A Quick Chat with Ted Henry, Winemaker for Jarvis.
February 25, 2011
How long have you been with Jarvis?
Three years at Jarvis, previously before that I was at Artesa in Carneros working on their Chardonnay and Pinot but also working on an Alexander Valley property they purchased called Ridgeline. So about three years ago the opening at Jarvis came up. To me Jarvis is the ideal winemakers paradise. It’s an estate model so it’s all about the vineyard, but they have some of the best equipment and barrels in the industry. It’s also a manageable 5,000-6,000 case production.
If you ever go to Jarvis, you’ll see that every barrel is laid down on the ground one barrel high in the cave. To me that was really special coming from larger wineries where they were stacked 5-6 racks high, and you had no idea what was going on 15-20 ft up in the air! A barrel bung could have been off for a week and nobody would know. It sounds very basic, but that was a huge quality thing for me
So this is probably a given, but you would very much describe yourself as a handcrafted winery?
Oh absolutely! We have two people in the cellar full-time, six people that work in the vineyard full-time, and a couple of people in the office. We are about as handcrafted as it gets! Everything we do is by hand!
Posted in Interview | Tagged Cabernet, interview, Jarvis, Napa, Ted Henry, winemaker | Leave a comment //
Jayson Woodbridge and his Charity Case
February 24, 2011
Charity Case is the latest side project by winemaking superstar Jayson Woodbridge. Whilst Jayson isn’t exactly a household name, the wines he produces are certainly getting that way. You may know Mr. Woodbridge from such wines as Layer Cake and Hundred Acre.
The Charity Case Foundation was formed in’08 as a long-term project in support of Napa Valley Charities. Jayson started by calling wineries in the Valley to see if they would donate their excess juice in order to create the wine for Charity Case line. So far the Rose and Sauvignon Blanc are the only two wines available, however Chardonnay juice was donated in 2010, and there are more varietals in the pipeline. The really cool thing is that all services are volunteered and ALL proceeds go directly to the charities.
Publix, “The Big 3” and Free Goods in Florida.
February 22, 2011
If you are not in the wine industry, you may want to switch off because this article (more of a ramble really) will probably bore you to death. You have been warned.
If you’re in Florida and working in the beverage industry, you’ll know that there has been a little shake-up with regards to grocery store chain Publix and “The Big Three”; namely wine distributors SWS, Premier and RNDC.
From what I can assert, Publix have demanded that the three largest beverage distributors in Florida stop offering wine free-good deals to both on and off premise accounts. The discounts will instead be somehow built into BTG programs, and I’m guessing some kind of tiered pricing.
I have heard a couple of stories as to why Publix made this move, but nothing confirmed and nothing that I am willing to put into print. After doing some digging I have yet to come up with any news on this story. Maybe there’s a good reason for that, maybe this isn’t news at all? Let me say that I have a number of very good friends working for all three of these companies, and I’m not trying to start pointing any fingers here. I genuinely think it’s an interesting move, and that it’s even more interesting that nothing has been written about it.
My questions are:
– Does Publix really have that much power that they can demand such a move State-wide? What if SWS, Premier and RNDC has said no?
– Will this give the smaller distributors more power of negotiation over the big boys?
– Surely there will be a big impact on other retailers in Florida, such as Total Wine and Costco?
Not that I expect a huge (if any) response on this, but if you have any thoughts feel free to chime in. Your comments can of course be kept anonymous.
Posted in News | Tagged Florida, Premier Beverage, Publix, Republic National Distributing, Southern Wine and Spirits | 3 Comments //Ruth’s Chris Constellation Wine Dinner – February 23th
February 22, 2011Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Ponte Vedra are excited about hosting Constellation Wines for their February wine dinner. Constellation Wines has a great assortment of wines in their portfolio with some of the best names in the business like Estancia, Kim Crawford and Mt. Veeder wines. They’ve paired some of their biggest names in wine with some of Ruth’s Chris’ most popular dishes, like Sliced Tomato & Mozzarella Salad, the Filet with Wild Mushrooms and Mini Chocolate Mousse and Sin Cake for dessert.
Join them on Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:00 pm. The cost per guest is $79.00 not including tax and gratuity. Space is limited and reservations are required.
Constellation Wine Dinner Menu at Ruth’s Chris – Ponte Vedra
Posted in Events | Leave a comment //Groth Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2009
February 21, 2011
Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc 96%, Semillon [SEM-ee-yawn] 4%
Facts
The warmer weather is coming folks, so let’s get some more white wine reviews up in here!!!
Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the main two whites grapes of the Bordeaux region of France. If you ever see a white Bordeaux, most likely it’s going to be a blend of the two.
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle are the only three grapes that are allowed in white “Meritage” blends.
Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment //Yoga for Wine Lovers.
February 20, 2011I’m welcoming all videos of people trying this for real.
Posted in Funny | Leave a comment //
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