by Todd on May 20, 2011
The cool growing season in 2010 allowed us to produce what I believe is our best vintage of olive oil to date. In this 2010 Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil tasting note video, I discuss the weather, fruit ripening and making of our latest vintage, as well as the award-winning oil’s flavors, texture and myriad uses in the kitchen.
Released officially on May 1, Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil is available for purchase exclusively at Jordan for $29 per bottle.
by Lisa on June 22, 2010
Our Director of Facility Operations Tim Spence recently finished his latest design project: building a structure to house our new Mugnaini wood fired oven. (And his first video blog post.) Wood fired ovens have a long history in Italian cooking, and our executive chef yearned for a culinary tool that allowed for more traditional slow food cooking methods to complement his style of cuisine. Andrea Mugnaini’s ovens have become increasingly popular in outdoor kitchen designs for homes, as well as culinary schools and restaurants. Models were designed for both residential and commercial use. You can also find some online DIY guides for building your own oven.
Our biggest challenges for this project were identifying the right location, building the proper base to support the Mugnaini oven we chose, and designing a showcase piece that was both functional and complemented our existing chateau architecture from the mid-1970s.
by Nitsa on February 11, 2010
During dinner service last night, John Jordan received a call from one of his colleagues at the local Salvation Army. Watch a quick video to find out what happened and why I decided to work in the Jordan kitchen on my day off.
by Lisa on February 8, 2010
El Niño, characterized by unusually warm temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator, caused a wave of January rainstorms in Sonoma County—and an early harvest in our garden thus far this season. On January 15, our white asparagus arrived two months early, so we recorded a video of Sous Chef Manuel burying the asparagus to deprive the spears of light and ultimately color. Two weeks later, the white asparagus was ready to be unburied, harvested and taken up the hill to our winery kitchen, where Manuel peeled the white asparagus, then tied the spears with string (both efficient and protective, as white asparagus is more brittle than green) before blanching. Here’s a short video of the harvesting process and kitchen preparations.
by Todd on January 15, 2010
In the Jordan estate garden, we focus on growing heirloom varieties and other fruits and vegetables that demand meticulous care. Our white asparagus arrived two months early this year (see winter garden post), so Sous Chef Manuel Reyes rushed out to the garden on Friday to bury all the asparagus spears in the ground. White asparagus comes from the process of etiolation, which is the deprivation of light. Dirt is mounded around each emerging stalk, depriving it of sunshine. The plant cannot produce chlorophyll without light, thus there is no green color to the stalk. White asparagus is typically milder in flavor and more tender than its green counterpart.
Click here to view my Hanger Steak and Asparagus Salad recipe.
by Todd on January 15, 2010
The mild winters of Alexander Valley mean our organic gardens continue to afford us a weekly bounty of vegetables to inspire dishes for our guests. In this video, I discuss what’s growing this month in our garden behind the winery, as well as the early ripening witnessed this season, which may be attributed to El Niño climate patterns.
