by Lisa on January 13, 2011 in From the Land
Nearly 18 acres of olive trees are planted on the Jordan estate. All four varieties of olives (Frantoio, Leccino and Pendolino of Italian origin and the Spanish Arbequina) are blended to create our vintage-dated extra virgin olive oil, which is released each year at our Spring at Jordan event. Here are a few scenes from our [...]
by Lisa on December 4, 2010 in From the Cellar
Assistant Winemaker Maggie Kruse discusses the importance of tasting the grapes and juice throughout the entire winemaking process. Grapes are first tasted during vineyard sampling and once harvested, only the highest quality fruit pressed into juice goes into stainless-steel tanks and is tasted daily during fermentation to monitor heat, aromas and flavors.
by Rob on November 4, 2010 in From the Vineyards, News
It’s easy to generalize a vintage as classic or mediocre. Or as winemakers like to say, “challenging.” My definition of the 2010 vintage? Well, it was the best of times and the worst of times. Defined by intense flavors, the range of fruit quality varied tremendously from appellation, block, varietal and time of harvest. Specific sites delivered [...]
by Lisa on October 28, 2010 in From the Vineyards
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
