Jared Winter
Hello, and welcome.I am a California native working at the intersection of science, operations, and community. Trained in Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, my career has involved laboratory research, hospitality leadership, and programs management. Across each setting, I have been drawn to building thoughtful systems, leading clearly, and delivering practical results that matter in the real world.My work is motivated by a simple idea: create products and experiences that are holistically vitalizing.Outside of work, I am usually exploring by backpack or bike, following a game of baseball, or tinkering in the garage or kitchen. I am filled with gratitude to live in Davis, California, with my marvelous partner and a very silly dog.Thank you for being here.
Professional Experience
My professional work spans three primary areas.As a sommelier, my experience centers on sensory evaluation, client education, and wine program development. That work balances deep product knowledge with operational discipline, financial awareness, and the ability to translate complexity into something accessible and engaging.In research settings, I have worked hands on in fermentation and yeast systems, supporting experimental design, data collection, and applied inquiry within collaborative scientific environments. The focus there is rigor, documentation, and steady progress toward clear outcomes.Project management serves as the unifying practice across both domains. Planning and coordination across timelines, budgets, vendors, teams, and stakeholders is where structure meets adaptability. Whether in a lab or a business environment, I work to bring clarity to moving parts and execution to ambitious ideas.
Entrepreneurial Endeavors
I am working on founding Better Bowl Co., a functional pet food company. Its flagship product, Ask A Dog, is a dog food topper that naturally stimulates appetite in older and selective eaters, supporting active aging and overall happiness.
Personal
Away from work, my time is shaped by exploration, craft, and intention. Each day feels like an opportunity to learn, build, and move something forward, whether that is a personal goal, a creative project, or simply a better way of doing things.Often I wonder whether I enjoy more the structure of planning life’s ambitions or the act of living them. Both matter. Progress and presence tend to go hand in hand.
The world is large, and I do not expect to tire of exploring it anytime soon. Below are a few moments from Germany, Italy, and Austria, with Hawaii in the mix for good measure. I'll need to recover photos from other trips such as Thailand, where I learned how to scuba! Next up, perhaps Morocco.
Ever Learning; Never Knowing
- my tenet
B.S. Food Science & Technology, UC Davis, 2022
PMP Certified, coming Spring, 2026
Authorized for Biosafety Level 2 (BSL 2) laboratory work
WSET I certified
Ciceron certified
Contact
Open to conversation and collaboration.
jaredwinter.me
Here is what Jared's former management and colleagues are saying...
'An employer could not be luckier to have Jared on their team. He consistently goes above and beyond, accomplishing more than I ever could have asked for'. - Ken Patel, Owner of Davis Wine Bar
Sommelier & Project Management Experience
I am currently on track to complete PMP certification by the end of Spring 2026.In my role as Lead Sommelier and General Manager for Davis Wine Bar, I oversee operations from concept through execution. That includes developing the vision for themed events and menu pairings, coordinating schedules across chefs, staff, and winery or importer partners, and managing wine purchasing and inventory forecasting.A significant part of the role involves ongoing communication with ownership regarding financial planning and projections. I regularly review sales performance, labor allocation, cost of goods, and event level profitability, using those data points to forecast demand, inform purchasing decisions, and guide forward planning. Clear reporting and structured discussions around margins, risk, and growth opportunities ensure that creative ideas are grounded in financial reality.The work also extends into marketing strategy and execution, including the creation and distribution of promotional material across digital and local platforms. During events, I lead teams through preparation and service, ensuring alignment, timing, and quality. Afterward, I review performance metrics and maintain detailed records to inform future planning.The projects completed in 2024 and 2025 reflect this full cycle approach, from ideation and coordination to execution, financial review, and refinement.
Wine Dinners
The wine dinners I produce are four course, ticketed dining events that consistently sell out and have become cornerstone community experiences.Each dinner begins with theme development and concept design. From there, I recruit and coordinate chefs, wineries, and importers, all of whom are present on site during the event to engage directly with guests. The goal is not simply to serve a meal, but to create a fully integrated experience that connects product, story, and people.All operational components are handled internally. That includes menu collaboration and pairing strategy, vendor and partner outreach, labor forecasting, staffing plans, prep schedules, and inventory planning, followed by full day of event leadership and execution. Marketing strategy is also developed and executed in house, including website updates, email campaigns, social media, local print publications, and direct outreach to influencers and community partners.Reservations, ticketing, and day of event sales are managed directly to preserve continuity between planning and guest experience. After each event, I complete full financial reporting, covering revenue, labor, cost of goods, and margin performance. Clear summaries are delivered to ownership, and those analyses inform the next cycle of planning. Each dinner is designed to be operationally tighter, financially stronger, and more impactful than the last.
Pop Up Dinners
The pop up dinners are three course, ticketed events designed to be accessible while maintaining strong culinary integrity. Priced below the flagship wine dinners, they consistently sell out quickly and attract both loyal guests and new members of the community.Each event is developed and executed end to end. I handle concept design, chef recruitment, menu collaboration, vendor coordination, labor forecasting, staffing plans, inventory management, and full day of event leadership. Wineries and partner producers are present to engage with guests, while wine remains optional so the food and overall experience can stand on its own.Marketing strategy and execution are managed internally across all channels, including the website, email campaigns, social media, local print publications, and targeted community outreach. Reservations and ticketing are handled directly to ensure continuity from planning through guest experience.After each event, I deliver financial summaries to management covering attendance, labor efficiency, and margin performance. These reviews inform the next cycle of planning, resulting in events that are smoother to execute, increasingly profitable, and faster to sell out over time.
