Sonoma native Jess Wade vows to make it in the wine biz in high-priced Sonoma

Jess Wade grew up on 40 acres high in the Mayacamas Mountains overlooking the vineyards of the Valley of the Moon. He first harvested and crushed grapes with his buddy's grandpa when he was only 10. Both of his parents are chefs, and he was raised knowing the joy and importance of a well-prepared meal shared with family.

When he left that culture, living in San Francisco and pursuing what he thought would be a career in banking, his inner voice reminded him of what he truly loved – Sonoma, and its greatest treasure, wine.

He knew it would be crazy- difficult to succeed in an industry increasingly dominated by corporations and individuals with buckets of money. He knew how much he had to learn. How expensive it's become to live in the Valley. How pervasive the competition would be. And he fully understood he would have to work hard, with essential side gigs as a waiter and bartender, with no such thing as weekends off.

Now Wade is 32. He organically farms 14 acres of premium vineyards for eight owners, and makes wine for some of them, too. He's started his own wine company and was the winemaker for its first releases earlier this year, a Carneros Pinot Noir and a Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir. Among other places, his wines are on the list at acclaimed Café La Haye in Sonoma and Michelin-starred Bouchon in that other valley, Napa.

He calls his company Topophilia, which means, as it says on the label, a love of place. Indeed, it's his love of place that drives him. His goal is to bring a sense of place to every bottle. 'My wines are as much a part of me as they are the earth where they grow.'

Wade's first foray when he left San Francisco was to work the harvest at Rancho Sisquoc Winery in Santa Maria, where the winemaker took a liking to him and mentored him through every aspect of the winemaking process. Then breaking into the local wine scene he worked a few years at Sojourn Cellars and then mixed it up, traveling to New Zealand to harvest and learn to craft pinot noir at Rockburn Winery. In 2015 he earned a degree in oenology and vineyard technology at Napa Valley College.

'I love pinot noir,' he said, sitting alongside a vineyard he farms at a smooth, inviting picnic table he hand-made from wood he found on the property. He explained that he also made the rosé because 'it's my mom's favorite.' Wearing Ray-Ban aviators, with dimples so engaging they overshadow his tattoo of a woman with grapes for hair sipping a glass of pinot, he pours a splash and says winemaking reminds him of cooking. Like his parents taught him, 'You use the very best ingredients and then you don't do too much.'

He's currently eyeing a tasting room that he hopes will open soon, and down the road hopes for his own winery property and vineyard. 'I'm saving my pennies.'

He's constantly networking, and returns the buzzing texts from clients immediately. 'I'm making friends all over the world doing this,' he said, and though he's committed to Sonoma, hopes to head to Portugal during the November to January quiet season in vineyard management. (Using airline rewards miles, natch.)

He laments that he works way too much for a proper dating lifestyle – 'Doing what I do isn't conducive to a relationship right now' – but his personality is too infectious to imagine many lonely moments. 'I am a notorious workaholic,' he said, but can imagine slowing down – a little bit.

He's successful enough that his hours working tables and the bar at the Girl and the Fig are no longer necessary, but he's still on call to bartend at Steiner's when it's hopping, sometimes driving his '68 Chevy truck to work. It uses too much gas for daily use, so he uses a more sensible black Tacoma for that.

He's renting now, but also sees being a homeowner in his future, and has a down-payment pocket he's filling. 'Living here is tough for a lot people. You have to be willing to work really, really hard.'

Pausing to appreciate the vineyard view, with a wave of his arm he said, 'I have a beautiful office... Topophilia is not just about loving a place for it physical attributes, but for the people in the community, too. This is a special place we live in. I want to see everyone succeed.'