Las Jaras Wines
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Country of Origin: USA
Location: California
People: Joel Burt & Eric Wareheim, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
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Sweet Berry Wine anyone? The name is fun…almost too fun to take seriously. But Joel Burt and Eric Wareheim are making some seriously delicious wines. In fact, we had them open at the Cream Annual Warehouse Tasting & Sale 2018, and people flipped! Fun? Yes. Good? Definitely!
Joel Burt and Eric Wareheim are the winemakers behind Las Jaras Wines. The two met several years ago and realized they shared a great passion for wine. Eric loves drinking wine, and Joel is a winemaker by trade. It seemed only natural that they team up to start Las Jaras Wines: small production, low intervention, low alcohol, terroir-driven, food-friendly, and flavorful wines that are reminiscent of 1970 Napa. Restraint perhaps best characterizes their goal.
Joel and Eric lease biodynamic, organic, and sustainable vineyards in Mendocino and Sonoma. McNab Ranch Vineyard is located between Hopland and Ukiah in Mendocino and contains old vines that were planted in the early 1950s. The vineyard is biodynamic and dry farmed. The vineyard is covered with turkey mullein, and biodiversity is allowed to thrive. The Carignan vines stand at about 8 feet tall, which really allows air and light to penetrate the canopy. Venturi Vineyard contains old, head-trained vines (nearly 70 years old) grown in sandy loam soil. This vineyard is practicing organic and dry farmed. The Zeller Vineyard in Redwood Valley is practicing organic, dry farmed, and contains Pinole gravelly loam soil. Fred Berger’s Oak Shade Ranch is on Sonoma Mountain where the soil is volcanic gravelly loam.
About the Winemakers: You may have heard of Eric Wareheim. He is the co-creator of the sketch comedy show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! as well as a staple on the popular Aziz Ansari Netflix show Master of None. In fact, it is perhaps Eric’s relationship with Aziz Ansari—a known foodie—that inspired his pursuit into the wine business.
While Eric Wareheim is technically the celebrity of the two, Joel Burt isn’t an unknown name in wine. A California native raised by a family of organic table grape farmers (wonder if that had any influence?), Joel has worked in the U.S. wine industry for around 15 years, has a bachelor's degree in enology from CSU Fresno, has a Permaculture Designers Certificate, and has nearly completed the WSET Diploma. In 2009, the premium Napa Valley sparkling producer Domaine Chandon chose Joel as their winemaker responsible for their Smoke Tree line—Sonoma Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made with Burgundian sensibility. The future is bright for Joel; he's definitely a winemaker to watch.
About the Labels: The labels are created by artist friends like Chloe Wise, Jen Stark, Sam Borkson, Duke Aber, Amanny Ahmad, and Ryan Rickett. Read more about the artists.
Media Links
Punch: Don't Shoot the Messenger: Comedian and Actor Eric Wareheim is a New Kind of Celebrity Winemaker
Wine Searcher: Las Jaras Wines are No Laughing Matter
Quiet Lunch: Master of None's Eric Wareheim is a Master of Wine
GQ: How to Drink Natural Wine Like Someone Who Knows What They're Doing
Bon Appétit: We Couldn't Be More Thrilled That Sweet Berry Wine is Now a Real Wine
Wine Enthusiast: Master of None's Eric Wareheim Talks His New Wine Label
GQ: Has Eric Wareheim Made the First Celebrity Wine That's Actually Good?