Winemaker Rob Davis has forged strong connections with many of Alexander Valley’s finest grape growing families, including the Millers, the Mazzonis, the Dilworths and the Munselles. Fifth-generation grower Bret Munselle farms several plots of his Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines to Rob’s specifications. On October 7, I visited Bret at a Munselle family vineyard, which is [...]
Archive for October, 2010
Video trio: sunrise harvest, vineyard sorting tables and our winemaker’s taste buds
by Lisa on October 28, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Video: night harvesting Merlot grapes, Alexander Valley
by Lisa on October 20, 2010 in From the Vineyards
For those of you who enjoyed our Russian River Valley Chardonnay night harvesting video, we’ve also captured footage of Alexander Valley Merlot grapes being harvested at night. This vineyard is owned by Justin Miller and Karin Warnelius-Miller, proprietors of Garden Creek Vineyards. A sixth-generation California farmer, Justin and his wife, Karin, grow grapes for other [...]
Soil mapping video: precision farming with resistivity technology
by Brent on October 15, 2010 in From the Vineyards
We’ve nearly completed a comprehensive soil mapping study of every Jordan estate vineyard block. What does that mean? We’re rediscovering our dirt to continue elevating grape quality. When I started working at Jordan in 2008, I asked Winemaker Rob Davis how I could work in the vineyards to help him achieve his winemaking goals. He explained how [...]
Halloween party ideas: flowers, appetizers, cocktails, recipes
by Nitsa on October 8, 2010 in Events, From the Kitchen
A month before John Jordan’s private Halloween bash, it’s time to create new appetizers and drink cocktails for the party menu. Todd and I always meet in the kitchen with our Sous Chef, Manuel, and spend the entire morning testing all the different recipes we’ve been brainstorming for months. This year, we decided to capture [...]
Food Photography Contest: win our chef’s favorite kitchen gadgets
by Lisa on October 6, 2010 in News
We’re thrilled to announce the winery’s first food photography contest, inspired by our experiences at the International Food Bloggers Conference. Entries will be accepted October 5-November 3, 2010, on the Jordan Facebook Page Contests Tab or via email. Four prizes will be given, all of which were featured in Executive Chef Todd Knoll’s recent favorite kitchen gadgets video. If you love to cook and [...]
Video: night harvesting Russian River Valley Chardonnay grapes
by Lisa on October 4, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Watching a picking crew harvest grapes is an unbelievable rush. Your eyes fight to follow the hooked knives slicing away at each stem. You hear the grapes shaking on the vines as the workers tug the canes. A tractor engine hums. You hear the men shout for more collection bins. But you can’t see anything–unless you follow the [...]
