The People of Brooks
Brooks is the living legacy of Jimi Brooks, a visionary Portland native who came to wine through his passion for history and philosophy. Together, we carry forward his commitment to the land, the wine, and each other.
Claire Jarreau
Winemaker
At Brooks, Claire is the winemaker and also manages relationships with our growers and vineyard manager. She loves the seasonality of all of the work she gets to do and how that shapes her days, weeks, and months.
Claire came to Brooks with a wealth of knowledge and years of experience working harvests in the Willamette Valley and several other countries.
Claire is adventurous and independent. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, camping, canoeing, and climbing. She also makes a mean wild duck gumbo—she’s from the South, after all.
Pascal Brooks
Owner
Pascal Brooks is the sole owner of Brooks, having inherited the winery at the age of eight when his Father, Jimi Brooks, unexpectedly passed away. Until that time, Pascal acted as moral support for his Father and the occasional stand-in for punch-downs as soon as he could handle the tool.
After Jimi passed, Pascal came to represent the company at events and spent many of his summers at Brooks, working alongside Chris during bottling and for part of the harvest.
Pascal currently resides in France, where he has worked harvest at various vineyards and spends a lot of time with greening projects, trying to vegetalize urban spaces, and improving food security.
Pascal loves to read, has basic carpentry skills, knows how to keep bees, and can (sort of) ride a horse. He’s been told that he’s a great singer when no one is listening, and his spirit animal is an emu with some serious sea cucumber vibes.
Janie Brooks Heuck
Managing Director & Boss Lady
Portland native Janie Brooks Heuck spent more than a decade in the healthcare industry before finding herself responsible for the business operations at Brooks Winery.
After her brother Jimi’s passing, Janie was struck by the generosity and guidance of the Oregon wine community. She quickly realized the importance of Jimi’s lifework and has been keeping the Brooks boat afloat since 2004.
Janie is passionate about Brooks, family, travel, and Riesling. When she isn’t working, she loves to golf, sail, work out, and take photos.
Her karaoke song is “Rapper’s Delight,” which is also our winemaker, Chris Williams’ karaoke song, yet none of us have witnessed either one of them on the mic. Can someone say duet?!
Jen Cossey
General Manager
Jen Cossey joins Brooks with a rich background in the wine and hospitality industry, having held significant roles at Domaine Serene, Simple Matter Spirits, and The Yellowstone Club. Jen is passionate about supporting the Brooks team and engaging with guests to continue to make Brooks the best winery and wine club in Oregon. She is also actively involved in industry organizations, serving on the committees for Women in Wine Oregon and ¡Salud!.
Jen has a passion for music and loves going to concerts. Her favorite movie is “Waiting for Guffman,” and she is inspired by “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez. Jen also has a keen interest in photography and her secret, not yet perfected talent, is pottery (she just isn’t quite there yet).
In her free time, Jen enjoys running, practicing yoga, and exploring the outdoors with her kids and friends. A Pinot Noir enthusiast, she dreams of someday retiring in the south of France.
Chris Williams
Winemaker Emeritus
Portland native Chris Williams met Brooks founder Jimi in the ’90s, and the two became fast friends. When Jimi passed away in 2004, Chris was among the friends and winemakers who stepped in to make Jimi’s wine that year.
Chris became Brooks’ full-time winemaker in 2005, and he continues to help Claire make incredible wines that honor Jimi’s vision (we are so glad that Chris didn’t pursue becoming a fashion designer!).
A self-proclaimed motorhead, Chris spends his downtime riding motorcycles, mushroom hunting, and spending time with his family.
He makes a mean spaghetti and meatballs and is a bona fide milk connoisseur.
Heather Kirk
Director of Wine Club Happiness & Mother of Brooks’ Chicken
Heather has deep roots here at Brooks. Her Father planted the Brooks Estate Vineyard in the ’70s, and she currently resides next door to the tasting room.
