Aaron Schwartz
Aaron certainly followed the typical winding path to wine … after several years working in sprawling and tall office buildings in the SF Bay Area and Chicago he decided to come home to Oregon without a plan. He worked harvest at a winery and spent the following year in the cellar, vineyard, and tasting room. While it was quickly apparent that he wasn’t suited to be a winemaker, he really enjoyed talking about and selling wine. A crazy idea was born to start Julian Sinclair in 2015. You can find him still pounding the pavement in addition to the multiplying admin tasks that frequently keep him in front of the computer. Aaron’s biggest joys are the relationships he has with customers, producers, and the amazing team at JS. In his free time he likes to watch sportsball, play with his 2 young boys, and of course, eat and drink well.
Kate Schwartz
Kate spent her twenties getting a degree in Physics and a PHD in Atmospheric Science. After being awarded her doctorate she promptly decided her career in science was at an end. Her considerable talents benefit Julian Sinclair in numerous important management areas such as keeping the books sorted, vendor’s paid, and the Eugene warehouse in order. She is relied upon as a source of reason in her and Aaron’s crazy pursuit of building a wholesale beverage company. She accomplishes this all while wrangling their two young boys and running a large property with chicken, cats, and a dog. If she gets any free time it’s spent baking, sleeping, or building something like a chicken coop.
Ross Maloof
Ross Maloof has over 15 years experience in the hospitality industry. He worked for just over a decade in the Philadelphia dining scene with a large focus on beverage programs before heading west to turn his eye toward wine production. He and his wife Bee started Maloof wines in 2015 in Dundee, OR. While the production and growth of Maloof Wines surely keeps him busy, Ross has also managed Julian Sinclair’s Portland market since coming on board in 2018. He has overseen tremendous growth for the company and manages several key supplier relationships. In his spare time he enjoys playing competitive ice hockey, surfing, and spending as much time as possible with his wife and doggos.
Rae Ekstrom
Rae Ekstrom first fell hard for wine while spending a semester abroad in Alsace, France, studying French and German. The wine culture there made an impression, and as a result, she often seeks out wines with tooth-enamel-stripping levels of acid. After a brief stint in the tech industry in an attempt to honestly use her bachelor's degree in languages, Rae made a hard right into the world of wine, working first at a winery in Portland and supplementing that experience with some good old fashioned studying, earning WSET II and III certificates. When not selling or imbibing wines herself, she enjoys outdoor adventures, cooking, and gardening. She’s been slinging juice for Julian Sinclair in Portland and the Willamette Valley since 2018.
Mo Milford
After spending her twenties exploring every nuance of a little wine called Three Wishes ($3), Mo realized there might be something more out there in the world of fermented grape drinks. She started working in the wine department of the Whole Foods Lincoln Park store in Chicago and fell in love with this beverage that was able to bring so many disciplines together- geography, language, history, agriculture, and food! She was soon buying wine and managing the wine bar in the Lincoln Park store. Seven long winters were weathered before she was ready to trade city life for a more temperate climate and quicker access to mountains. Hiking and wine remain her two favorite things about Oregon, and she couldn't be happier to have joined Julian-Sinclair as a Portland sales rep in January 2019.
Joel Durr
Joel is a long-term Eugene resident who just set down roots with his family for the long-haul. He is also a former board member of the Willamette Valley Sustainable Foods Alliance and a big fan of fermented food and drink, with a particular interest in beer. Previously he was the beer buyer at a prominent local natural foods store in Eugene. Joel has been the lead beer/cider rep for Julian Sinclair in the Southern Willamette Valley and Central Coast since 2018 after joining company in 2017. You can occasionally find him at local watering holes losing at board games and pontificating about beer. He shares his new home with his wife, baby son, and cats. Feel free to buy him a drink!
Patrick Newson
Patrick Newson sweats wine by day and bleeds ink by night. He wandered into a cellar shortly after returning to Oregon from Spain a decade ago and worked four harvests in Eugene, punctuated by two in Central Otago, New Zealand before moving to the Bay Area for art school. He has worked in long established retail wine shops both in Oregon and Oakland, succumbing to Burgundy and then investigating the fringes of the viticultural world. After returning to Eugene last year, his is thrilled to land with JS, reppin’ some old favorites and fresh faces around his hometown. Patrick also teaches wine classes at Lane Community College as well as writing and literature at Saint Mary’s College of California.