J VINEYARDS & WINERY WRAPS UP SPARKLING WINE HARVEST

J Vineyards & Winery Wraps Up Sparkling Wine Harvest

J Vineyards & Winery concluded its 2010 Russian River Valley sparkling wine harvest with a flourish this past Tuesday.

Pinot Noir grapes destined for Cuvée 20 and Brut Rosé were hand-picked in the early morning hours from “Nicole’s Vineyard,” the winery’s Russian River Valley estate located on Eastside Road. A load of Chardonnay from the “Ross Ranch Vineyard” near Sebastopol brought a close to what J Winemaker George Bursick is describing as “a very compressed harvest.”

Heavy coastal fog and low clouds have shrouded the region for most of the summer, pushing the annual grape harvest back about three to four weeks. Temperatures did warm up in early September helping to jumpstart the sluggish harvest. With the sparkling wine grapes safely fermenting in the winery, the varietal wine harvest throughout J’s ten Russian River Valley estate vineyards is expected to continue into early October.

“Though yields are down about 10%, tasting the Pinot Noir grapes now at the winery, we find them to be delicately balanced with luscious aromatics of raspberry and strawberry,” said Bursick. “This harvest appears to have similarities to the 1999 vintage, which was also a late harvest. The wines from 1999 were delicate and delicious.”

The winery, located on Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg, focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris varietal wines, produced from grapes farmed primarily within Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation.

Founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, J Vineyards & Winery is an independently-owned Sonoma County winery. J will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary next year. To learn more, or to join the J Wine Club, please call (707) 431-3646, or go to www.jwine.com.