Epoch Estate Wines (Vice President of Winemaking & Vineyards)

Jordan Fiorentini, a native of Georgia, grew up as part of a wine-loving family and developed a keen interest in wines at a young age. She entered Dartmouth College in 1995, majoring in engineering, but also taking courses in the visual arts and Italian. During her junior year, Jordan studied abroad in Italy and took the following fall quarter off, working a crush at Markham Vineyards in the Napa Valley. This experience turned out to be her professional epiphany, as she fell in love with winemaking.

After earning her B.A. degree in 1999 with a major in Engineering Sciences, Italian & Art, she immersed herself in the world of wine by entering a master’s program in Enology and Viticulture at the University of California, Davis, in 2000 and completing the degree in 2003; while there, she was a research and teaching assistant for the legendary sensory sciences professor, Dr. Ann Noble, and was Ann’s last thesis student. As part of her program, she had internships at Araujo Estate Wines and Cuvaison Estate Wines in the Napa Valley and at the Antinori-Tenuta Tignanello winery in the Tuscany region of Italy; it was there that she met her future husband.

Following graduation, she worked with her father for several years to establish Frogtown Cellars in Georgia, where she was the winemaker. In early 2007, Jordan moved on to Chalk Hill Estate Winery in Sonoma County as its associate winemaker and was named Director of Winemaking 18 months later. She made award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Bordeaux-based blends, and red Rhône varietal wines. Jordan assumed her present position of Winemaker at Epoch Estate Wines in mid-2010. The winery is located west of Paso Robles and produces ultra-premium Rhône-variety wines.

Jordan’s extensive experience and knowledge are combined with an uncompromising dedication to quality and a true passion for wine and winemaking. At Epoch, she is responsible for leading all aspects of vineyard management and winemaking activities. She was named Winemaker of the Year as part of the 2021 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Awards.

Jordan describes herself as a winemaker, businesswoman, enologist, wife, mother, and a self-proclaimed cellar rat.