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29 Jul

Posted at 22:36h in Events, News, Uncategorized, Vineyards
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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...

16 Jun

Posted at 17:39h in Events, News, Uncategorized, Vineyards
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Some wines are born from tradition. Others are born from curiosity. Our Sparkling Vermentino is a little bit of both. Vermentino has always been a favorite grape of mine because it naturally carries a freshness that reminds me of an ocean sea breeze. Even grown here in Sonoma County, it retains a bright, coastal character with citrus, floral notes, and an energy that makes it incredibly refreshing. The fruit comes from Raymond Burr Vineyard, a property I know well. In addition to making the wines, I help farm the vineyard, which gives me a unique connection to every vintage. When you spend time in the vines throughout the growing season, you develop a deeper understanding of the fruit and the possibilities it offers. One year, that possibility looked like bubbles. We produce traditional sparkling wines...

06 May

Posted at 19:54h in Events, News, Uncategorized, Vineyards
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A Hidden Humboldt Gem One of the things I like about growing and making wines from Humboldt is the “undiscovered” aspect. Humboldt County remains a small and largely unexplored wine region. There are only a handful of vineyards, but the possibilities for making great wines are there if you are willing to look for them. My first sojourn to Phelps Vineyard was in 2019, when the owner of Briceland Vineyards brought me there (it’s not exactly a place you could stumble upon). For me, the trip to Phelps Vineyard started with the three-hour drive from my home in Sebastopol to Garberville, followed by another 45-minute drive on a dirt road that climbs from roughly 300 feet to close to 2,500, getting steeper and narrower as it goes. Technically, it’s about four miles...

03 Feb

Posted at 00:59h in Events, News
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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...

06 Feb

Posted at 00:10h in Press
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In 2011 Joseph Jewell decided it would be fun to create a bottling that was comprised of our three best barrels of Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Part of the selection process required us to taste and rate each barrel.  We looked at the color of the wine, the aromas and the palate (attack, mid-palate, and finish); taking detailed notes on each barrel. This was, and remains, the process every year.  In 2011, at the end of our week-long journey of tasting all of our barrels, we felt that we found the elements we needed to create a special Pinot Noir that was comprised only of our three favorite barrels from the Russian River Valley. When selecting our barrels, we think of our ideal Pinot Noir. We want a...

08 Jan

Posted at 22:34h in Press
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As we welcome the New Year, we are eager to share with you new projects on the horizon for Joseph Jewell. We added a few new wines to our lineup that we are extremely excited about. In 2018 we created three new wines: a Vermentino from Dry Creek Valley and two Pinot Noirs from Humboldt County. The opportunity to create a Vermentino from the Raymond Burr vineyard in Dry Creek Valley presented itself last year and we decided to go for it. We have always love light-bodied white wines with high acid. While Vermentino is not a well know grape varietal here in California, and plantings are limited, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to branch out from what is typical of the region and expand our portfolio. This...

06 Dec

Posted at 10:00h in Press
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Jewell Box: December 2018 A Look in our Library Joseph Jewell began producing wine in 2006 and since then has amassed a collection of meticulously crafted wines that perfectly showcase the longevity of each wine through their ease of aging, as well as their ability to stand with similar wines of the same vintage and reach acclaim. This month, we take a look in our library and invite you to explore some of our past vintages that have gained both age in the bottle as well as recognition among their peers. We are also including access to larger formats of these wines to showcase the ongoing aging potential that coincides with larger bottles. Most of the wines produced at Joseph Jewell go through an aging process in French oak barrels (12-18 months) before moving...

05 Nov

Posted at 21:51h in Press
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Jewell Box: November 2018 Gem Series Wines Joseph Jewell produces several award-winning pinot noirs from both Sonoma and Humboldt County and among our many offerings is our prized Gem Series. The Gem Series features three of our special barrel-selected pinot noirs: Rubies, Emerald, and Martini Clone -Old Girls. These wines are made for aging and will be prized additions to any wine collection. Anyone familiar with our wines knows that we adorn our Gem Series bottles with striking white labels, giving these special offerings a look all their own. We also forego the standard foil enclosures in favor of the traditional wax seals—a special touch which signifies the uniqueness of these wines. The Gem Series began with our Rubies, which is our finest expression of pinot noir from the Russian River Valley each year....

04 Sep

Posted at 17:50h in Jewell Box
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Jewell Box: September 2018 Journey to Humboldt Joseph Jewell’s home may be in the esteemed Sonoma County, but its roots extend beyond the region to the north, to the lesser known, but equally as beautiful Humboldt County. Lauded as what may be “the next frontier for great California Pinot Noir,” Humboldt County offers a winegrowing region similar to Sonoma, producing cool-climate wines that rival those of its southern neighbor. Relatively overshadowed in the winemaking world by its California siblings, Humboldt County is a new region to many wine devotees with old region clout. Enjoying the shorter days and cooler temperatures of October, the flavor development in the grapes sourced from this area are on par with wines made in the most prestigious pinot noir growing areas of the world for a fraction of...

01 Aug

Posted at 17:50h in Jewell Box
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Jewell Box - August 2018 Reflecting on the 2011 Vintage: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful The 2011 vintage was seven years ago and while many harvests have come and gone since then, one thing stands true: farming grapes in 2011 had extreme challenges that we have not seen since. We had rain in late spring during bloom and in the early fall, during harvest. The summer heat was tempered, with very few heat spikes (that’s a good thing). With the exception of the rain in early Fall, the growing season was perfect for making beautiful wines that truly express the spirit of the vineyards. Here in California, when we get hot summers the wines tend to be much more full bodied and fruit forward. When we have cooler summers our wines tend to...