You can often catch a glimpse of her on her deck, enjoying a glass of Pinot Blanc with her friends and family.
Heather is a recent empty-nester and admits that she’s a bit of a helicopter mom to her two sons. It’s good that we have all these chickens at Brooks to keep her busy!
If you have not had the privilege of meeting Heather in person, it’s true: her laugh will warm your heart and make the sun shine a little bit brighter.
Jillian Barnhart
Director of Marketing
Jillian is Brooks’ marketing maven, sommelier, and photographer. She came to us from Los Angeles, where she worked as a photographer and sommelier for over a decade.
On any given day, she can be found taking photos around the winery, writing wine tasting notes, or assessing wines for media submissions.
When she’s not at work, Jillian can be found hiking, kayaking, biking, cooking, traveling, and, of course, enjoying wine.
She mostly enjoys spending time with her husband, Aaron, daughter, Ara, and French Bulldog, Gideon, but if you put a glass of Pol Roger Churchill Champagne in her hand, she’ll hang out with just about anyone.
Shannon Mayhew
Biodynamic Estate Gardener
Shannon is the magical, light-filled being who can be found in the Brooks Estate Garden on any given day. She came to Brooks from California with a degree in plant science from UC Davis.
She loves the friendships she’s made at Brooks, growing medicinal plants, herbs, and biodynamic veggies used in the tasting room, and getting to take care of the Brooks chickens and create a habitat for wildlife.
Shannon loves hiking and mushroom foraging. When she’s not outside, she’s reading, knitting, honing her whittling skills, or cooking a beautiful vegan meal for her friends.
Zachary Speece
DTC & Wine Club Assistant
Zachary has a true passion for wine, bringing years of experience working in tasting rooms, cellars, and vineyards to his position at Brooks. He genuinely loves the wines and the people of Brooks. As he proudly says, “We’re not pretentious. We have good wine and food and like to share it.”
With his charming humility and infectious enthusiasm, Zachary is integral to creating the extraordinary guest experience at Brooks.
When Zachary isn’t working, you might find him on the golf course or crafting his own blackberry wine. Ask him to whip up a quick dish, and he’ll likely treat you to a delectable pan-seared steak paired with a Nebbiolo from Piedmont.
He’s a man of many talents, excelling at pool and table tennis, so if you’re up for a friendly competition, you know who to call.
Jimi Brooks
Founder, Father & Friend
After traveling the world and experiencing the hard work of winemaking in Beaujolais, Jimi returned to Oregon and found a burgeoning wine world. He devoted the rest of his life to holistic farming and winemaking in the Willamette Valley, showcasing the region’s potential for expressive, complex and balanced Riesling and Pinot Noir.
While Jimi is no longer with us, his strong commitment to biodynamic farming, his gentle approach to winemaking and his excitement for the Willamette Valley terroir live on through our wines and our team. Jimi’s son Pascal is the sole owner of the winery; Jimi’s sister Janie Brooks Heuck has volunteered her time to lead it; and Jimi’s longtime friend and winemaking accomplice, Chris Williams, continues to make Brooks’ wines.
There have been many milestones since Brooks was founded in 1998. In 2008, we expanded our winemaking operations and purchased the 20-acre vineyard Jimi started farming in 2002. In 2012, we obtained biodynamic certification from Demeter. In 2014, we opened a new winery and tasting room. Our welcoming tasting room, with its ample seating and wine bar, overlooks the Cascade Range and the Willamette Valley floor, perfect for gatherings with friends and family–a fitting reflection of Jimi’s vision.
It took a community to make Jimi’s vision a reality. Listen to the stories of the friends who selflessly donated their skill, time, and passion to make Jimi’s 2004 wines possible.
Be the change.
At Brooks, we believe that good wine starts with being good to our planet and our people. We work just as hard at growing our grapes and making superior wine as we do at making tomorrow a better place for each and every one of us.
