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Jus Soli in Latin means "The Law of the Land". Owners Jesse Wurtzel, Tom Garrett and Mike O'Donnell believe that the concept of terroir applies to people as it does to wine. "We are what we grow", kind of thinking; which incorporates maximizing value while minimizing environmental impact. They don't take kindly to wine culture snootiness but oddly enough, usually agree with beer snobbery. Tom started his career in the wine industry at Wine Spectator magazine where he spent five years as the West Coast Tasting Coordinator. Aside from writing about the California wine industry and managing the tasting department, he also had the opportunity to taste nearly every wine being made in California. After realizing that making wine is more fulfilling than writing about it, Tom left to work for Turley Wine Cellars in St. Helena. This began a five year apprentice, which took him through Joseph Phelps Winery and Robert Mondavi Winery. Along the way, Tom launched Detert Family Vineyards from grapes grown on his family's vineyard in Oakville. Then in 2002, the collective effort of Jus Soli Winery emerged. Jesse thought long and hard about an appropriate title for himself. He recently came up with Winemonger, which describes what he does for much of the year. Mong wine. He is also their assistant winemaker and might try out some paperwork this year. And did you know that Wurtzel means "root" in German? Mike is usually sequestered in a small office in his garage running day to day operations while occasionally slipping into the cellar to see what the other two are up to. While this all makes for a great story, it's the kind of story we like hearing and sharing as it gives us a real connection to the people we do business with. Our selection is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Zinfandel from Sonoma County. It is a mouthful of daring ripe flavors that seem ceaseless, and a powerful finish that would love a seared rib eye. March Limited Series Newsletter (.pdf)
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