Brian Brett, a poet and farmer, once said, “Farming is a profession of hope.” For farmers who aren’t in control of their water sources, hope might be the only option in the recording-shattering California drought year…
The results from our vineyard grafting experiment are nearly complete, and I’m very pleased with the first estate Malbec grapes that will be harvested in early October. Using soil-mapping study findings, we grafted two under-performing Cabernet…
We constantly experiment in the vineyards, always seeking ways to improve fruit quality and uniformity of the grape clusters–which ultimately leads to a higher quality wine. Trying to push the bar even higher with Jordan Cabernet…
Mother Nature always keeps us on our toes. For a second consecutive year, we’ve experienced a long, cool spring. This weather not only prolongs the growing season, but can also affect flowering in late May/early June–if…
Ever wondered how grapevines are grafted and what the process entails? In May, we embarked on our first grapevine field grafting project since completion of the Jordan Estate soil mapping study. Grafting allows us to change the grape variety…
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…
As part of our quest to continuously improve wine quality, we embarked on a soil mapping study of Jordan Estate vineyards in 2009. That summer, John Jordan began taking our assistant winemaker and myself up in…
How to Ripen Grapes on the Vine at Jordan After the grapes bloom and tiny berries form into full grape clusters, it’s time for the important practice of leaf pulling, captured in the above video. A…
One of the key parts of sustainable farming is growing cover crops. Cover crops benefits are vast; they promote beneficial insect flight within the vineyards in early spring, allow us to incorporate high biomass organic material…
The 2010 growing season officially began in late March when Jordan Merlot vineyard blocks experienced bud break. Protecting these newborn plants from morning frost keeps our vineyard team on alert through mid-May. The Sonoma County Winegrape…
Does is snow in Sonoma County wine country? Sometimes in the mountains, but not often. An interesting cold front lingered over the Alexander Valley and its vineyards in the spring of 2010, considered one of the…
