Featured Club J Members "Brad & Donna MCLean"!

Featured Members

Brad & Donna MCLean

At the J Visitor Center Fountain

What Brad & Donna Have To Say

About J Vineyards & Winery!

"Thank-you so much for the fun time we had at the winery. What a special experience it is every time we visit, and this one has certainly been a topic of conversation ever since we got home. Thanks again for the wonderful visit, and the fantastic wines!"
–Brad & Donna

How long have you been a J Club member?

Brad & Donna: We just became members this visit, but we’ve loved the wines for years!

What do you like best about Club J?

Brad & Donna: Having access to regular shipments of the glorious wines. They are sometimes hard to find here in Alabama, so we have our shipments sent to friends in Georgia. It gives us a great excuse to go and visit them, and share some good wine and fun times.

What is your favorite J Wine & Food Pairing?

Brad & Donna: J Chardonnay with fresh grilled salmon, wild rice pilaf with grilled portabellas, and grilled asparagus. YUM!

Brad & Donna’s Special Interests

They Would Like To Share!

Our rescue cats are named "J" Chardonnay,
Napa Cabernet, and Sonoma Cutrer.

This is our "J" Chardonnay; she is the princess in our cat family, and definitely our most lovable, by far. But all 3 of them are very friendly to everyone. Not your typical cats. Maybe it’s all in their names.

"J" Chardonnay

This is her brother Napa………

And her other brother Sonoma………

And here are all three of them together…..…

"J" Chardonnay, Sonoma & Napa

And here’s the family photo from when they were kittens……..

It has been difficult to get one since then.

–Brad & Donna

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!

 

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 it’s 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

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

Terra Sonoma Tasting at J Vineyards & Winery

July 16, 2011 | 11am - 4pm 

J Visitor Center 

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.

Link to Event Page: http://www.jwine.com/News/Events/EventsDetail.aspx?id=51

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

Take a video tour of the Bubble Room with

Executive Chef Mark E Caldwell

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      

          

J VINEYARDS & WINERY NAMES KERRY MANAHAN-EHLOW VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING

Kerry Manahan-Ehlow

Kathryn Lindstrom, CFO/General Manager of J Vineyards & Winery, today announced the appointment of Kerry Manahan-Ehlow as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  Manahan-Ehlow will oversee all sales, marketing, and direct-to-consumer efforts for the winery.

“After successfully establishing J as a top Sonoma County sparkling wine producer, our Founder & President, Judy Jordan, has set her sights on becoming a leader in Russian River Valley estate-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietal wines,” said Lindstrom. “Kerry brings the experience and know-how to translate our vision into a reality for our distributors and our customers.”

Manahan-Ehlow was previously Chief Operating Officer at Foley Family Wines, managing global sales, marketing, and PR duties across 16 domestic and 5 New Zealand wine brands.  She is a 25-year veteran of the wine industry who has owned her own consulting business, and has worked across a broad spectrum of iconic brands, including Robert Mondavi Winery, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Matanzas Creek Winery, and Kendall-Jackson Winery.

She is an active member of the Sonoma County Vintners Senior Leadership Team, worked with the UC Davis Graduate School of Management students on wine marketing and studied Communications and Public Relations at California State University at Fullerton.

J Vineyards & Winery has recently expanded its sales efforts across the country, adding Kevin Nissen as Northeast Regional Sales Manager based in New York; Rick Choate, Southeast Regional Sales Manager based in Florida; and Diane Denham, Central Regional Sales Manager based in Texas. Two weeks ago, the winery tapped Melissa Stackhouse as VicePresident of Winemaking.

“For the past 25 years, J Vineyards & Winery has followed an independent path of elegance and authenticity in the wine business,” said Manahan-Ehlow.  “I’m proud to be a part of an energized J team and plan on laying the foundation for another 25 successful years.”

ABOUT J VINEYARDS & WINERY

J Vineyards & Winery is located at 11447 Old Redwood Highway southof Healdsburg.  The winery focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris Estate 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.  The winery kicks off its 25thAnniversary celebration this year.  To learn more, or to join the J Wine Club, go to www.jwine.com.

“PINOT & PIZZA” COMES TO J VINEYARDS & WINERY SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011 — 11a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chef Mark E. Caldwell and Andrea Mugnaini

J Vineyards & Winery teams up with Healdsburg-based chef and author, Andrea Mugnaini, for a “Pinot & Pizza” food and wine event at the Visitor Center. Mugnaini will be employing a large portable wood-fired pizza oven, and along with J Executive Chef Mark E. Caldwell, will create tasty pizzas featuring organic farm fresh vegetables, artisanal cheeses from Bellwether Farms, Fra’Mani handcrafted salumi, and O Olive Oil.

All pizzas will be paired with J Vineyards Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir wines. Mugnaini will also sign copies of her new book, “The Art of Wood Fired Cooking.” The cost is $15 per person for Club J members; non-Wine Club members, $25 per person. Reservations are not necessary as tickets will only be sold on the day of the event.

For more information, please call (707) 431-5430 or (707) 431-3646.

About J Vineyards & Winery

J Vineyards & Winery is located at 11447 Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg. The winery focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris Estate 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. The winery kicks off its 25th Anniversary celebration this year. To learn more, or to join the J Wine Club, go to www.jwine.com.

J VINEYARDS & WINERY TURNS TWENTY-FIVE

Richard Paul Hinkle is a contributing editor to Quarterly Review of Wines and is also the author of nine wine books. QRW is one of the publications that I deeply respect and enjoy, BTW, because of their high standards of story contents and the wine writers’ profiles.

Congratulations, Judy… May you have another 25 years of fabulous success!

