Producer Jade Gross
SPAIN, RIOJA
Jade Gross, one of the most visionary and talented producers on the contemporary Spanish wine scene. Born in Hong Kong in 1987, Jade lived an extraordinary life before committing her destiny to the land: after studying political science in New York, she graduated from the prestigious ESCF culinary school in Paris and faced the strenuous apprenticeship of the global restaurant scene, working for seven years as head chef at the legendary three-Michelin-star Mugaritz restaurant in San Sebastian. It was here that her encounter with renowned winemakers Abel Mendoza and Maite Fernandez changed her life, instilling in her a visceral passion for the vineyard. Determined to redefine her future, she flew to London to earn the prestigious WSET Level 4 Diploma and, soon after, chose Rioja to launch her independent project. In 2018, she settled in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, a small village where she overcame the local winemakers' initial skepticism thanks to her crystalline talent and the support of Mendoza himself, integrating seamlessly into the community. Jade Gross' wines are the result of this incredible journey: a very limited artisanal production that combines the rigor of avant-garde cuisine with the poetry of the land. Her portfolio includes "Piano, Piano," a Rioja Tempranillo created in 2019 and aged for two years; the name and label celebrate the philosophy of patience and her love of the piano, cultivated since childhood, resulting in a vibrant, elegant, and profound red. Alongside it is "Chiguita," an excellent white wine created in 2020 from a vineyard in the renowned San Ginés area of Labastida; The term, an affectionate variant of chiquita ("little girl"), is the nickname given to it by the village's old winemakers and describes a fresh, savory white wine with great character. Choosing a bottle of Jade Gross means bringing a story of courage to your glass, a collector's item that blends Asian sensibility, French technique, and Spanish warmth.