Our Craft

Each year we have two distinct harvests at JE. We continue to ferment all of our California grapes right in Napa Valley before transporting the wine to Connecticut for aging and bottling. Our “boots on the ground” approach during the West Coast harvest allows us to make critical decisions in real time and maximize quality. We are involved in every step of the process. In addition, we simultaneously harvest and process the grapes from our Connecticut vineyards. A collaborative winemaking approach has worked well at JE.

An irrefutable truth in the wine industry is to make a fine wine, you need the highest quality grapes. You either need to buy the best fruit or grow it yourself- we decided to do both.California Vineyards: Currently the vineyards we work with are located in Napa Valley, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County), and Lodi. All of our grapes are sourced from separate vineyard sites. This allows us to access fruit from specific micro-climates that are best suited to that varietal.

Connecticut Vineyards: Our hilltop location just inland from the coast has been sought after for farming for over 200 years. Grapes are a natural fit for this site. Rich soils filled with stones and minerals from the glacial age provide firm footing for our vines. As grapes are sensitive to wet soils, our vineyard has been “tiled” to promote excellent water drainage and soil aeration. The hilltop location reduces our risk of late spring or early fall frosts. Long hours and attention to detail are imperative if one is serious about growing quality fruit in Connecticut. That dedication is in all of us.