The Setting Wines

Noah McMahon, Jeff Cova, and Jesse Kato

The Setting Wines is the vision of three friends who truly believe that great wine becomes an unforgettable experience when it is enjoyed in your perfect Setting. Wine invites feelings and emotions far beyond what typical food and drink provide. Think about the last bottle of wine you enjoyed—chances are you remember the people you shared it with, where you were, what the mood was, even the laughter—the Setting! The inspiration for The Setting Wines comes from those memorable times with those who mean the most to us; a family dinner, a fine restaurant, a European vacation, or an incredible afternoon in Sonoma Vineyards and at Napa estates.

Winemaker, Jesse Katz

Adventures at an early age at legendary vineyards and wineries around the world gave Colorado-native Jesse Katz profound respect for the creative art of winemaking. With diverse experience spanning 15 harvests, Jesse has perfected his craft while working with the best in the industry, including time at Petrus in Bordeaux, Screaming Eagle Winery and Robert Foley Winery in the Napa Valley, and Vina Cobbs and Bodega Noemia in Argentina.

Jesse was crowned the youngest-hired head winemaker in the U.S. in 2010 when he joined Lancaster Estate, where during his five-year tenure he orchestrated the budding of the new Roth winery, production facility and tasting room on Chalk Hill Road. The Roth line grew over 800% and received 90+ scores on every wine by Robert Parker, Jr., and garnered Lancaster Estate’s inclusion on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines. Wine Enthusiast named Jesse one of its 40 Under 40 Tastemakers and he was the first winemaker included on Forbes 30 Under 30.

Today, Jesse’s craft centers on selecting uniquely cooler vineyards in California, then pairing precision farming and detailed, nuanced winemaking techniques to extract the deepest expression of each vineyard.