Founded in 1970, Kenwood has been making wine for 46 vintages in a winery that dates back to 1906. They were one of a handful of wineries that started premium Sonoma winemaking in the 1970s, a time when the great rebirth of premium Californian wine took place. Pat was 19 years old when he started making wine, and between him and one of his winemakers, Mark Stupich, they have more than 75 years of wine making experience.
Six Ridges: Each wine is made from fruit sourced from the Sonoma County appellation that best expresses that varietal. The name is inspired by the mountains and ridges that guide the cooling influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean and help to form each appellation’s unique terroir.
Single Vineyard: They showcase the unique and complex flavors of their best vineyard sites. Available only at the tasting room, these low production (120 case) lots are made from individual vineyards selected by Pat for their exceptional quality.
Sonoma Series: The perfect introduction to Sonoma County wines, capturing the unique character of Sonoma’s signature varietals. Made with the same small-lot method that they use for their more premium lines, these wines are known for their true varietal expression.
Jack London: This iconic single-vineyard wine is grown at the author’s old estate located on the steep slopes of Sonoma Mountain. One of California’s oldest and most successful vineyard-designated wines. The vineyard is perfectly suited to growing red varieties. Kenwood has been sourcing exclusively from the Jack London ranch since 1976, and 2015 marked their 40th vintage. Jack London was a pioneer of sustainable farming in Sonoma over 100 years ago and today the estate continues to be sustainably farmed by the same family.
Artist Series: A true work of art and the ultimate expression of Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. Beginning with the 1975 vintage, this wine is one of California’s best-known, super premium Cabernet Sauvignons. A blend made from small lots from their best Sonoma County Cabernet vineyards.


Pat talked about things that are integral to Kenwood “today”. With the backing of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, they can now focus on what they love most – making great Sonoma County wines. They invested in vineyards in a big way as part of the acquisition, purchasing the best five vineyards in their portfolio. Located in the Sonoma, Dry Creek & Russian River Valleys they total more than 250 acres and are the backbone of their premium wine program. Furthermore, the ranches are being improved by replanting with low-yielding clones selected for flavor rather than production. They are in the middle of the biggest capital improvement plan in their history, building a fermentation building and relocating their grape receiving area to the top of the winery for gentler, gravity-flow processing. In the cellar, they have acquired a new state of the art cross flow filter and centrifuge, both designed to ready the wine for bottle with a minimum impact on taste. They have increased the budget for premium tight-grained French oak for use in the Six Ridges, Jack London and Artist Series lines. Pat believes small-lot winemaking is the best way to get the most out of the unique flavors that each of their Sonoma County vineyards produce.
Welcome to the world of fine winemaking Pat. You are a star.
After finishing my luncheon I headed downtown to 29 East 29th street to meet Jack Mason. I have been in awe of this young man since I watched an episode of Uncorked that dealt with the Master Sommelier exam. Coincidentally, the Executive Chef/partner at Marta (and Maialino) Nicholas Anderer mentioned Jack to me at his family’s New Years Day party (I have known Nick since he was in high school).

Born and raised in College Station, Texas, Jack Mason began working in local restaurants at a young age and pursued a culinary degree at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Midway through his studies, while fulfilling a wine education requirement, he attended the course taught by Michael Weiss, one of the authors of the book Exploring Wine. Jack’s interest was sparked and he decided to continue his education with a degree in Hospitality Management at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. There, he met Greg Harrington of Gramercy Cellars, who would become a mentor to him as he became a Teaching Assistant in a wine course and spent summers furthering his education by working in wine shops and restaurants in Texas.


Upon graduating and returning to Texas, Jack spent over two years working as a Sommelier at the Grand Award-winning Pappas Brothers Steakhouse in Houston before moving to New York City in 2013. Jack honed his knowledge and love of Italian wine as a Sommelier at several of Michael White’s Italian restaurants, including Ai Fiori and Marea. Jack started the introductory sommelier course when he was just 21 and marched on to pass the Advanced Exam of the Court of Master Sommeliers. In 2014, Jack joined the opening team of Marta as Wine Director, in which capacity he enjoys focusing on wines of southern Italy to complement Chef Nick Anderer’s Roman-influenced menu, and furthering the team’s beverage education. There are 225 wines on the Marta list with Champagne and Italian wines dominating. The restaurant has 180 seats and four other sommeliers on staff. They also cater all the food needs of the Martha Washington Hotel within which they are located. In 2015, Jack passed his final exam and was inducted into the Court of Master Sommeliers. The exam consists of three sections- a verbal theory examination, a blind tasting of six wines in 25 minutes, and a practical restaurant service component. Candidates must pass all three sections to earn their diploma. Jack took the Master Sommelier exam three times and picked up one portion each time.” (A student who passes one or two parts may retake the section(s) he or she failed during the next two years. If all three parts are not passed during a three-year period, the candidate is required to start from scratch.) Of the hundreds who took the insanely difficult exam (those who have seen the documentary Somm will be familiar with the long, hard process), Jack was one of seven from across the country to pass the exam in 2015 and the only one from New York City. At 27 he was the youngest of the 232 Master Sommeliers worldwide. Jack was also included in Forbes’s annual 30 Under 30 list of outstanding young professionals nationwide.

The world is his oyster and there is no limit to where he will be and what he will be doing before he turns 30. It was a privilege for this 80 year wine educator to meet Jack.
Jack Mason Seated & Marta Dining Room Photos by Alice Gao. Rest by Ron Kapon