“Really it was when I had children that I thought, this is just such an amazing legacy that my family has built over five generations and I want to dive in and build that legacy even more to give it to my kids.”
BC: Tell us about your background with Wente and what it was like growing up in this world?
JW: I’ve been involved in the company since birth. It was always an amazing experience getting to grow up here. My dad and family are such a wealth of knowledge, I can’t even put words to the experience of growing up here.
BC: What role do you bring to Wente and how do you best achieve that?
JW: I want to make sure people can really relax and enjoy the beauty and the history of the property. I want to really let people understand the sense of place that the wines come from. I want people to feel like they’re apart of our family too. All of our staff is amazing at really delivering on the guest experience.
BC: What is the role of women at Wente?
JW: This is the year of the women at Wente, we’re starting to take over. I think we now outnumber the men in terms of family members, which I think is a really cool dynamic.
BC: What is the single piece of advice you can lend to those trying to make it in the restaurant and hospitality business, or those trying to achieve a career goal in general?
JW: A passion for wanting to be [where you are] makes all the difference. If you have that passion, you’ll make it work.
