Name: Jacey Ohlinger (she/her)
Job: Tasting Room Lead, Tank Garage Winery
Jacey Ohlinger, tasting room lead at Tank Garage Winery, pours an ever-changing lineup of wines in a retro Calistoga gas station. Learn more about Jacey, her journey and Tank Garage Winery in the spotlight piece below.
Jacey made the big move to the Golden State 10 years ago after living in Tennessee since she was a child. Originally from Hawaii, Jacey loves the community, activities and diverse set of people that come with living and working in a tourist destination.
After settling into the California dream, Jacey steadily developed a passion for wines that started with sweeter blends and slowly transitioned into darker reds. As her palate evolved, Jacey recalls, "I realized that this was something that I could make a career out of, and where better to do that than the world’s greatest wine region, Napa Valley?!"
She's now worked in the industry for over 7 years now in almost every wine department from the front to the back of the house. Four out of the seven years have been at Tank Garage Winery, which sits just down the road from Old Faithful in Calistoga.
"There’s never a dull moment in the tourism industry, and we’re constantly innovating, pivoting and creating to ensure our guests from around the world have the best experience possible in Napa Valley," says Jacey.
Inherently, entertainment, production and the arts are woven into the fabric of hospitality. Jacey wants to explore and learn more about those artistic elements of hospitality to enrich her craft.
At Tank Garage Winery, that translates to a sparkling pét-nat, orange wine, and a 1930s era gas station tasting room that celebrates the heart and soul of vintage California culture and creativity.
"For us at Tank, we are here to break the mold of what the Napa Valley portrays."
The winery just recently released Pizzaboy, a red blend created to pair with a big, greasy, cheesy slice of pizza. Not to mention their 2020 Contact High, Spiritual Thirst and Pleasure Trip bottles which are inspired by spiritual journeys and finding a sense of oneness in today's world.
Next time you're in Calistoga, stop by and say hello to Jacey and the rest of the Tank Garage Winery team. Tank Garage stands just on the perimeter of the downtown area.
Stay tuned to meet more of Napa Valley's diverse tourism business community!
Jacey's insider tip: Calistoga is truly a hidden gem. Back when Napa was used as a trading post, Europeans discovered the hot springs and made this a spa destination. Honestly, there are so many stunning varietals that grow in these volcanic soils as well as small family-owned tasting rooms that are ready to welcome you!
