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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...

Greetings from Sonoma County!  ​​As we step into a new chapter and bid adieu to 2023–brimming with rain, surprises, and exceptional grape-growing conditions–we eagerly anticipate the unfolding of a remarkable year ahead. Among the myriad of highlights awaiting us in 2024, one that stands out prominently is the upcoming debut of our highly anticipated Sauvignon Blanc from the esteemed Starscape Vineyard. 2023 Harvest Recap 2023 commenced with an abundance of rain–a blessing considering the dire drought situation we faced in Northern California at the time. Throughout the winter months, nine atmospheric rivers rolled through the area, transforming our landscape and filling reservoirs to historic highs. Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino, once at their lowest levels in 2022, now proudly boast their highest water levels on record–ever! Mother Nature has certainly shown her power. As...

Join us for Art & Wine Happy Hour Friday, February 17th, 4-7pm 6542 Front St, Forestville, CA 95436 Join us at Joseph Jewell's Tasting Room as we stay open late to celebrate a belated Valentine's Day with local artist Michelle Carnes! Bring a friend and it becomes Pal-entine's Day. We will be pouring complimentary tastings of our The Artist Series wines, which support charitable causes and whose labels feature Michelle's artwork. 2021 Sparkling Vermentino (pet nat) - only a few cases left 2021 Skin-fermented pinot gris  2020 Skin-fermented pinot gris Also available by the glass or bottle are two pinots we released earlier this year to enjoy along with some of Michelle's freshest new artwork. 2020 Eel River, Pinot Noir, Humboldt County 2019 Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir A portion of profits from the Artist Series wines, along with a portion of sales...

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...

'Tis the season to shower yourself, friends, and family with holiday cheer. A great way to elevate your celebrations is to consider how to select your holiday wines, pairings, and more.  How To Select Holiday Wines Whether you plan to pair wines with food or simply swirl and enjoy during the festivities, wine selections are a great way to make the time with your holidays even more special. Here are our favorite tips...

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...

Just outside the town of Healdsburg, the 38 sustainably farmed acres of the Bucher Vineyard produce elegant and nuanced Pinot Noir for our single-vineyard bottling of the same name. Owner and farmer John Bucher has made quite a reputation for himself as a winegrower in the Russian River Valley, with the likes of Williams Selyem lobbying for fruit annually from his Westside Road estate that overlooks the Russian River. Being neighbors with the coveted Rochioli Vineyard to the south, it is easy to understand why the grapes from Bucher Vineyard are held in such high regard. We've been sourcing fruit since 2014 from a steep hillside block on the west edge of the property along with a smaller block towards the bottom of the slope adjacent to Westside Road. Bucher History As a...

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...

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...