A veteran uses his voice as a winemaker to spread awareness about mental health

Jason Mergenov first got the “California bug” at 22 years old when the military sent him for training to become a nuclear missile launch officer. He served in the military for 22 years, including time in Iraq. Using the G.I. Bill, Mergenov started studying winemaking at Allan Hancock College in 2012, which turned into his second career. 

He founded Rockets Red Wines in 2018 with his wife, who also served in the military, making their winery 100 percent veteran owned.

Sparkling pinot noir is Mergenov’s favorite wine to make and his favorite to drink—but he only makes wine that he and his wife enjoy. While making the first vintage in 2020, Mergenov had an experience that changed his life.

“I suffered a terrible flashback actually making sparkling wine,” he said. “All of a sudden, the room was 50 degrees, and it just went to 95 degrees. I felt like I was back in Iraq. I almost fell over, and it was just the most surreal thing ever.”

He remembered going into a deep depression during the pandemic, which killed his resiliency, he said. At the end of 2021 he sought help from a therapist who recommended a two-week clinical program in Boston called the Home Base Program.

“It’s so painful at first, and then the point is you get so used to it that it stops being trauma,” Mergenov said. “That’s why I can actually talk about some of that now, which I couldn’t for the longest time.”

The program helped Mergenov realize he wanted to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding mental health. Though he had been “suffering with PTSD silently” since 2003, his own stigma held him back from therapy because his work in Iraq was technical, not combative.

“I felt this tremendous guilt that I didn’t have the right to have PTSD because I wasn’t, you know, a ‘warrior,’” he said. “Too many people are losing their lives because the stigma doesn’t allow them to get the help they need.”

While going through therapy, Mergenov decided to share his story with the world. He posts videos on Instagram about normalizing the pursuit of mental health help. Though his flashback came as he was making wine, he said he’s come to terms with it and hasn’t let it impact his job.

“It’s not just about making wine anymore,” he said. “I’m making wine with a message.” 

The art and science of winemaking is therapy to him now. He said it feels like a full-circle moment when he gets to share his wine with others and watch them enjoy it.

Rockets Red is known for rosé and red wines, but this year Mergenov chose to only make around 60 cases of sparkling pinot noir, called Rockets Red Fizzion. The grapes were grown in Los Alamos, and Mergenov rents space at Sandoval Ranch and Vineyard in Santa Ynez to make his wines.

As a child growing up in Florida, he watched the first space shuttle launch in middle school, an event that influenced the imagery on his label.

“The front label is all very shuttle specific,” Mergenov explained. “The back is kind of made like a little passport because … I traveled the world and saw different things, and [it] really helped kind of open my worldview.”

Mergenov also uses winemaking to give back to veterans. He donates proceeds to the Home Base Program he attended a few years ago.

“I am fortunate enough to be in a position to be able to do that,” he said. “That two weeks literally saved and changed my life, so I owe them so much.”

As a small producer, he likes that he’s in control of everything. He said winemaking doesn’t feel like work because he loves it.

“When I’m here, when I’m in my element, I’m not thinking about all the other shit that’s gone wrong in my life,” Mergenov said. “It’s kind of a zen moment for me.” ∆ 

Sun Staff Writer Madison White, from New Times’ sister paper, is always searching for the rockets’ red glare. Send sparks to mwhite@santamariasun.com.

This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 9 2025.