ABOUT
founders eric lyman and jason hooten
Our Story
Eric Lyman and Jason Hooten have been friends for over 30 years, having first crossed paths while working in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry at Dey Laboratories in Napa, CA during their early twenties. Both shared a passion for live music and spent much of their time at Day Labs hanging out with a tight-knit group of employees. After seven years, Jason left the company to finish his bachelor’s degree at Sonoma State University, while Eric eventually decided to leave a few years later to pursue a degree in enology and winemaking.
Several years later, the two friends found themselves working in the wine industry and decided to collaborate on a project together. This project would eventually become known as Gangster of Love, a wine brand that combines their shared love for music and winemaking. The collaboration has been successful and the wine brand is gaining popularity among wine enthusiasts and critics.
Gangster of Love is a Rhone style blend made from Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah. The 2018 vintage earned 95 POINTS from Bonfort’s Wine & Spirits Journal and DrinkMe Magazine in 2022.
eric lyman - proprietor / Winemaker
Meet the winemakeR
A US Navy veteran and a background in pharmaceutical production, Eric furthered his education into fermentation science and viticulture in 2009. He has spent the last 12 years at Judd’s Hill Winery holding the position as “Head Winemaker and Cellar Master.”
His winemaking skills have earned him 90+ points ratings from Parker and Suckling, as well as a pile of gold medals from the prestigious San Francisco International Wine Competition.
jason hooten - proprietor / operations
Meet the other guy
With over 23 years in the adult beverage industry (beer, wine, and spirits) his past experience has been working harvest, production and cellars, winemaking, sales and marketing. He is a former owner of Raff Distillerie in San Francisco, where he was involved in all aspects of the business, including distillation, operations, sales and marketing.
He is currently the owner of Prolific Beverage, a company that boasts award-winning brands such as Andrew Cain and One Flock Wines.
01
Our Philosophy
“From grape to glass, we strive to cultivate excellence from the ground up.”
02
Our Technique
At harvest, the grapes are immediately cold soaked and fermented by indigenous yeast. The wine is aged a minimum of 20 to 28 months in French Oak barrels and bottled “unfiltered.”
03
Green Practices
The grapes are grown only using “sustainable farming” and harvested and sorted by hand. “Organic” winemaking practices are applied to producing the grapes into wine.