Jerianna grew up in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where farm life, riding horses, and FFA shaped her early years. She went on to earn a B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Kentucky before beginning her career as a staff chemist for a contract chemical company specializing in environmental regulation compliance. It didn’t take long for her to realize that research wasn’t her path, and she shifted her focus to the part‑time bartending job she loved—convincing her father that it was still chemistry, just a more delicious version.

 

Her curiosity about food and wine chemistry quickly became a passion. A single disastrous wine pairing sparked a deeper fascination with why some combinations fail while others feel life-altering. While exploring what she wanted to do “for real,” she tried on a variety of roles—from program director at an Alzheimer’s facility to cook, a law‑firm runner while applying to law school, and even flight attendant— while always keeping one foot in the hospitality world.

 

Her entry into the wine industry began in restaurants, where she fell in love with the art of pairing. She moved from serving to bartending to selecting wine features to go with specials, diving deep into wine research and learning. She later carved out a role as a wine buyer for a resort. That experience ultimately led her to pursue a career in wholesale, where she found her professional home and never looked back.

 

When it comes to favorite wines, Pinot Noir is her love—Burgundy sets the benchmark, though she’s equally drawn to leaner expressions from the West Sonoma Coast and the Willamette Valley. If stranded on a desert island, however, she’d choose Grenache for its incredible range: Provence ros?, Sardinian Cannonau, sandy‑soil Rh?ne bottlings, Australian interpretations, Mendocino gems, and countless others.

 

Outside of work, Jerianna is an incredible dog mom and a true‑crime junkie. And here’s a favorite fun fact:  if you’re a fan of John Prine’s folk music - her Granny was born in Paradise, Kentucky (yes, the same Paradise that Peabody’s coal company famously “hauled away”), and her mom and John Prine were second cousins.

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406-250-9271

jerianna@winegardnerswines.com