Jeff Knapp | Hospitality Manager

Bio: I am orignally from Wichita, KS.  (For those of you that don’t know where Wichita is- if the United States were a dart board, Wichita would be the bullseye).  Growing up in a large family, all of our gatherings focused around large meals with people talking loudly over one another, kids racing around everywhere and jokes being told in tight circles of uncles just out of the earshot of the kids.  It always seemed that the most fun and exciting times happened around people, food and beverage.  Thus my love for food was born, eventually leading me to my love for wine.  I attended both the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR and Wichita State University where I received my BA in Spanish and Anthropology.  (Obviously making we qualified to sell wine).  I put myself through school working in restaurants and traveling all of the country exploring it’s glorious bounty.  After college, I worked in the commercial film industry.  It was a lot of fun working on music videos, short films and television commercials.  My wife and I sat down one day and made a list of things we would want from our “ideal” community; outdoor recreation, sustainability, food/wine/art scene, temperate climate, etc.  Shortly after doing so, we relocated to Portland in 2004 where I was once again working around food.  I was overwhelmed by the variety and quality of food and beverage in the area.  I worked for several years managing private events at bluehour restaurant. This is where I really fell in love with the marriage of food and wine.  Shortly after that, I enrolled in courses with the Internationl Sommelier Guild and the rest is history.  The opportunity to join the amazing team at Sokol Blosser presented itself and I eagerly accepted.  My wife Liz and my two dogs Jacques and Mya moved to McMinnville to be a part of this awesome community.