Client Facing Education & Community Programming
Beyond ticketed dinners, I have focused on building educational and community driven experiences that invite people deeper into wine, food, and shared discovery. These have included intimate winery tastings, guided sessions on sensory perception and glassware, large scale multi vendor tasting events, and immersive off site experiences such as curated trips through Napa Valley.Each program begins as an original idea. I design the concept, build the partnerships, coordinate logistics, manage staffing, and lead the experience onsite. Ongoing collaboration with UC Davis departments and campus planners has shaped many of these initiatives, requiring clarity, follow through, and thoughtful execution.At the heart of this work is community building. Through recurring campus partnerships, themed events, and local collaborations, the goal has always been to create spaces where people feel welcomed, curious, and connected.
Live Music Programming
Live music at the bar has grown into a weekly, ongoing program featuring a rotating lineup of local musicians and ensembles. The calendar is intentionally varied, showcasing a wide range of artists while maintaining consistency in quality and atmosphere. The goal is to support local talent while enhancing the overall guest experience.I manage the program end to end, from long range calendar planning and talent scouting to artist outreach, booking, and expectation setting. All marketing is created and distributed in house across the website, email campaigns, social media, and local listings.On performance nights, I actively manage the space to balance live music with accessibility and service. That includes sound and layout considerations, crowd flow, staffing coordination, and real time adjustments to ensure the environment remains welcoming to performers and guests alike.Over time, the program has become a sustainable and integrated part of operations, strengthening community ties and creating a consistent platform for local artists.Below are representative examples of materials and events I have produced.
Weekly Pasta Nights
Weekly Pasta Nights transform the wine bar into an elevated restaurant experience one night each week. The space shifts in tone and tempo, with expanded staffing, refined ambience, and a completely refreshed food and beverage program built around fresh pastas and seasonal sides prepared specifically for the evening.What began through careful negotiation and logistical planning with the chef and ownership has grown into one of the defining programs of the bar. I continue to coordinate closely with the chef, management, and event staff to ensure consistency and smooth execution week after week. That includes staff training tailored to each menu, service flow design, reservation management, operational planning, community communication, and full sommelier service throughout the evening.Because Pasta Nights operate as a standing weekly program rather than a one time event, they require sustained coordination, adaptability, and attention to detail. Over time, they have become a community staple and a recurring destination for local guests, and remain one of the most rewarding initiatives I have led at Davis Wine Bar.
Scientific Journey
My path in science has followed a steady progression through hands on learning and application. It began with tutoring mathematics at the community college level, where I developed a foundation in quantitative reasoning and technical communication, and later expanded into guest lecturing for UC Davis graduate students.From there, I moved into laboratory based research and applied experimentation. My work includes direct experience with both small and large scale equipment, including fermentation vessels, PCR systems, electrophoresis platforms, and multiple bioreactor models. These experiences have strengthened both technical competency and confidence in structured scientific environments.All research has been conducted within regulated laboratory settings, including biosafety level 2 facilities, and in accordance with established scientific standards and best practices. The work reflects consistent exposure to real laboratory operations and an ability to function effectively within them.Learning continues outside formal roles. I regularly attend UC Davis lectures, colloquia, and research events to stay engaged with emerging methods and ideas. Curiosity, rather than requirement, has remained the driving force behind continued scientific growth.
Bike, Bikepack, Backpack, Hike, Snowboard, Climb, Carpentry, Visual Arts, Food, Travel, Baseball
Outdoors, I am often on some kind of bike. Road rides wind through the farm roads of Yolo County and the quiet stretches between Woodland and Winters. Gravel routes have carried me through the deserts of New Mexico and Texas and across California. Mountain biking has taken me across Tahoe, Mammoth, Napa, Nevada, Utah, and beyond.These interests naturally expand into longer adventures. I have completed many overnight backpacking routes and was the sixteenth person to complete the Lake Tahoe Lake Trail in a three day push. Long term goals include the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and other international routes that blend endurance, planning, and a bit of stubbornness.It is all squarely in the realm of Type II fun. The aim is challenge, not misery. Type III is not on the agenda.
BackpackingOver the years, I have found plenty of reasons to sleep outside, logging countless overnight trips along the West Coast. What began as short outings gradually stretched into longer routes, and somewhere along the way a backpack became the most natural way for me to move through a place.Longer trips have included ten days on the Lake Tahoe Rim Trail, a week in Yosemite including Clouds Rest and Half Dome, a week summiting Mount Whitney, a week in Glacier National Park, and a week across the Austrian Alps. These trips blend physical effort with logistics and planning, and the quiet satisfaction of covering real ground, far from concrete and a screen.At this point, it is hard to say whether I enjoy living the plan more than planning the living. Either way, the next route is never far off.
Mt. Whitney, CA
Glacier National Park, MT
Yosemite, CA
Austria
Just some other things I get up to
Working with my hands is a steady counterbalance to everything else. The projects below include a collapsible walnut meditation stool, a hard maple headboard, driftwood wedding place holders, pyrography on guitar, and reclaimed UC Davis redwood repurposed into planters. Each piece reflects patience, material respect, and the quiet satisfaction of building something real from raw elements.
