September 23rd, 2010 
One of my closest friend’s in San Francisco, Jordana Templin and her husband, Joel, own a winery called JAQK Cellars. Some may see me as biased when I say that I love the wine that JAQK produces but I know better. Here’s why: I know NOTHING about wine other than the fact that I know what I like, and I know what I don’t like, and I mostly like sparkling wine and champagne. Many wine snobs would probably turn up their noses at me but at the end of the day one doesn’t need to know much more than whether or not it tastes good or not. Right?! Enough said and back to JAQK wines.
JAQK Cellars is inspired by the Jack, Ace, Queen and King in the deck of cards. Renowned winemaker Craig MacLean with Joel and their partner Katie Jain lead JAQK Cellars. The winery released its first vintage in 2008 and earlier this year had a second release of eight distinctive wines. The wines and the JAQK brand are sexy and sophisticated appealing to those who are new to wine as well as to those who are looking to add to their wine collection.
JAQK offers two different collections of wines for every palate. The Napa Collection is a mix of JAQK Cellars coveted High Roller (cabernet sauvignon), Black Clover (merlot), Soldiers of Fortune (Syrah), and Pearl Handle (Chardonnay). The California Collection is a split of reds and whites including 22 Black (cabernet sauvignon), Bone Dance (merlot), Her Majesty (chardonnay), and Charmed (sauvignon blanc). The wines are priced from $19 to $67 a bottle.
My personal favorites are the High Roller and the Her Majesty. The High Roller, in my unrefined opinion, is a bold and rich taste with a good finish. We have a bottle of High Roller waiting for us to open one of these days! Her Majesty is a delicious wine to drink alone or while eating a Caesar salad. These two standout to me but I’ve been lucky to try them all and each are delicious in their own way.
Earlier this summer, JAQK moved its headquarters to a new office. The move allowed the team to open a tasting room and rooftop lounge for private wine tastings or wine and food pairings. Call JAQK Cellars directly at (415) 398-1630 to find out how to reserve space.
JAQK is found in fine restaurants, shops and hotels around the country. Additionally, JAQK Cellars can ship directly to Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Buy a bottle or two for yourself and while you’re at it, send a friend or family member one of JAQK’s fantastic gift sets!
Wines can be ordered directly by calling JAQK’s San Francisco headquarters or ordering online. Tell them I sent you! Too bad JAQK doesn’t make a sparkling wine!
