Dear Friends:

Our first harvest for J. Rickards Winery was in 2005. We think the vintage is exceptional, and it hit us that this winery dream is becoming reality. So, it was time to come up with a couple of ways to keep in touch with our friends who encourage and support what we do. We’ll start with regular newsletters, to let you know about changes and events at the winery. First off, we want to let you know about two new faces on team JR: Alex and Annie Holman. Alex will be making wine and Annie will be our marketing lead. You’ll be able to read more about these two fabulous people on our web site very soon, www.jrwinery.com

2008 is a very special year for J. Rickards Vineyards, as we observe the 100th anniversary of the Old Vine Zinfandel, planted by the Brignoli family in 1908. So, to celebrate our old vines, our new team and our official release of the ‘05, we’ll be having an Open Barn on May 31st. Hold that date. As you know, Jim can wax eloquent about differences in wines from the valley floor (the flat-landers), and those from those from our terraces and hillsides. That’s a sense of place that you can taste in a glass. Also known as terroir. Jim and Alex will be giving tours through the various vineyard blocks, and you can have a glass of that very wine in your hand. It will be very special to have you with us – plan to come by and come buy!

Join us each month to watch our vineyard grow!

[Vines & Wine of the Month]
2005 Ancestor Zinfandel

This wine was made from our block that was planted to honor our Alexander Valley ancestors in winegrape growing and to recreate the style of wines from the turn of the century. Because we do our own field grafting, we took cuttings from old Zinfandel vines originally belonging to the families Pastori, Brignoli, Nervo, Vasconi, Mazzoni, Pachetti, and Osborn. We did the vine grafting to best represent the old style of planting in the early 1900’s. The vineyard also includes small amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouchet, Mataro and Muscato di Canelli, creating the traditional field blend.

The resulting wine is a classic Zin, with aromas of berries and spice with a black pepper backbone. Soft tannins are in balance with the bright raspberry, blackberry fruit and nice acidity, attained by 20-month aging in French and American oak barrels.

[Ancestor Zinfandel] & our Slow-cooked Pulled Pork Roast

Pair this robust Zinfandel with our favorite Slow-cooked Pulled Pork Roast, which we will be serving for the Open Barn Release Event on May 31.

3-4 lb. Pork Shoulder
3 Tbs. Kosher salt
1 Tbs. Chipotle chile powder
1 cup Orange juice (fresh squeezed is best)

Heat oven to 300° F. Mix salt and Chipotle powder together and rub all over the pork shoulder; coat thoroughly. Place pork on rack in dutch oven roaster, cover and place in oven. After an hour, pour orange juice over the roast and begin to baste with juices; continue basting every 30 minutes for another three hours. Check doneness: meat should be falling of the bone and juicy. Remove from roaster and let cool. Then pull meat off the bone and remove fat and skin. Serve in traditional tortillas or on soft rolls, with Jim's salsa fresca:

1 3/4 cup Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. Ground cumin
Juice of one small lime

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for an hour prior to serving.