J VINEYARDS & WINERY TURNS TWENTY-FIVE

By Richard Paul Hinkle

“A mind expanded by a new idea never returns to its former size.” Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

One of the things we learned about California wine in recent years is this: It matters where the grapes are grown. Not just a little, but a whole lot. In fact, it’s pretty much what separates world-class wines from everything else.

The good news is that, once California wine producers learned this lesson, winemakers jumped in with both feet. Growers began to understand that they were not just growing grapes, but rather that their end product was, in fact, the very definition of terroir.

Once these lessons began to sink in, crop levels dropped, attention was paid to matching the right variety with each specific plot of land, clones and rootstocks mattered, and trellis systems were assessed and reassessed. A “question everything” mantra came into play bringing with it great and enduring rewards.

There was once a small tasting room that boasted this sign on the back wall: “You don’t have to be an astrophysicist to make fine wine.” The joke was, of course, that the winemaker was a retired NASA astrophysicist.

Well, it also certainly doesn’t hurt to be a geologist who just happens to run a top shelf winery. At J Vineyards & Winery that fact came in handy when Founder and President Judy Jordan began to realize that many of her best vineyard acreage was better suited to varietal wines than they were for the sparkling wines. The winery’s motto is “A Legacy That Sparkles,” but the future was pointing in a new direction.

[Judy Jordan in 1987]

“My roots in the soil, as you suggest, do come honestly,” she says with a wily grin. “As a trained geologist (she earned an Earth Sciences degree from Stanford University), I have come to know how terroir is the foundation in the creation of world-class wines. The magnificent alluvial soils found in the Russian River Valley were formed over the millennia and play an important role in our ability to make great wine. I am fortunate to be accompanied on this journey of exploration by top viticulturist, John Erbe, and now, our new Vice President of Winemaking Melissa Stackhouse. Both are experts on all aspects of the Russian River Valley terrain.”

Jordan continues, “In 2010 we embarked on a new direction for J. With the official launch of our estate varietal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, we are staking our legacy on the terroir of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley. This unique viticultural appellation is our home. It is where we farm 254-acres of cool-climate grapes, planted on a myriad of rootstocks and clones, and all located along the loam and gravel benches and hillsides on the edges of the Russian River.”

“While we remain dedicated to our sparkling wine program, our varietal estate wines clearly represent the next generation of J Vineyards & Winery. The new varietal packaging, featuring a more subtle version of our classic J “paintbrush” logo, is designed to distinguish the varietal table wines from our sparkling wines. The new labels reflect all the distinctive elements that comprise the very definition of terroir — soil, water, air, plant life, and the human touch.”

When Judy Jordan took over the former Remy facility, immediately adjacent to Rodney Strong Winery, south of Healdsburg, she set out to produce top flight sparkling wines exclusively. But over the years, the fruit of her Russian River Valley vineyards quietly began to assert itself. In small and subtle ways it let her know that, perhaps, varietal wines ought to become a more important part of her portfolio.

“We did GPS mapping of our ten Russian River Valley Estate vineyards,” say Viticulturalist John Erbe. “We took core soil samples to get to know every striation, to the point where we’re not guessing anymore. We all agreed that you have to be willing to shake things up every now and again.”

That reward came two-fold: First, in the richly-textured, full-bodied Pinot Noirs that immediately gained the attention of the wine press; second, in the timing of the introduction. With the recent recession putting a damper on the nation’s need to celebrate, J’s low-key rollout was just the right tone to establish itself as an important Pinot Noir producer.

Of course, every smart winery owner is looking for the next big thing. And at J, it is Pinot Gris. “There’s an Oregon style, an Italian style, a French style, and there’s even an Okanagan Valley style, but there’s no definitive California style — yet,” says Jordan. “There’s a serious business upside in having J develop a California style for this varietal. With 25 years of sparkling wine under our belt, we wrote the book on crisp and clean.”

To that end, J has created a “California” appellation Pinot Gris — drawing fruit from Monterey, Clarksburg (in the Sacramento River Delta) and Russian River Valley — a wine that is, in fact, is crisp and clean, a “fun” wine with a screw cap, sold at a reasonable price. The wine itself is a vinous delight, with a bright steely-lemon-lime core, a touch of Golden Delicious apple, and a tangy hint of lavender in the finish.

[Judy Jordan today]

With the winery turning a vibrant quarter century old this year, Judy Jordan — an exciting, energetic and elegant force in her own right — knows that vitality requires constant burnishing.

“As an entrepreneur and mother of two, I have worked hard to shape a successful wine company that is the essence of elegance and balance,” says Jordan. “Our sparkling wines, featuring the distinctive yellow ‘J’ signature, are instantly recognized around the country by consumers, whether in a restaurant or a retail outlet. Here in our Visitor Center Signature Bar and Bubble Lounge tasting rooms, we offer innovative food-and-wine pairings that demonstrate the extensive range of both our sparkling wines and table wines. It’s an exciting time to be in the wine business. As long as we keep learning and expanding our horizons, it will remain so.”

J SPARKLING & VARIETAL

WINE TASTING NOTES

J Cuvée 20 Russian River Sparkling Wine ($22): You’ve got to love the brisk, right-to-the-point pear and apple zestiness that defines this sparkler, but it’s the fresh cream component that allows this wine to round out and settle in on your palate deliciously.

J 2008 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($28): Flush with ripe Fuji apple sappiness, this wine spreads out nicely with a hint of butter, the tang of hazelnut, all delectably balanced to handle anything from shellfish to sole in a cream sauce.

J 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($35): The scent of rose petals draws you in, backed up by fleshy black cherry fruit in the middle and finish, spiced with a hint of sage to make your mouth water. Pair this with a juicy slab of beef or lamb, brushed with butter-sautéed mushroom sauce.

http://www.wine-blog.org/