Head Winemaker - Aaron Miller

As Head Winemaker for PlumpJack Winery, Aaron Miller brings twelve years of wide-ranging experience and an extensive education to the position, holding a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. A California native, he found his calling in the wine industry and planted roots in Napa. Miller is dedicated to crafting Oakville Cabernet that not only showcases the terroir of the estate’s 42 acres, but also to crafting Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon in the PlumpJack style.

“My goal is always to make wine that is strong enough to stand on its own, yet elegant enough to be enjoyed with food," says Miller. "The soil profile at PlumpJack allows for such complexity – simultaneously light and dense. That diversity necessitates preparedness. When it comes to winemaking, I think ten steps ahead, and then act. Being well prepared is critical in order to find the balance between the science and the art of winemaking.”

Miller graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior before continuing on to receive his Masters.  After being published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture and interning in Italy and New Zealand, Miller held positions at Groth Winery and Lewis Cellars. Miller, a life-long fermenter, can often be found brewing beer and making cheese when not spending his spare time with his wife and family.