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Jordan Vineyard & Winery

The Chateau at Jordan Vineyard & Winery

The Chateau at Jordan Vineyard & Winery

1474 Alexander Valley Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: https://www.jordanwinery.com/

Visiting Jordan Winery is truly an event. Since I usually only get to go out to wine country once a year, I try to maximize my time and visit several tasting rooms.  Sometimes I will pick one place where I want to spend extra time on a tour or special tasting, and for the rest of the trip I go to drop-in places. After visiting Jordan, I would recommend giving yourself ample time – at least a couple hours – to take full advantage of everything to see on the property.

This winery was founded by Tom and Sally Jordan in 1972.  It is now run by their son John. The Jordans were inspired by wine estates in France that focus on the connection between food, wine, and hospitality.  They built a 58,000 sq. foot chateau with combined wine-making facilities, guest suites, a kitchen and dining areas. Visitors can actually stay on the property in one of the suites.  You need to plan ahead if you are visiting Jordan because they do not take drop ins and reservations fill up well in advance during the busy seasons. Jordan offers a few different “intimate” tasting experiences.  All of the tours include food and wine tastings. Jordan produces a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and champagne called Jordan Cuvée. An interesting fact we learned while on the tour is that winemaker Rob Davis has crafted every vintage since the first production in 1976.  That’s pretty impressive!

The Cask Room at Jordan Winery

The Cask Room at Jordan Winery

My husband and I signed up for the winery tour and library tasting.  The tour included a walk around the chateau while our host provided the history of the winery.  We started outdoors looking out at the vineyards. The chateau overlooks 1200 acres of rolling hills.  The Jordans practice sustainable farming with a focus on conserving the land and preserving natural habitats.  Cattle, birds, and other animals like rabbits and turkeys roam the property. There is also an onsite garden and olive trees.  After exploring outside, we went inside for an hors d’oeuvre in the cask room with a glass of Chardonnay. The cask room contains twelve 6,000 gallon oak casks.  After touring the property we sat down in the library for a wine pairing with cheese and small bites. We ended the tour back in the chateau where we could purchase wine or the estate olive oil.  I enjoyed the overall experience. It felt like a little piece of France in Sonoma, CA. For a deeper view of the estate, the winery offers another tour that ventures into the vineyards as well as the chef‘s garden with an al fresco tasting.

One other feature of the winery that I found interesting is their unique rewards program.  They do not a have traditional wine club. Instead, anyone who signs up for the mailing list can earn rewards points.  You’ll get your first points just by joining the list and taking a tour. There’s no obligation to purchase wine. You’ll get emails of releases, recipes, and upcoming events.  When you do make a purchase you will earn points to be used toward special perks at the winery like dinner events or a stay on property. If you are planning a visit, I recommend checking the events page on their website to see if they are offering any seasonal events, vineyard hikes, or special dinners when you visit.

The Library Tasting at Jordan Winery

The Library Tasting at Jordan Winery

 

J Vineyards & Winery

J Vineyards & Winery

J Vineyards & Winery

11447 Old Redwood Hwy, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: https://www.jwine.com/

I wouldn’t have known about this winery if I hadn’t stopped at Rodney Strong.  J Vineyards is located to the left of Rodney Strong and is accessible via a walkway from the Rodney Strong parking lot.  It is an interesting winery owned by Judy Jordan, the daughter of the owners of Jordan Winery in Sonoma.  J Vineyards began producing sparkling wine in 1986 and that appears to remain their main focus today.  The winery also produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Viognier still wines. 

This winery was founded by Judy Jordan in 1986.  Judy is the daughter of Tom and Sally Jordan who started Jordan Winery & Vineyards also in Sonoma.  The winery was sold to the Gallo Family in March 2015 and Judy then purchased Chehalem Mountain Vineyard in Oregon.

 

Pond outside of J Vineyards

Pond outside of J Vineyards

The outside of the winery is simple and charming.  There is a bridge over a small pond that leads to the front doors of the tasting room.  On the left side of the bridge there is a small fountain and terrace.  A woman was stationed outside the front of the winery to greet us and inform us about the different tasting options that are available.  The basic tasting occurs at the J Signature Bar.  They also offer seated food and bubbly tastings inside the Bubble Room or outside terrace.  The Bubble Room tasting seemed to be the most popular.  It is offered Friday through Sunday at four different times during the day and reservations are recommended.  An executive chef creates dishes that pair with six wines.  I was really interested in doing this tasting but unfortunately there were no spots open when I visited.  I opted for the J Signature Bar tasting instead. 

 

Tasting bar at J Vineyards

Tasting bar at J Vineyards

The tasting room is very contemporary.  There is a dark stone wall from ceiling to floor behind the tasting bar that is lit from behind and designed to look like bubbles rising up from the bottom.  Before walking up to the tasting bar, we stopped at a mini tasting table off to left of the entrance to sample a couple of wines and then finished the tasting at the bar.  The tasting menu included a couple of sparkling wines and 3-4 still wines for $20.  This tasting fee is a little pricey compared to many of the other wineries in Sonoma.  My personal favorites were the J Pinot Gris, Russian River Pinot Noir and the J Viognier Hoot Owl Vineyard.

I’m glad that I stopped in because I like discovering new places.  Overall the wines were enjoyable and the staff was friendly.  I wish I had the opportunity to try more of the sparkling wine though.  If I ever return, I would make a reservation for The Bubble Room.