. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, HE WAS RECRUITED BY DISTRIBUTORS LARGE AND SMALL, AND SPENT NEARLY A DECADE IN DIRECT IMPORTS AND NATIONAL SALES THROUGHOUT THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. HE MANAGED VARIOUS PORTFOLIOS AND EDUCATED DISTRIBUTORS AND REPS ON THE INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO OF WINES HE REPRESENTED. HIS PASSIONS WERE PARTICULARLY PIQUED WHEN HE BROKERED CONTAINERS INTO THE EASTERN SEABOARD DIRECTLY FROM PRODUCERS AND NEGOCIANTS IN ITALY AND GERMANY, FURTHERING HIS KNOWLEDGE OF OLD WORLD WINES AND PRODUCTION STYLES IMMENSELY. HIS GOOD FORTUNE BROUGHT HIM TO ITALY FOR A YEAR IN 2002, WHERE HE LEARNED ITALIAN AND WORKED AS A SMALL TOWN ROOFER ON LAGO MAGGIORE IN THE PIEDMONT REGION FOR A YEAR BEFORE RETURNING TO THE STATES DETERMINED TO TRY HIS HAND AT THE OTHER END OF THE WINE SPECTRUM. HE MADE HIS WAY WEST, AND LANDED IN THE QUAINT TOWN OF MCMINNVILLE. HE ROLLED IN OFF THE STREET ONE RAINY MORNING IN FEBRUARY AND WAS HIRED ON THE SPOT TO HELP BOTTLE THE 2001 VINTAGE AT LEMELSON, WHERE HE REMAINED FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS. WORKING NINE CONSECUTIVE VINTAGES WITH LEMELSON AS ASSISTANT WINEMAKER, HE HONED HIS CRAFT ALONGSIDE MANY SKILLED VITICULTURISTS, WINEMAKERS AND HARVEST CREWS. HE ASSISTED ANTHONY KING THERE FROM 2006-2012.
AFTER SPENDING THE 2005 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HARVEST IN NZ, WORKING WITH PINOT NOIR AND CHARDONNAY AT NEUDORF VINEYARDS JUST OUTSIDE NELSON, HE CAME HOME TO START THE FIRST BATCH OF HIS OWN PINOT NOIR UNDER HIS PRIVATE LABEL, ESPER CELLARS. TWO THOUSAND AND SIX MARKED THE FIRST VINTAGE OF ESPER TO BE RELEASED.
