Michelle Jacob

Years of tending bar, consulting, and restaurant management afforded Michelle Jacob countless opportunities to explore (and indulge in) food, spirits, and wines from around the world. These exposures propelled Michelle’s journey, which has earned her accolades and awards for innovative libations, seated her twice as the chairman of a nationally acclaimed culinary institute, landed her countless restaurant consulting contracts, and introduced her to the magic of the wines of Arizona.

Her enchantment with Arizona wines began in the early 2000s when Michelle dug in to understand how the cruel climate and soil of the Sonoran Desert could beget a succulent bounty of grapes that would in time become wine that would cast a spell on her heart (and palate). Spending time with winemakers, she was privy to the secrets and spells that make Arizona’s wines palatable and unique. Her wonder grows each year as she sits on the panel of judges for the Arizona Wine Growers Association’s (AWGA) wine competition presented by Arizona Republic/azcentral and the magical juices dance in her mouth.

Currently, Michelle gets to spend her days as the general manager/director of operations at one of the Valley’s most noted restaurants, located within one of the top cultural attractions in the United States. Under her direction, the chef team delivers comfort food from around the world made with local and regional ingredients, while she crafts recipes for cocktails, mocktails, and hoptails that reflect the beauty and bounty of the Sonoran Desert and pours the mystical wines of Arizona for a truly magical experience.