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Wine

13 May

Posted at 09:00h in Recipes, Vineyards, Wine
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In 2023 our winemaker Adrian Manspeaker was finally able to get his hands on a small block of Sauvignon Blanc from the Starscape Vineyard in Russian River Valley, from which we source Pinot Noir for both Joseph Jewell and our Jewell Reserve Wines. Every time he would visit Starscape to check on the Pinot, he’d sneak a golden berry from these Sauvignon Blanc vines and revel in their intense flavor.  Adrian has made Sauvignon Blanc in the past (2007-2011, and 2019) from various sites around Sonoma County. He's even experimented with the Musqué clone–a unique mutation of Sauvignon Blanc we’ll introduce you to later in this article. However, the 2023 Starscape Sauvignon Blanc is a new exploration of this lesser-planted variety in the Russian River for him, with the resulting wine...

05 Jan

Posted at 20:30h in Events, Uncategorized, Vineyards, Wine
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As we begin 2023, we are as equally excited for what is to come as we are for how 2022 went for Joseph Jewell! 2022: Looking Back 2022 was, in many ways, our return to normalcy post-COVID. In February, we were thrilled to reopen our Vineyard Tours after the gloomy winter months and were soon met with glorious Summer-like weather. We hosted an Art & Wine event featuring local artist Michelle Carnes in April, which was well-attended and thoroughly enjoyed by many of you! As we rounded the corner to Summer, Master Somm Evan Goldstein held a panel of 20 winemakers at the annual Russian River Valley Pinot Forum featuring our winemaker, Adrian Manspeaker, as one of the vintners who spoke. Later, in August, we hosted our first Vineyard Dinner in three years...

09 May

Posted at 00:09h in Wine
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2022 marks the 16th year of Joseph Jewell Wines. Making wine is certainly a labor of love and having a community who supports us through the ups and downs has been a true honor. I’m proud that this small wine business has brought joy to so many. On behalf of myself, my wife Lily, and our three daughters, we want to thank you for your friendship and patronage. Never in my grandest dreams did I imagine where Joseph Jewell would go when we made that first barrel of Russian River Pinot Noir in my little garage in Windsor, California. For one, I was illusioned under the guise of, “if you make it they will buy it.” I know now that is far from fact. The old industry adage, “making wine is...

03 Sep

Posted at 17:53h in Wine
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The similarities and differences in Pinot Noir Clones grown in Humboldt County and Russian River Valley made by Joseph Jewell Wines. In part one of our Comparing Pinots series, we explored the differences and similarities between growing Pinot Noir in Humboldt County and the Russian River Valley in regards to acreage, soils, and climate. Read through it here if you missed it. In part two, we’ll discover how these differences and similarities manifest in the final wines of each of Joseph Jewell’s single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. We’ll break them down by their clone which will lend further understanding to where flavors and aromatics originate.   Clones Something that many wine enthusiasts don’t know about Pinot Noir is that it comes in many sizes, colors, flavors, and aromas. You can almost think of Pinot Noir as the...

26 Aug

Posted at 19:11h in Wine
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Comparing Pinots: Part 1  The similarities and differences in geology and geography between Humboldt County and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir made by Joseph Jewell Wines.   Acreage Before we begin our deep dive comparison between Humboldt County and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, it is important to have an understanding of the size of areas we’re discussing. Humboldt County is roughly 200 miles north of San Francisco with Del Norte County at its northern border, Mendocino County on its southern border,Trinity County to its east and ~150 miles of fog-shrouded Pacific coastline. Humboldt is ~2.5 million acres in total with a measly 150 acres of grape vines planted majority of which are in southern Humboldt County with one AVA (American Viticultural Area), Willow Creek, containing 30 acres in the northeastern part of the...

05 Aug

Posted at 21:51h in Wine
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Where Does Vermentino Come From? If you ever venture to old-world Europe, keep your eyes peeled for wines by the name of Pigato (Liguria, Italy), Favorita (Piedmonte, Italy), or Rolle (Provence, France). All of these are localized names for Vermentino.  When exploring the Mediterranean basin you’ll find these common Vermentino names from Provence and Piedmont, to Tuscany and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. All of these warmer climate regions near the Mediterranean provide Vermentino the optimal growing conditions with plenty of UV light to ripen easily and cooling winds from the sea. As California's wine growing regions boast a “Mediterranean climate,” you can often find great examples of Southern France and Northern Italian grape varietals. While Vermentino isn’t as common in these parts, varietals like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and...

26 Jul

Posted at 15:16h in Wine
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Thanks to our very brief history of rosé, we know that rosé has been made around the world for quite some time now. But how exactly is it made? Traditionally there are three ways to make rosé. Depending on who you talk to, you’ll get a different answer as to which is the “best” way to make it. Essentially, winemaking doesn’t really have any hard-and-fast rule to what is “correct.” There are rough guides of how to do things, but part of the beauty of winemaking is that it's a blend of art and science. Everyone has their interpretations, and that’s okay. As the saying goes, “ask four different winemakers a question, you’ll get 16 different answers.”   For the most part, rosé is made in the following ways… courtesy of Wine Folly Direct...

18 Jul

Posted at 16:36h in Wine
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Long before the favored mantras of  “yes way rosé,” today’s favorite pink drink was popular around the known world at the time, i.e. the Mediterranean basin. And although I see your wheels turning to quickly assume that our friends in the land of berets and baguettes invented the beverage, you would be mistaken. The production and consumption of rosé dates back to the Pheonicians, circa 1550 B.C. - 300 B.C. and the Ancient Greeks, circa 600 B.C. It’s just taken us this long to associate catchy hashtags with the drink.The rosé of long ago wasn’t like the picture perfect poolside salmon pink libations we love today. The ancients actually made rosé in a manner that today many wine people might scoff at--  by watering it down. Ice cubes weren’t available,...

13 Jul

Posted at 16:29h in Wine
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Making a final wine blend before bottling is as much a science as it is an art. First off, there are legal requirements that a wine must meet to hold certain designations. Those designations refer to the vintage, varietal(s), appellation, and sub-appellation. Next is understanding the purpose of the final wine. Is it meant to age for many years to come, or be enjoyed younger? This creates further parameters for how a winemaker will decide on a final wine blend that you’ll eventually enjoy in your glass. Finally, it comes down to taste. When the sum is greater than the parts, you know you've got it! Are all wines blended?? You might be surprised to learn that not all wines are blended. However, what you may not have known is that even...