OUR JOURNEY
Discover the ethos of Aperture
Wine is an artistic expression as personal and universal as photography. Andy made his name as one of the greatest photographers of his generation, and his work graces coffee-table books, galleries, and album covers around the globe. While he was traveling the world for his art, he made a point of bringing along his son, Jesse, to experience it all with him. Over the years, they both benefited from an international wine education that even master sommeliers would envy—sipping with Olivier Leflaive and his family, working through the famous wine cellar of Cheval Blanc and in a late-night tasting of Sassicaia.
It’s all come full circle now with Aperture: Jesse makes the wine—some of the most critically lauded in the world—and Andy supplies the photos. Andy’s vision, Jesse’s taste, smell, and touch… Treat yourself to a dance of the senses compliments of two gifted artists.
The wines, and the winery, are just the entry point into Andy and Jesse’s unique world where we incorporate art and wine and all the elements of nature in one game-changing space. We think of our winery as a platform and an incubator for expressing art and the creativity of wine, and the intersection of both.
“Like my father’s ability to tell amazing stories through his photography, my greatest joy is bringing together the intricacies of space, place, and time – in essence, the terroir – that make an exceptional bottle of wine.”
— JESSE KATZ, Winemaker
WINEMAKER
Jesse Katz has, in a remarkably short period of time, made himself into one of the most respected wine professionals in California. He was the first winemaker ever to be included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, a Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemaker, and had been named a Wine Spectator “Rising Star.”
For Jesse, nothing matters more than the wine itself.
Jesse’s mission for Aperture is to find the top cool-climate spots around California for his beloved Bordeaux varieties to thrive in. For Devil Proof Vineyards, it’s all about dry-farmed Malbec—the variety for which Jesse earned the highest-ever scores from Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, Jr. of The Wine Advocate, and Wine Enthusiast.
Over two decades of harvests learning from the best producers in the world—Pétrus, Screaming Eagle, Viña Cobos, Bodega Noemia, and more—have led to this moment at Aperture, where his wines have generated buzz and critical acclaim in equal measure.
