Peninsula People Dec 2017

Kristin and Stephen Jolley at work in their Peninsula home.
red blend we wanted to be smooth
and easy drinking, so we came up
with a Cab, Syrah, and Petite Verdot
blend. Though both are made
in Spain, we’re using varietals that
are popular in the American market,
so we don’t market them as
Spanish wines.”
The wine business was a sideline
for Karen until the sudden closure
of Fresh and Easy presented her
with a stark choice: find another
grocery marketing job or make the
wine business a full time job. She
chose the wine business. Stephen
kept his decade-long career as a
firefighter and worked with his
wife on his days off. Together they
designed the label, which has a
retro look, reminiscent of 1950s’
advertising, which appeals to their
target demographic.
“Our market is millennials, the
ones who are going to happy
hours. We want to have this brand
retail for under $10, to keep it accessible.
You don’t have to have a
sophisticated palate to enjoy
Happy Hour, it’s not a wine snob
wine and we don’t want it to be. It
should be fun, accessible, and easy
to drink. We’re turning America’s
favorite pastime into a brand. We
do events, wine festivals, and inhouse
samplings at Total Wine, and
we’re the house wine at Good Stuff
restaurants.”
Kristin and Stephen have been
piling up the frequent flyer miles
going back and forth to Spain.
“We work with our winemakers
and blend the wines with them to
make sure they are what want them
to be. We started on the business
side but have become involved with
the artisan side, or perhaps it’s better
to say the aesthetic side. We
have been out in the fields, picked
the grapes, and learned everything
we can. We love being involved in
the process from beginning to end.”
Kristin was emphatic in saying
they don’t want or need to have a
product in every category.
“We’re working on a rosé to be
available in spring of next year, and
that will complete our line, for
now. We’re trying to keep this simple.
We’re a small business that is
taking off, and we’re working toward
becoming a household name.
Look at what we have accomplished
already. It has been two
years, and we’re now in 23 states,
working with major retailers like
Von’s and Whole Foods. Both
wines are getting respect from
sommeliers. One at a major restaurant
in Las Vegas tried our white
and told me, ‘If I didn’t know what
this was I’d guess it was a white
Burgundy in the $25 per bottle
range.’ We’re happy with that, getting
respect from professionals for
a wine that was designed to be approachable
and not intimidating.”
Perhaps there is some genetic
disposition to not only loving wine,
but to also love making it. Certainly
Karen has taken the business
far beyond her grandfather’s
dreams. She mentioned she might
someday be interested in starting a
winery in California, but finished
that statement with a dismissive,
“That’s a dream down the road.” PEN
30 Peninsula • December 2017