About Us
Working at What We Love, Together
Taking Our Time
This is our family’s lifework, as much a creative exploration as it is a wine business. Doing what we love and doing it together, Hibou is a hands-on journey every step of the way: Seeking out the most exceptional vineyards, forging meaningful relationships with our growers and our members, and making honest, expressive wines in an intimate, responsive way. We aspire for Hibou to be genuine and enduring, free of timelines and expectations.
Committed to Craft
Becoming
Jason’s first foray into winemaking was a job at Elsom Cellars, a small family business in Woodinville, Washington. We then moved to St. Helena, where Jason fulfilled his dream of becoming a chef at the Culinary Institute of America. Between kitchen apprenticeships and a stint working a Napa Valley harvest, his love for cooking translated into a love for winemaking, and ultimately, the slower pace and in-depth process of the cellar drew him in full-time. Over the past decade, Jason has immersed himself in the craft, collaborating with masterful winemakers, continually learning and refining. Hibou allows him to make wines that genuinely excite him. Sourcing from exceptional vineyards, he looks to each wine for its honest self-expression. Each Hibou wine is, for us, a unique and unpredictable entity that becomes what it’s meant to be over time.
Trusting
We work with small, select parcels that we translate as purely and beautifully as possible. A decade of winemaking has taught us—with every minute decision in the vineyard and cellar—that trust in the process is critical. We trust our growers as they consult with us on the farming of our vines with a sensitive hand and diligent eye. In turn, they entrust us with extraordinary fruit. We trust our skill and instinct—as much our senses as our calculations—as we gently guide the wine into being. We trust each barrel to evolve into the singular expression it wants to be, and we bottle only the most compelling lots as Hibou.
I watch the barrel, this living thing, and envision what it will become over its lifespan. I’ve learned to let it be, intervene only as it makes sense, follow its singular story over the course of the year.
Gathering
A chef by training and a winemaker by trade, Jason revels in food and wine’s wondrous ability to bring people together. We love to gather with everyone who plays a part in Hibou, whether it be our growers, our cellar team, or our mailing list members.
Some of our favorite celebrations have taken place around a fire, enjoying the ceremonial quality of cooking with hot applewood embers. We love to grill Tomahawk steaks along with whatever vegetables are freshest at the farmers market. Then, we open a few too many bottles and feast in the backyard. We thrive on the connections that arise over a shared meal.
Connecting
Hilary manages all the nuts and bolts of our small family business. When she’s not balancing books or answering allocation inquiries, she’s delivering wines to local members, typically with her “assistants” in tow. Those recurring deliveries naturally evolve into close friendships. Aside from working with her husband, it’s her favorite perk of the job.
We have the best customers. When the kids and I are making deliveries, they often invite us into their homes. And they come to our house—which is also our office—and see our little family business for what it is, daily life with no filter. In many cases, they have become lifelong personal friends.
