This Just In! Special Barrel Tasting Added to Tomorrow's Harvest Party

Great news! We've added a very special pre-release barrel tasting of our 2011 Robert Thomas Vineyard Pinot Noir to tomorrow's annual Harvest Party. This wine won't be released until next fall, so this is a rare preview of what's in store from this exceptional vineyard.

The Robert Thomas Vineyard is located at what's called the "elbow" of the Russian River Valley, which means it's practically a stone's throw away from the Pacific Ocean. As a result, it gets thick coastal fog during the wee hours and although the fog burns off by mid-day, Robert Thomas is still the coolest of all our vineyards by far. This coolness makes for gloriously long hang-time for the grapes, which means that extraordinary, complex flavors are allowed to develop.

Past Robert Thomas vintages have been known for rose petal and violet aromas that give way to complex tiers of berry, plus graceful tannins that carry through to a long, lush finish of caramel and vanilla. How will the 2011 vintage compare? Come to the party and find out!

 
There are still a few tickets available, so grab yours today. The J Culinary Team is busily preparing fantastic food-wine pairings in addition to the barrel tasting. Several of Sonoma County's finest artisan food purveyors will be on hand, too, including Jimtown Store, Friend in Cheeses Jam Company, Merchants & Millers, Bernier Farms, WholeVine Products, and more. 

If you can't make it to tomorrow's party but want to try the 2011 Robert Thomas Vineyard Pinot, we recommend joining Club J -- our wine club -- so you'll get first dibs when it's released next fall. 

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Five Fun Things to Do in Sonoma This Weekend: Early Fall Edition

Here in Sonoma County the sleepy torpor of summer is slowly giving way to the ever-so-slightly snappier harvest season. Of course, some may not consider temperatures in the low 80's "snappy," but in a Mediterranean-esque climate, it feels like fall is at the doorstep. Harvest always brings a certain buzz to wine country, too, and there seem to be a million fun things going on in Healdsburg and environs this weekend, including lots of festivals. 

Here are five ways to be a part of the fun:

1. Celebrate The Wine Harvest in Style. It's a well known fact that J Vineyards' annual Harvest Party is one of the best seasonal events in Sonoma County and features an inspirational tasting experience with our award-winning wines and seasonal hors d’oeuvres prepared by the J Culinary Team. Some of our favorite locale food purveyors will be bringing their goods, too, including WholeVine Products, Jimtown Store, Friend in Cheeses Jam Company, Merchants & Millers, Bernier Farms and more. Pick up your tickets while they're still available!
   
   
2. Relax (and Maybe Rock Out a Little) on the River. The Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival affords one the genteel pleasure of sitting in a folding chair on the rivers' edge and enjoying main stage music from performers like George Thorogood, Taj Mahal, and Meklit Haderoon. Between sets, head to the wine garden for a more intimate music scene, plus dancing. There's even an "international food court." Another festival this weekend is the EarleFest Americana Festival in Santa Rosa featuring a hickory-smoked line up of national and regional Americana bands, plus edibles, wine, and beer.


3. Enjoy Some Local Art. The Healdsburg Arts Festival features 70 of Northern California's best artists, plus live music, wine, and a children's art zone. All artists will be on hand and their unique work is available for purchase.


4. Bask in Books.There's also the Sonoma County Book Festival, held in downtown Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square. Each year thousands of book lovers return to hear an array of nationally acclaimed and locally treasured authors and browse a huge assortment of books under the welcoming white tents.


5. Learn to Make Burrata. Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg has some fantastic classes available and this weekend Chef John Franchetti leads a hands-on workshop where guests will learn to stretch fresh Mozzarella, make Burrata, and incorporate them in a fantastic wood-fired dinner. All guests will get a chance to stretch, make, and bake — including mini Burratas and wood-fired pizza. We hear there's lots of "mmmm" and "yumming" at this class.

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Five Fresh Ideas for Fall Fêtes

Our September 22nd Harvest Party is rapidly approaching, so pick up your tickets while they're still available! Our annual Harvest Party is one of the best seasonal events in Sonoma and features an inspirational tasting experience with our award-winning wines and seasonal hors d’oeuvres prepared by the J Culinary Team.

Some of our favorite locale food purveyors will be sharing their goods, too, including WholeVine Products, Jimtown Store, Friend in Cheeses Jam Company, Merchants & Millers, Bernier Farms and more. Exciting.

If you can't make it out to Healdsburg that day, though, consider throwing your own harvest party this year.  Here are five on-trend ideas to inspire your fall fêtes.

