The iconic Jacksonville Inn Wine Shop, which offers one of the most extensive selections of wine in the Pacific Northwest, now boasts one of the most dynamic and knowledgeable shop managers in the industry—Liza Jussiaume.
Liza (37) and her husband, Jean-Michel (40) are no strangers to Southern Oregon wine fans—she’s held a variety of marketing and customer relations jobs at local wineries and Jean-Michel is the winemaker at DelRio Vineyards in Gold Hill.
Liza says, “I got into the wine industry when I was 21, first working at Jefferson Vineyards, a small Virginia winery just down the street from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation.”
As the launching place of her wine career, “It not only introduced me to the wine industry, but also my husband—it’s not every day that a French winemaker walks into your tasting room, and you run away to France and get married!”
While in France, Liza learned the winemaking process and more importantly the culture of wine and the integral role it can play in our lives. After their time in France, the couple returned to upstate New York, gaining appreciation for cooler-climate wines, specifically German wines. It was also in New York where Liza realized, “It was just way too cold for me.” In 2008, after four days of driving past corn fields and through deserts, “Jean-Michel and I ended-up in the little Oregon town of Gold Hill, where he became the winemaker at DelRio Vineyards.”
Liza’s enthusiasm for wine is evident the moment one enters the Jacksonville Inn Wine Shop, where she’s introduced new wine tasting events and classes along with other noticeable changes. “I love to drink wine, talk about wine, critique wine, and sell wine… At the Inn, I’ve found my dream job with the opportunity to help others discover their own passion for the craft of winemaking…and to do so is an honor.”
Featured image: New and familiar faces making the Jacksonville Inn even better with the addition of Liza Jussiaume as new Wine Shop manager, working alongside the Inn’s charming manager, Platon Mantheakis, celebrating 29 years with the Inn! Photos by Melissa Ghiglieri.
Jacksonville Inn Wine Shop manager, Liza Jussiaume.