Inside Scoop SF » Joel Gott Bio

[http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com] Follow Us: Home Michael Bauer Paolo Lucchesi Jon Bonné Carey Sweet Voices SFGate Joel Gott Bio Small wonder Joel Gott became a wine and food entrepreneur. Coming from five generations of Californians in the wine business, Joel was born into the life. Everyone in his family cooked, so Joel felt very comfortable with food and cooking. And with his boyish enthusiasm, irreverent wit and direct, friendly demeanor, Joel has made friends easily. In 1993, Joel and his brother Duncan scraped together some money to purchase Palisades Market in Calistoga, gradually transforming it into an upscale retailer of gourmet prepared foods and fine wines. Palisades provided Joel with an education in business and a window into the wine market. As a retailer, he could see where the market was headed and believed he could produce quality wine at the $15 price point. Joel took his first stab at fulfilling this goal in 1996 when he purchased several tons of Zinfandel grapes. The ’96 Amador Zin, made by his winemaker wife Sarah, put Joel’s new wine brand, Joel Gott Wines, on the map. In 1998, he produced his first Sauvignon Blanc and in the next several years added Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay, all priced at around $15. In 1999, Joel’s entrepreneurial itch took him in another direction. That year, Taylor’s Refresher, a longtime burger joint on Highway 29 in St. Helena, had gone out of business and the site came up for lease. Joel and Duncan initially planned to rent the property’s parking lot for a produce stand, but wound up leasing the entire site, including Taylor’s, which they renovated and re-launched as a gourmet burger restaurant using top-end ingredients. Opened on September 24, 1999, the new Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, now named Gott’s Roadside, became an instant sensation serving around 500 people on its first day. Extensive print and broadcast media coverage followed, including a mention by famed wine writer Robert Parker, who in the year-end issue of his publication, Wine Advocate , cited their burger as one of the best meals he’d enjoyed during 1999. A second Gott’s opened in 2004 in the Ferry Plaza Market in San Francisco to similar acclaim, and a third Gott’s Roadside opened in 2008 in Oxbow Market Annex in Napa. Immersed in wine, food and family – he and his wife have three small children – Joel Gott has a lot on his various plates these days. In addition to Joel Gott Wines and Gott’s Roadside, he’s a partner in an upstart wine brand called Three Thieves, producing The Show as well as the Bandit wines in an eco-friendly Tetra Pak. How does he keep all the plates spinning? “Things are a bit crazy these days,” Joel admits. “I’m always running and overscheduled, but Sarah and I love what we’re doing, and we get to do it with friends. Life is good.” Please tip Got a tip? Email us at insidescoopsf@sfgate.com » Find a Restaurant All Cuisines Afghan (7) African (12) American (366) Asian (52) Bakery (5) Bargain (345) Basque (3) BBQ (18) Brazilian (5) Brew Pub (5) British (2) Burmese (12) Cajun/Creole (7) California (259) Caribbean (20) Chinese (109) Coffeehouse (2) Creole (2) Cuban (5) Deli (1) Dim Sum (14) East-West (27) Eastern European (2) Ethiopian (7) European (8) Filipino (4) French (107) German (6) Greek (13) Hawaiian (7) Indian (75) Indian/Pakistani (11) Indonesian (3) Irish (2) Italian (241) Japanese (81) Korean (24) Kosher (2) Latin (14) Malaysian (2) Mediterranean (91) Mexican (132) Middle Eastern (35) Moroccan (4) Nepali (4) North African (1) Other (1) Pakistani (8) Pan-Asian (4) Persian (8) Peruvian (15) Pizza (43) Pub Grub (10) Russian (3) Scandinavian (1) Seafood (62) Singaporean (3) Small Plates (26) Soul Food (9) South American (4) South American/Latin (13) Southwestern (5) Spanish (22) Steak House (25) Sushi (66) Swiss (1) Tapas (13) Teahouse (1) Thai (71) Tibetan (2) Turkish (4) Vegetarian (21) Vietnamese (62) Wine Bar (10) All Locations Alameda (308) — Berkeley (115) — Oakland (123) Contra Costa (182) Madera (1) Marin (135) Mendocino (1) Monterey (3) Napa (55) Placer (1) San Francisco (701) — Bernal Heights (11) — Castro (18) — Castro/Noe Valley (25) — China Basin (1) — Chinatown (10) — Chinatown/North Beach (39) — Civic Center (16) — Civic Center/Hayes Valley (35) — Cole Valley (4) — Cow Hollow (12) — Dogpatch (1) — Embarcadero (33) — Excelsior (2) — Financial District (43) — Fisherman's Wharf (10) — Forest Hill (1) — Glen Park (2) — Haight-Ashbury (22) — Hayes Valley (21) — Inner Richmond (15) — Inner Sunset (11) — Japantown (14) — Laurel Heights (6) — Lower Haight (13) — Marina (28) — Marina/Presidio Heights (27) — Mission (84) — Mission/Bernal Heights (55) — Nob Hill (10) — Noe Valley (15) — NOPA (2) — North Beach (34) — Pacific Heights (23) — Pacific/Laurel Heights (34) — Potrero Hill (8) — Presidio Heights (8) — Richmond (48) — Russian Hill (32) — Russian Hill/Nob Hill (35) — SOMA (81) — SOMA/Potrero Hill (57) — South Beach (8) — Sunset (35) — Telegraph Hill (2) — Tenderloin (38) — Twin Peaks/Inner Sunset (2) — Union Square (43) — Union Square/Financial District (67) — West Portal (3) — Western Addition (14) San Mateo (181) — Mission (1) — Airport (1) Santa Clara (129) Solano (7) Sonoma (101) Recent Scoop Posts A San Francisco Classic: The Old Clam House Michelin San Francisco Bay Area 2015: Benu and Saison notch three stars Maruya loses chefs Masaki Sasaki and Hide Sueyoshi Why Hong Kong Lounge II remains at the top of my list Sam’s Grill is back open More Inside Scoop Michelin San Francisco Bay Area 2015: Benu and Saison notch three stars Why Hong Kong Lounge II remains at the top of my list Michelin releases 2014 San Francisco Bay Area Guide: Quince, State Bird Provisions shine Maruya loses chefs Masaki Sasaki and Hide Sueyoshi La Cucina closes after 46 years on Union Street; new pizzeria en route Sam's Grill is back open Latest Restaurant Reviews Alexander Alioto breaks out of the classic Italian box with Plin Urchin Bistrot review: Rough French connection Causwells: Bold flavors at new Marina spot About Inside Scoop SF Inside Scoop SF is a one-stop source for the latest restaurant coverage in the Bay Area and beyond. Here's where you’ll find real-time reporting on restaurant openings, juicy chef buzz, hot-button dining issues and more, updated throughout the day. In the Voices section, prestigious food folks share insights and expertise. San Francisco Chronicle critic Michael Bauer offers candid thoughts in his Between Meals blog, and wine editor Jon Bonne writes about all things related to beverages. Follow Us: | Privacy Rights | About Our Ads | Terms of Service © 2014 Hearst Communications Inc.