ABOUT US
J+K began as the collaboration of business and life partners Jake and Kristen.
Jake grew up in Yorba Linda and passionately pursued every trade and hobby he could that involved using his two hands and his excellent problem solving skills, from bass guitar and auto repairs, to welding, plumbing, and electrical. Kristen grew up on an organic farm in Topanga Canyon, a bohemian enclave in the mountains above Malibu. For more than a decade, they had visited the Santa Ynez Valley again and again, from their first vacation as a couple in Santa Ynez to their honeymoon in Los Olivos. Both had always had artistic and agricultural interests, but it wasn't until falling madly in love with a vineyard property in Ballard Canyon that they ever considered growing grapes as a way of life - and a way to combine so many of their passions and interests. They finally took the leap and acquired the vineyard in 2020. Jake was extremely hands-on in the vineyard, but he tragically passed in February 2022.
Ange Day, Jake's longtime friend, stepped in to assist with the vineyard and became our on-site manager right away. While living and working at AmByth Estate, a biodynamic vineyard in Paso Robles where Ange was learning to farm and make wine, she and Jake had many conversations about his aspirations for J+K and what the vineyard could become.
After Jake passed, she took on the task of its day-to-day stewardship, which gave her a deep understanding of its individual blocks, seasonal rhythms and the distinct personality of each variety. It also allowed her to help carry forward some of the hopes Jake had shared for the land. In 2024, Kristen and Ange brought on Paul and Francisco Ramirez of Loma Escondida as our farming partners. We chose them because of their respected reputation in the valley and the quality of the wines produced from vineyards they farm for labels including Pence and Kessler-Haak.
Ange continues to play a day-to-day role in the vineyard, making informed farming decisions and implementing regenerative agricultural practices. These include using biological inputs from Advancing Eco Agriculture to support microbial soil health, maintaining owl boxes and other avian habitat, practicing deficit irrigation and managing the vineyard without herbicides or tillage. Much of the work, including weed control, is performed by hand and on foot. It is more labor-intensive, but we believe it creates a healthier and more resilient vineyard.
Ange has always viewed her role as one of stewardship. That means caring not only for the vines but also for the larger habitat around them, including the birds, beneficial insects and wildlife—from hawks, owls and bobcats to the occasional mountain lion—that share the land with us.
Ange Day, Jake's longtime friend, stepped in to assist with the vineyard and became our on-site manager right away. While living and working at AmByth Estate, a biodynamic vineyard in Paso Robles where Ange was learning to farm and make wine, she and Jake had many conversations about his aspirations for J+K and what the vineyard could become.
After Jake passed, she took on the task of its day-to-day stewardship, which gave her a deep understanding of its individual blocks, seasonal rhythms and the distinct personality of each variety. It also allowed her to help carry forward some of the hopes Jake had shared for the land. In 2024, Kristen and Ange brought on Paul and Francisco Ramirez of Loma Escondida as our farming partners. We chose them because of their respected reputation in the valley and the quality of the wines produced from vineyards they farm for labels including Pence and Kessler-Haak.
Ange continues to play a day-to-day role in the vineyard, making informed farming decisions and implementing regenerative agricultural practices. These include using biological inputs from Advancing Eco Agriculture to support microbial soil health, maintaining owl boxes and other avian habitat, practicing deficit irrigation and managing the vineyard without herbicides or tillage. Much of the work, including weed control, is performed by hand and on foot. It is more labor-intensive, but we believe it creates a healthier and more resilient vineyard.
Ange has always viewed her role as one of stewardship. That means caring not only for the vines but also for the larger habitat around them, including the birds, beneficial insects and wildlife—from hawks, owls and bobcats to the occasional mountain lion—that share the land with us.