1. Go Mediterranean. Mediterranean influences have been popping up on menus all over the country lately. Dishes like grilled flatbreads and lamb chops with lemon pair beautifully with our Pinot Noirs, so look to countries like Morocco, Greece, and Turkey for culinary inspiration.

2. Mix it up. Plain white porcelain is increasingly giving way to ceramic and stone plates with interesting textures and patterns. Try a more eclectic, textural table setting to create visual interest.

3. Use unexpected seasonal touches. Instead of gourds or pumpkins, use another fall crop — grapes — to bring a luxurious, jewel-toned sense of abundance to your table. Cascade differently colored clusters from the sides of a decorative bowl. Include a pillar candle on one side of the bowl, so the grapes will glisten during dinner.

4. Leverage the local. According to a recent poll by the National Restaurant Association, 72 percent of adults say they’re more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally sourced food, so pick up speciality items from nearby vendors to add interest to your gathering. You’ll create a more memorable experience and support your local economy, too. Visit localharvest.org for ideas, or, if you live in Northern California, just check the list of our favorite local food purveyors above!

5. Offer tasting notes. A few well-chosen words about the aroma, flavors, and texture of a wine can dramatically enhance your guests’ experience of drinking it, allowing them to pick out individual notes and identify favorites. Heighten their appreciation by creating a one-page guide. 

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"Everybody's So Happy This Year About the Vintage"

That's according to Kasey from AM 650 radio's "Best of Food and Wine," where our illustrious VP of Winemaking, Melissa Stackhouse recently appeared alongside J "ambassador" George Rose to chat about how this year's harvest is going. Listen here (look for the August 30th show). Melissa discusses how this year's grapes are looking and at one point gets really into describing J's Pinot Noirs. Which one is "lush, earthy, mushroomy, with black cherry" and which is "brooding, with licorice and sassafras?" Listen to find out.

(If you listen carefully, too, you can learn the secret of why it's bad luck to wash your car this time of year in Northern California.)

In other news, J Vineyards just participated in the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend and if you ever wanted to visit the Sonoma region, this event is the perfect reason. It takes place every year over the Labor Day weekend and includes a huge array of events, tastings, dinners, and concerts, so it's easy to customize the perfect agenda. The marquee event is Taste of Sonoma where over 200 wineries and chefs serve up their very best.

As a part of the festivities, J Vineyards was so pleased to participate in the Coppola Starlight Dinner this year. We think Clinton Stark summed it up perfectly: 

"As is the gift of Sonoma, the event felt equally swanky as it did casual. You can’t help but feel a sense of grandeur as you ascend the impressive stone stairs, and pass through large iron double-gates on your way to the poolside dining area. Several wineries were on hand. Some of my favorites included Ceja, J Vineyards, Sojourn Cellars, and Coppola."

In other J news, we were thrilled this week to read nationally syndicated wine writer Robert Whitley's review of J Pinot Gris California:

"Although production has grown, quality has remained remarkably high, and the J Pinot Gris is consistently among the finest made in California. This 2011 offers succulent aromas of stone fruit, pear and melon, with a lovely floral back note."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves! Thanks to Robert Whitley, Tony and Kasey of AM 650, and all the folks involved in Sonoma Wine Country Weekend and Coppola Starlight Dinner. Harvest is officially on!

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Make Mom Proud This Mother’s Day!

This Mother’s Day do something special and make Mom Proud with love from J,

it’s the perfect way to say, “Thanks Mom”!

This Mother’s Day do something special. Book a tasting in our Bubble Room for a culinary experience that’s sure to delight. Taste through several flights of our Estate wines paired perfectly with different small bites. It’s the perfect way to say, “Thanks, Mom.”

Book your reservations now…available Friday through Sunday. Limited space available.

Can't make it to the Winery? Prefer to send something instead? We have that covered. A favorite of ours is the “A Pictureis Worth a 1000 Words” featuring photographer George Rose’s wine country images and our Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Another interesting option is to send Mom the Rex Ray designed scarf. A portion of the proceeds is donated to support breast cancer research. Do good and look good. Enter MOTHER upon checking out and receive complimentary shipping on the Rex Ray scarf.

Finally, for that special woman who has everything, our Club J Membership is the perfect solution. Buy her a one-year Club J Membership and she’ll think of you every time she opens a bottle.

Have another idea in mind? We’re here to help. Contact customercare@jwine.com or call 707.431.5479 and we’ll create a special package just for you.

Cheers!

J Vineyards & Winery

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