Twitter Strikes Again! Returning Me To Alexander Valley Terroir (Roots)
It took Twitter to remind me about Jordan Winery (with the Peninsula Beverly Hills’ Belvedere Restaurant promoting its Jordan Wine Dinner which I loved). Because of that, they invited my parents and me up to their winery for a Harvest Lunch! I’m not sure if they knew, but Jordan was actually part of my childhood. My father, DeathbedFood Founder, dragged me (oh, I mean, took me) and my mother up to the Wine Country regularly to visit. While I didn’t drink at the time and certainly didn’t appreciate the wine, I did develop a basis for appreciating the wineries and winemakers up there – Jordan among them.
Upon approaching the winery, I was reminded of the beauty of their chateau. Over lunch, I found out that Founders Tom and Sally Jordan designed it themselves after having studied numerous chateaus in France – taking various design elements from their favorites.
The Harvest Lunch took place on the back patio. Jordan has their own extensive garden on-site which was used to provide many of the ingredients for the lush buffet. I also thought the sunflowers were a gorgeous touch.
Now that I’ve grown up and have a business background (an MBA and years in marketing), I’m newly impressed with Jordan’s brand authenticity – as seen with their wines as well as their marketing.
Their wines have told a consistent story throughout the years … approachable Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons created in an Old World style. Because their product offering is simple (Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon), it’s easy to think of them when shopping among the vast universe of wines. I also respect their commitment to consistency, never succumbing to the “Robert Parker” effect and straying into higher alcohol, bigger wines like many did in Napa.
Social media puts the va-va-va-voom in Jordan’s marketing. Wine can often seem intimidating and social media makes it warm and inviting. They have an award-winning blog, The Journey of Jordan (2011 Finalist Wine Blog Awards – Best Winery Blog), and are active on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (which is loaded with videos that help layman like me get a glimpse into their world, helping us to feel closer to the brand). One of my recent favorites is this video of a Chardonnay grape night harvest (which I’d never seen before):
So Jordan, thanks for continuing to make consistent, food-friendly wines and for making your wines so accessible to us via social media and in person.