Jeff Brinkman’s fascination with wine began during college, when he started working in a wine shop to help pay for school. Since he was studying biochemistry, he was initially drawn by the seemingly infinite variables involved in winemaking. When Jeff lost interest in further graduate study he stayed in retail to continue learning about wine. He found through frequent travels to California and visits with winemakers that many others had abandoned the sciences for the love of wine. His first winery job was at R.H. Phillips, where he began as a cellar worker and eventually worked his way up to research winemaker.

He went on to be winemaker at Atlas Peak Vineyards (Once a joint project between the Antinori wine family and Allied-Domecq, and now known as Antica) and Husch Vineyards and Winery in Anderson Valley before taking the job at Rhys Vineyards in 2006. He remains fascinated by the endless number of variables that make each vintage different from the next and inspired by the fact that every day at a winery — especially one like Rhys, with such a unique mission — is different from the last.

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