John Seeger Gilman

While working in New York City, John met his future wife, a native of Nevada City, CA. On their first date, over a bottle of Chianti and a conversation about vineyards in northern California, John’s interest in wine was sparked. This interest soon became a passion, leading him to enroll in the Sommelier Society of America, the first professional wine school in the United States. After earning his sommelier diploma, John embarked on a new career in various areas of the wine industry – pouring and promoting wines he loved and making them accessible to all. While working in a neighborhood wine shop, The Wine Mine, in Oakland, CA, he began to dream of opening his own wine store. When he and his family moved to Nevada City, it felt like the ideal place to launch his dream. John fell in love with the natural beauty of the Sierra Foothills and the charm of the tight-knit community. The newly renovated, historic Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley offered the perfect home for New West Wine Co.