Stephen Eliot of Connoisseurs' Guide to CA Wine Highly Recommends J Pear Liqueur!

Highly Recommended!

J Pear Liqueur

Made from a base of twice-distilled alambic pear eau de vie that was given ten years of aging in 90 gallon French oak barrels then cut with rainwater to 30% alcohol and lightly sweetened, the liqueur is neither so sugary as to be cloying nor as hot as unadulterated eau de vies are wont to be. It is a lovely, carefully crafted, after-the-meal sipper that captures the absolute essence of fresh pears with deft touches of caramel and vanilla adding notes of quiet complexity. It is altogether delicious drunk neat, but its use as a flavoring agent in sauces and mixed drinks strikes me as being limitless. The winery’s website, in fact, offers several cocktail recipes created by winery Executive Chef Mark Caldwell to show off the liqueur, and among them is an intriguing version of eggnog that is now on my list of things to do this holiday season.

J 2002 Vintage Brut Paired with Dungeness Crab with Blood Orange and Tarragon on Endive!

Crab Season Starts Today!

Act now to take advantage of complimentary shipping on our newly released 2002 Vintage Brut!

 One of the greatest culinary pleasures for those of us lucky enough to live on the Pacific Coast is the start of the Dungeness Crab season. The commercial crabbing season traditionally begins November in northern California and by all accounts, this should be a bountiful year for the tasty crustaceans.

Whether you head down to the docks yourself or buy from your local store, we should soon have a plentiful supply of this delicacy. And regardless whether you prefer it plain on a salad, with clarified butter and lemon or in any number of delicious recipes (see below), there is one wine that always works with crab: J Sparkling Brut!

2002 J Vintage Brut, Russian River Valley

The 2002 J Brut has a bright, exotic nose with hints of pear and citrus followed by coconut, spice and yeasty aromas. The slight nutty and toasty notes lend a nice balance to the fruit. Delicate bubbles lift the complex flavors across your palate and lead into a long, lush finish.

We are also glad to note that Charles Olken of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, the oldest review of California wine, recently awarded our 2002 Vintage Brut 95 points and three "puffs".

To celebrate the start of crab season, we are offering complimentary shipping on any purchase of four bottles or more of our 2002 Vintage Brut. Simply call us at 707-431-5479 or go to our web site and enter the coupon code 02VB4 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. For those of you who live nearby, we have added a "pick up at winery" shipping option to our web site. If you prefer to stop by and pick up your wine, we would love to share a glass with you at the winery.

Featured Recipe:

Dungeness Crab with Blood Orange and Tarragon on Endive

This is a fairly minimalist recipe that balances the sweetness of the crab meat with the zippy citrus notes of the blood orange and the earthiness of the endive.

Ingredients:

1 cup Crab Meat

¼ cup Watermelon Radish, grated

2 teaspoons Blood Orange zest, blanched

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Blood Orange juice

2 teaspoons Tarragon, finely chopped

Pinch of salt

20 Endive spears

2 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

Method:

Combine all ingredients and serve on endive spears.

Sprinkle with chopped parley for garnish.

Serve with 2002 J Vintage Brut

Recipe Courtesy of J Executive Chef, Mark E. Caldwell

J Sparkles with Charles Olken of Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine!

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine

November 2010 - Volume 35 Issue 1

by Charles Olken

J Vineyards & Winery

It seems that California makers of the bubbly take a step forward each and every year, and this newest crop of sparkling wines is no exception. When you add in the double incentives of equivalent Champagnes costing twice as much and being less fresh in the bargain and top that with the likelihood that you can find most of the non-vintaged Bruts, Blanc de Noirs and even Rosés at discounts during the Holiday Season, there is every reason to pay attention to this category. Perhaps the single most influential step in this scenario of increasing success is the move by several makers to cooler and cooler area grapes with longer hang times and higher natural acidities. But it is the areas of Blanc de Noirs and Rosé that California producers have their greatest natural advantage. If the idea of adding a bit of red wine to your top bubblies is to increase both richness and latter palate solidity, then California Pinot Noir with its tendencies to be fuller and richer than its peers in France has a big leg up. The success of lightly and moderately pink wines in this year’s tastings made that group the stars of the show (pun intended).