NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – ZD Wines, located in the heart of Napa Valley in Rutherford, recently expanded their culinary program by adding Jill deLeuze Billeci, third generation of the winery’s founding family, as their winery chef.
Jill joined the family business in 2010, rounding out the third generation with her brother, Brandon, ZD’s winemaker. She worked many summers at the winery during high school on the bottling line, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition from UC Davis. Following college, Jill became ZD’s California sales manager and tasting room manager.
After taking some time off to raise her two daughters with her husband, Scott Billeci, ZD’s regional sales manager, Jill decided to follow her passion for cooking. Further refining her skills during the pandemic, Jill recently began upscaling ZD’s experiences by offering quarterly Food & Wine Days featuring three food pairings to their Vineyard View Tasting.
With much acclaim and the popularity of these events, Jill was promoted to ZD’s winery chef. She now curates and oversees the supplemental food pairing options, currently a vegan white bean dip, smoked salmon rillette, and a beef short rib rillette. Jill also prepares the food offerings during the special events hosted by ZD Wines, most recently being the fundraiser Crush Challenge. Recent highlights were a 4-course lunch at their exclusive Winemaker’s Boots Tours in October, Harvest Wine Celebration benefit for the Teen Center at Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley in November, and the upcoming Holiday Open House in December.
To experience any of Jill’s wine and food pairing opportunities, visit zdwines.com/events to learn more information and book your next experience.
Founded in 1969, ZD Wines crafts award-winning Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with two small-production wines under the “Rosa Lee” label, named after the founding matriarch. ZD is also known for Abacus, a solera-style blend of Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Abacus XXIV, which includes 30 vintages of the winery’s 100% Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, is available this fall.
ZD Wines is open daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 8383 Silverado Trail in Rutherford. Reservations are required for all tours, and highly recommended for the Vineyard View Tasting. Appointments can be made by calling (800) 487-7757 or emailing experiences@zdwines.com.
About ZD Wines
ZD Wines is owned and operated by the deLeuze family, who is dedicated to producing world-class wines, sustainable winemaking, and giving back to the community. Located in the Rutherford region of the Napa Valley, the winery and hospitality center offer panoramic valley views of premium Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and the Mayacamas mountain range to the west. The deLeuze family produces wines from their certified organic vineyards in the Rutherford and Carneros regions, as well as organic vineyards in Napa, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and Sonoma. With innovative winemaking practices, they produce wines of quality, consistency, and style. ZD Wines celebrates over 50 years of winemaking and can be found online at http://www.zdwines.com and @ZDWines on Facebook and Instagram.
