Building My Own Label | Jane Jiang | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jane, the proprietor of Duncan Peak Vineyards and a consulting winemaker at Kale Wine Consulting, to talk about what it really takes to build a wine career from the ground up.

We get into her early exposure to wine through her parents’ distribution work in China, how studying at UC Davis shaped her love for sensory science, and why the tasting side of viticulture and enology pulled her in for good. Jane breaks down the real difference between small family wineries and large corporate wineries, why she prefers wearing many hats, and what changed the moment she started making wine under her own label, when every picking call, blending decision, and mistake became hers to own. We also talk harvest life in South Australia, meeting interns from France and Italy because of the opposite-season schedule, and how consulting winemaking gives her both variety and flexibility while she grows her brand.

Along the way, she shares what she actually loves in a Chardonnay, how she thinks wineries can stand out in a crowded market by focusing on what they do best, and why pairing wine with Asian food is one of the most practical ways to welcome a new generation of drinkers into the wine community.

Question for you, what’s one food you love that you think would surprise people as a perfect wine pairing?