Julian Christian & Kathryn Siegfried moved to Napa, CA to live their dream and work in wine after leaving extensive careers in restaurants & hospitality in 2016. First seduced by the charm and wonder of wine country 10 years ago on a business trip while working as an assistant manager in fine dining, Julian traveled to Napa from Canton, Ohio with his then boss and wine mentor Jerry Jacob. During an unseasonably cool third week of August, Julian explored Napa in all its glory. Early morning barrel tastings above the fog line on Howell Mountain, a classic lunch at the iconic Mustards Grill, and he even bumped into his future employer, Chef Thomas Keller, while in line at Bouchon Bakery for a lemon tart.
Upon his return home, Julian began studying to become a professional sommelier and quickly found himself devoted to the world of wine. Six years and several business trips later, after completing the Level 2 Certified Sommelier program, Julian ventured back to Napa for his first harvest internship in wine production and never looked back. While working harvests at Cakebread Cellars, Buccella, and Hourglass Estate, alongside head-winemaker Tony Biagi and his own Patria Wines label, Julian developed a great appreciation for the many number of ways to make high quality, delicious wine, that people will want to share. The common thread seemed to be the quality of the grapes that each wine starts with; when great care is taken in the vineyard, it can be easier to move out of the way in the cellar and allow a wine to truly speak for itself.