How Jack Bittner ’92 Became a King of Napa Valley 

California’s Napa Valley is one of the world’s preeminent wine regions, and you’d have a hard time finding a wine brand, vineyard, or vintner from the region that Jack Bittner ’92 hasn’t influenced. Over more than thirty years, Bittner has worked in virtually every facet of Napa Valley’s $13 billion wine industry, from growing grapes in vineyards to leading critically acclaimed fine wine brands as an executive. He’s the former chairman of the Napa Valley Vintners trade association, and last year became managing partner of Accendo Estate, one of the most highly regarded producers of Cabernet Sauvignon in a region that is practically synonymous with the varietal.

Lauded by Forbes as a “jack of all trades” in the wine world, Bittner fell in love with fine wine while working part-time at a liquor store during his student days at BC, where he studied English. Unsure of his plans after graduation, he moved to California in the mid-nineties and eventually found a job working as a winery tour guide. “I had a bit of an if I can make it there, I can make it anywhere perspective,” he recalled. He found himself inspired by the book Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, which espoused the importance of always developing new skills. “I embraced that,” Bittner said, “and took it as a personal goal to have a level of fluency in all elements of the wine business.” As his career progressed, he would learn to grow grapes for Napa Valley vineyards, lead marketing efforts for a Disney family–owned winery, and, after obtaining his MBA from the University of California–Davis, become the president of Cliff Lede Vineyard, a premium label that under his decade-long leadership began receiving near-perfect ratings from wine critics.

Along the way, Bittner also worked to address the economic and climate-related stressors on the region and his industry. As chairman of the Napa Valley Vintners, he stewarded the trade association through the aftermaths of the Covid-19 pandemic and a devastating 2020 wildfire that destroyed more than sixty-seven thousand acres in Napa. Bittner helped raise money to create miles of new emergency access roads for faster fire response in the future, and facilitated educational forums with vintners about forestry management techniques that can help prevent fires from starting and spreading.

In recent years, as Americans have begun to consume less alcohol, the California wine industry has seen a downturn in sales. But Bittner remains optimistic. Last summer, he became a co-owner in Accendo Estate, a premier Napa Valley winery where less than 2 percent of the grapes it grows across its nearly 250 acres of vineyards are selected for its acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Bittner believes there will always be a market for fine wine because it provides a special way for people to share an experience and bond. “It’s about conversation at the dinner table, reaching over and topping somebody’s glass up, asking about their day,” he said. “Those things are ultimately deeply ingrained in the human experience.” ◽