Monday, June 20, 2011

Here’s our new J Brut Rosé in a clear bottle with a sexy black J! Look for it at J Vineyards & Winery or your favorite retailer or restaurant this holiday season!

The new J Brut Rosé video shows the bottles going through the inspection light to ensure all the bottles are in perfect condition.  Prior to the inspection light, the bottles were disgorged.  Following the inspection the bottles will have the foils added to the top and neck of the bottle and allowed to rest for another 3-6 months before release.


 
Do you know how sparkling wine is made?  Here is a brief overview of J sparkling wine production from the vineyard to the bottle:

Harvest & Vineyards
All grapes for our J sparkling wines are hand-harvested into small quarter ton bins and placed as whole clusters, without destemming, into our special Coquard press for a gentle pressing cycle.  The grapes for our J sparkling wines were selected from J’s Estate Vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Our vineyards yield a balanced crop of clean, flavorful grapes that exhibit bright, lush aromas. 

Press
 What makes the Coquard so special? No need to rotate the press as it operates like a basket, less production of solids and phenolic extraction, less processing on the front end, producing higher quality juice.

Ferment
All vineyard lots are kept separate as are cuvée and taille fractions.  Cuvée is the “free-run” juice, highest quality, most flavors, acid, and best balance.  Taille is the “press” juice, good structure but requires higher psi for yield.   All juice is fermented at cool temperatures (~ 60oF) to preserve fruit and aromatics.

Assemblage (blending)
Each lot is evaluated and the cuvées are blended to the highest standards.

Filter + Sugar + Yeast
Once the blends are made the wine is filtered, and a small amount of sugar is added for the secondary fermentation. After secondary fermentation in the bottle, the wine ages for an average of 36 months in our cool cellars. The day of bottling, yeast is added and the bottles are secured with a bidule, a small plastic cup that fits in the bottle's neck and into which the sediment eventually settles.  A crown cap secures the closure.

Tirage
The bottled wine is stored in a cool warehouse, on its side, where the second fermentation completes in about six weeks.  By conducting the second fermentation in a sealed vessel, this captures the CO2 which is a normal by-product of fermentation (YEAST + SUGAR = CO2 + EtOH), giving sparkling wine its bubbles!  The rest of the time on tirage is spent aging - allowing the yeast to breakdown and adds complexity to the wine that enhance bouquet, flavors, and mouthfeel. Longer tirage time also means smaller bubbles.

Riddle
The bottles are transferred to our riddling racks where they go through a series of twists and turns to collect all the yeast cells and sediment into the neck of the bottle.


Disgorge
After riddling, the bottles “rest” for a period of 1-3 months neck down in a cold room. This allows the yeast cells to compact, and by keeping the wine cool its easier to disgorge. The neck of the bottle is frozen, freezing the yeast so when the crown cap is removed, the frozen yeast is blown out by the pressure from the second fermentation, clarifying the wine of any sediment. A small amount of dosage (reserve wine + sugar) is added back to the wine for balance.The bottle is then corked with a wire cap, foiled, and allowed to rest for another 3-6 months before release.

Enjoy J!
J Vineyards & Winery
11447 Old Redwood Highway
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707.431.5400 - Main
707.431.3646 - Vistor Center


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Terra Sonoma Tasting at J Vineyards & Winery, July 16, 2011 | 11am - 4pm!

Terra Sonoma Tasting at J Vineyards & Winery

July 16, 2011 | 11am - 4pm 
Event open to: All Welcome

Local food artisans Justin Miller and Karin Warnelius founded Terra Sonoma in Geyserville, CA, determined not to let a single grape go to waste. They will be sharing their grape-based culinary creations with us — Verjus and Saba.   

Verjus is made from un-ripened green grapes and is an excellent alternative for recipes that call for vinegar or vinaigrette. Saba is a thick, sweet syrup made from the “must” of fermented grapes and makes a delicious topping on ice cream, or can be used to sweeten cookies, polenta, or yogurt. Justin and Karin produce these chemical- and pesticide-free products following current sustainable farming standards.      

Mark E. Caldwell
Join us for a sampling of these culinary delights and learn how they are made. J Vineyards & Winery Executive Chef Mark E. Caldwell will prepare hors d’oeuvres incorporating both ingredients.  

  

Tastings of the Terra Sonoma food products are complimentary with the purchase of a J Signature flight ($20 per person) or a Bubble Room flight ($60 per person).  No reservations at the Signature Bar are necessary, but reservations in the Bubble Room are recommended.


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Ultimate Russian River Valley Tasting Experience in the J Bubble Room!

Not familiar with the ultimate J Bubble Room Russian River Valley tasting experience?

Well, now you can take a
video tour of the J Bubble Room with J’s Executive Chef Mark E. Caldwell and see what luxury awaits you in this beautifully appointed full-service tasting salon!

The Bubble Room is the ultimate Russian River Valley tasting experience. In a beautifully appointed full-service tasting salon, you and your guests will enjoy an exclusive tasting including rare Russian River Valley library and small-production wines, served with delicious wine country fare from our Executive Chef, Mark E. Caldwell.


The Bubble Room is open Friday through Sunday; seatings are available at 11:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 3:00. Guests over 21 are welcomed.

Reservations are strongly recommended. Please submit a reservation request and a member of the J team will contact you. Or phone us at 707.431.5430.

Bubble Room Tastings are $65 per person and $50 for Club J Members.Learn about Club J membership

Discover other ways to experience J Vineyards & Winery, including the J Signature Bar and hosted tours.

View our detailed map and directions to find us. We look forward to hearing from you and scheduling your next visit.

See our current menu for an example of this unforgettable tasting experience:
Current Bubble Room Menu


Executive Chef Mark E Caldwell

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Featured Club J Members "David and Rachelle Ybarra"!


Featured Members

David and Rachelle Ybarra
Photo taken at J Signature Bar




How long have you been a member of Club J?



David and Rachelle  Four Years!



What do you like best / enjoy about Club J?

 David and Rachelle  We always make this our very first stop because we love the location, its fun and the bubbly is so good!  The staff always greets everyone with a smile and really knows their wines.

What is your favorite J Wine & Food Pairing?


David and Rachelle  J Vineyards Nicole’s Vineyard Pinot Noir & J Vineyards Nonny’s Pinot Noir paired with creamy polenta withsautéed crimini mushrooms!

 
Special Interests you would like to share about you.


David and Rachelle:  Wines are our passion aside from our children.  We love Zin's and Pinot's.



To inquire about becoming a Featured Club J Member, please contact Elisa Brennan at elisa@jwine.com, or visit our J Tasting Room and the Wine Specialists will be happy to obtain your feedback and photo.

We look forward to seeing you featured on the J Vineyards & Winery Facebook Fan Page!


  
http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Vineyards-Winery/47700428072?ref=ts