Join correspondent, Tom Wilmer at Jordan winery in Alexander Valley California for a visit with owner and visionary, John Jordan. Listen to the interview on “Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer” NPR.ORG podcast. Jordan was founded back in 1972 at a time when the region was predominantly a fruit and nut producer, Tom Jordan and his wife Sally realized that the Alexander Valley terroir was ideally suited for Cabernet and Chardonnay grape production. With their first vintage release in 1976 when according to the Wine Institute there were just 76 wineries in Sonoma county Jordan has remained forever after as a true trailblazer—and today they share in the county’s wine production with more than 16 distinctive American Viticultural Areas or AVAs comprising 400 fellow producers.
While visiting with Lisa Mattson the winery’s director of Marketing & Communications I asked her for some specifics about the Jordan’s journey and she said, “Jordan’s vision came with great risks. You have to remember that this was a time when 80% of wine consumed in America was white and Tom Jordan wanted to be the first to produce fruit-driven, silky approachable Cabernets in the tradition of the great Bordeaux region of France. It was a huge risk as no one had attempted such a feat before.”
As I wended my way through the rolling oak woodlands and approached the winery, my mind shifted for a moment and I had a flash of arriving at a French chateau somewhere in the remote Bordeaux countryside. Jordan winery opened at a time when tasting rooms were a thing of the future. But today there’s still no tasting room at Jordan. This is one reason why you’ll never see a wine bus arrive with boatloads of tourists. The winery is only open to visitors by prior arrangement and their incredible farmland tours are limited to 12 people. I was most intrigued by John’s visionary ability to see in to the future and harness and lead the industry with his cutting edge-technology not only in the wine making process but in the fields, utilizing computer programs and extensive utilization of Tablet technology and digital storytelling via YouTube and much more. www.jordanwinery.com for further information about the region: www.healdsburg.com
Check out this episode! on NPR.ORG Podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer