Napa, California (October 20, 2016) – Marian Jansen op de Haar, a highly-regarded wine professional and former wine director for Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, has joined Acumen as Estate Ambassador. In this new position for Acumen, located in the Atlas Peak region of the Napa Valley, Jansen op de Haar is responsible for the winery’s trade and consumer education programs as well as helping to develop its visitor and direct-to-consumer business.
“We are very pleased to have Marian join the Acumen team as we expand our business around the country and prepare to open our Napa Valley tasting room,” noted Steven Rea, president of Acumen. “She is a widely respected authority on fine wine, with deep experience in wine education, trade development and hospitality.”
Jansen op de Haar was the acclaimed wine director for Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, an upscale steakhouse chain with 67 restaurants in the U.S. While at Fleming’s, she developed their award-winning Fleming’s 100 wine list and was responsible for the restaurant’s entire wine program, including buying, staff training, wine education, supplier relations and budget management. She also oversaw consumer wine events for Fleming’s, was responsible for wine content development, and represented Fleming’s at trade and consumer panels and interviews.
Jansen op de Haar worked for Fleming’s from 1999 to 2011. In 2011, she set up her own consulting business, Vine 57, through which she continued to work with Fleming’s and other on-premise businesses and wine organizations. She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Arizona State University.
Acumen was founded in 2012 when Eric Yuan and his family acquired a prized 32-acre vineyard on Atlas Peak from Dr. Jan Krupp of Stagecoach Vineyard fame. In searching for a vineyard that could produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, they hired winery management executive Steven Rea and his team of wine industry veterans, including Steve Matthiasson, Denis Malbec and Garrett Buckland, to seek out an ideal site in the Napa Valley. They considered a number of top Napa Valley vineyards before settling on Krupp’s property in the rugged Atlas Peak AVA in the Vaca Mountains of eastern Napa Valley. A second, 84-acre vineyard, just a half mile up the road, was acquired in 2013.
The first Acumen estate wines from Atlas Peak, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons, are being released in the fall of 2016. Steve Matthiasson is winemaker for Acumen. Additional information is available at www.acumenwine.com.
