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Under his direction, Kendall-Jackson has taken "wine country" cuisine to a new level. Given Sonoma County's choice of abundant farm-fresh meats and produce, it's easy to understand Justin's enthusiasm for creating memorable combinations of textures and flavors.
"For a chef, the idea of having access to Kendall-Jackson's world-class wines and a superb culinary garden is a dream come true," says Justin, now in his second year as Chef with the winery.
Justin grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, where he began working in restaurants before attending A.B. Tech Culinary School. During his culinary school training, he participated in several American Culinary Federation Hot Food Competitions on a regional and national level, winning gold medals on several occasions. Justin came west and took a job at Napa Valley's Culinary Institute of America in 1999, followed by Saddleback Cellars and Santa Rosa's Syrah Restaurant before joining the Kendall-Jackson Culinary Team.
For the daily food creations at Kendall-Jackson, Justin finds a tremendous amount of inspiration and ingredients from the winery's 2½-acre culinary sensory gardens and local food producers. | 