Where Are They Now: Jamie Kutch

As a Northport High School senior back in 1992, Jamie Kutch used to sneak bottles of fancy wine to keg parties out on Makamah Beach. Today, he’s living a life built entirely around wine – a big departure from his first career as a day trader on Wall Street. Kutch’s eponymous wine label, based in Sonoma County, has garnered high marks for its pinot noir, a passion project for the 46-year-old. Matt Villano recently caught up with Kutch to find out more about his career, and to talk about the role Northport played in his development as a person.

The name of this feature is ‘Where are they now?’ So, literally, where are you in your career right now?
My wife and son and I live in San Francisco and we’re building a winery in Sonoma County, about 90 minutes north. We just bought a little over 12 acres, with a house that dates to sometime around 1916. There’s also a barn on the property with square nails; that probably was built in the 1890s. We bought the land to grow grapes. We’ll pull out 5.5 acres of apple trees and plant vines next year. It’s probably the biggest undertaking of my life. In the meantime, I’ll continue making wine with grapes I buy from other places.

You make mostly pinot noir and chardonnay. Why just those two?
They go together. Pinot is my favorite variety to consume and drink. What it might lack in power, it makes up for in spades with elegance and aspects of aromatics. Its nickname is the “heartbreak grape,” and it really does break hearts. It can be incredible at the highest levels in terms of excitement and complexity. It also has the thinnest skin of all the varieties, which can mean that it’s not as hearty as others. As a winemaker, I see it as a challenge. I also love chardonnay with crisp and taut minerality. I like a wine that pairs with oysters rather than a wine that pairs with buttered popcorn. The chardonnay I make is very crisp and bright and lemon-like.

To what extent were you into wine as a kid in Northport?
I used to go to some high school parties in Northport. My friends would bring six packs of beer and vodka. I would sometimes bring a bottle of wine. When I went to college at Fordham, my love for wine grew. I made a friend who was also really into wine and we went to wine tastings in New York where a retailer would have an importer come in. When I started making money, I was able to explore more wine. I was hooked.

Professionally, how did you make the transition from Wall Street to the world of wine?
I worked on Wall Street for a couple years. Then 9/11 hit and I wanted to change my life. I wrote a letter to a winemaker, a guy named Michael Browne, who was part of this cult pinot noir label named Kosta Browne. I told him he was living my dream life. He invited me to come out and work with him. That was in 2005. I was 30 at the time. I haven’t looked back since.

How did growing up in Northport equip you for a career in wine?
Well, as a young man I learned that there used to be some good German rieslings in some of the old liquor stores around town until I cleaned them out. No, seriously, I learned hustle growing up in Northport. I was the guy in high school who was always working for a quarter or dollar to save in a big glass jar. I saved money for a new engine in my Jeep. I wasn’t a star student or star athlete, but I always put my head down and did the work.

To what extent do you still have connections to Long Island?
I still have aunts and uncles on the Island. My wife is from Huntington.

Where is your favorite place in Northport to get a good glass of wine?
Robke’s never disappoints.