Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Jakus.
Hi Jeff, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Figjam Estate Winery was founded in 2023 by Bev Burroughs and Jeff Jakus, longtime members of the quaint Coronado Island community off the coast of San Diego. Not content with traditional retirement, this adventurous couple made the bold decision to create a legacy around their love for family, wine, travel, philanthropy and community.
Figjam, with production & bottling located in Sonoma, California, is a boutique small batch winery with family members involved in every aspect of the business. Our primary goal is to bring high quality Sonoma and Napa wines, crafted in a sustainable and eco-friendly environment, to our hometown of Coronado. We are licensed to sell online in 40+ states and we self distribute to wholesale accounts within California.
Our line-up is small but mighty, featuring Cabernet Sauvignon from the heralded Mt. Veeder region of Napa Valley, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Rose’ of Pinot Noir from the amazing Sonoma Coast , Chardonnay and Sparkling Brut Rose from the Carneros and Old Vine Zinfandel from the Lodi.
We are proud of our philanthropy over the years and to that end, Figjam has pledged to donate a portion of all wine sales to deserving charitable organizations with a focus toward local community, combat veterans, first responders, cancer awareness and heart healthy causes.
Our Figjam Wine Ambassador program provides in home opportunities to fundraise via organized tastings as well as providing additional personal host income, acting as a representative of our winery. Sales through this program result in giving back to the wine host’s charity of choice.
Highlights:
Quality wines from the celebrated Sonoma, Napa and Lodi wine regions
Small batch wines hand crafted old style, less than 500 case total annual production
Commitment to ecofriendly and sustainable practices and no sulfites added
Woman owned and family operated winery
World class wine production facility located in Sonoma, CA
State of the Art fulfillment center located in Cloverdale, CA
Headquarters in Coronado, CA
Pledged to donate a portion of wine sales to deserving charitable organizations
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business is rarely smooth sailing from the beginning. Figjam was originally a pre-pandemic idea of fellow Coronadan Peter Elia, with wine making in Solvang, CA. After a couple barrels of great wine were produced, the winemaker kept most of the production, leaving us without any wine and putting the idea on hold for several years.
Once Bev and I restarted the idea of making quality small batch wine from Sonoma and Napa under the Figjam brand, we had a batch of Chardonnay go bad during bottling. That was a great learning experience and we haven’t had a misstep since.
Not to be defeated, we are now distilling the flawed batch into premium Brandy through a local Ramona distillery partnership.
We’ve been impressed with Figjam Estate Winery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Figjam Estate Winery has become Coronado’s Winery. As far as we know, we are the only winery owners that live in Coronado and our focus is selling wine to locals and visitors alike from various Coronado tasting rooms, bars, liquor stores, yacht clubs and restaurants.
Bev and Jeff both come from entrepreneurial backgrounds – Bev owned a successful mortgage business in Paradise Valley, AZ for many years before selling and moving to Coronado more than 20 years ago, ultimately entering the Real Estate game. Jeff owned several technology businesses prior to retiring in 2010 shortly after he and Bev became engaged.
Our winery was initially a retirement project, but it has grown to a full fledged business where we produce small batches totaling around 350 cases annually. In addition to our local distribution, we sell direct to consumers in 41 states across the US.
We produce award winning wines from Napa, Sonoma and Lodi with our flagship varietal being Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mt. Veeder region of Napa. We are proud to say that all of our wines have been widely accepted with particular accolades for our Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Rose’ of Pinot Noir. Our OVZ (Old Vine Zinfandel) has a bit of a cultlike following with those that have a particular affinity for that style.
We also have 3 great new wines to be released shortly before Thanksgiving – our Carneros Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc and just in time for the holiday’s our ‘Bubbles’ a sparkling Brut Rose’
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We have been residents on the island since 2002 and our favorite part of the island is the community. There is such a special feeling that comes along with knowing your neighbors and giving back through participating in local charitable events.
It is hard to come up with a negative related to living in Coronado, maybe the late afternoon traffic during the week can be inconvenient but the price of freedom is worth it. We support all the men and women stationed here through our military and first responder special discount code – just contact us through our website for the details.
Pricing:
- Figjam Cabernet $70
- Figjam Pinot Noir $47
- Figjam Old Vine Zinfandel $37
- Figjam Chardonnay & Brut Rose’ $37
- Figjam Rose’ and Sauvignon Blanc $27
Contact Info:
- Website: www.FigjamWinery.com
- Instagram: figjamestatewinery
- Facebook: figjamestatewinery
