JV's dynamic wine team:

Norma Poole
As for Norma, the wine industry easily stole her away from her original career in selling real estate; it’s definitely more fun to swirl wine!   Norma’s first inkling of her new career came when friends asked her to help make wines in their garage. Norma’s Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University came in handy for crafting wine. It all went uphill after that. Norma was general manager and sommelier for high-end restaurants in Las Vegas; Food & Beverage Instructor for MGM Grand's University; and has worked in prestigious wineries in the Napa Valley such as Cakebread Cellars, Cardinale and Cuvaison.

Norma holds a degree in Viticulture and Enology from Napa Valley College, is a Certified Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers, and holds an Advanced Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. Norma has been teaching wine courses for over 15 years and is currently an instructor at Napa Valley College's Viticulture and Winery Technology Program. Norma also conducts private wine classes in sensory evaluation, wine and spirits.  At home she and her husband have planted a garden filled with herbs used in ancient spirits distillation. We can’t wait to see what Norma does with those.

Garrett Larghi

Tasting Bar Coordinator for JV Wine & Spirits. Born and bred in Napa Valley, he certainly talks the wine talk, even though his love of wine didn't blossom until he took a position as cashier at JV.  No one describes a wine like Garrett. Swift and poetic, yet down to earth and never pretentious, Garrett recently explained that a German riesling he had just tasted was like a fairytale storybook, likening its flavors to a warm cottage in the woods among other fairytale images.  Garrett's hunger to know more about wine has led him to take wine classes at Napa Valley College in addition to attending JV's own Wine Classes by Professor Poole.   You just have to stop by the shop sometime and listen in on Garrett explaining a wine; you will definitely be educated as well as entertained!