29 Jul How We Got the “Old Girls” Pinot Noir
Every bottle of our Martini Clone "Old Girls" Pinot Noir represents years of persistence, a little luck, and one very special block of vines. When I decided to start Joseph Jewell Wines in 2007 and 2008, I had one simple goal: make exceptional Pinot Noir. There was just one problem—no one wanted to sell grapes to a brand-new winery. The financial recession had the wine industry on edge, and growers weren’t eager to take a chance on an unknown winemaker. Ironically, that same recession eventually created the opportunities that helped shape Joseph Jewell Wines. In 2009, I began working with Floodgate Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. At the time, there wasn’t much fruit available, and the vineyard manager, Warren, offered me a small corner of the vineyard. It sat in what I...