August 13, 2025 • 34 mins
Murrieta’s Well is a Livermore Valley wine estate defined by its distinctive blended wines, stunning location, and a rich heritage. Boutique and family-owned, it remains one of California’s original wine estates, and the property has been growing grapes since 1884. Murrieta's Well wines are produced from grapes grown on the winery’s sustainably farmed 500-acre estate vineyard. Set in the heart of the Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), as well as the greater San Francisco Bay AVA, Murrieta’s Well is located 35 miles east of San Francisco. The site is located on a natural water source at the base of the Mocho Canyon. The legendary gold rush era bandito Joaquin Murrieta is known to have frequented the artesian well in front the winery. The name Murrieta’s Well pays homage to the pioneering spirit surrounding his folklore. In 1990, Murrieta’s Well proprietor and fourth generation winegrower Phil Wente and Sergio Traverso partnered together to revive the winery. Today, Phil’s daughter, fifth generation winegrower, Jordan Wente leads as Brand Manager.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with
which producers narrate their winery and their world team. Thirty
answers discover their stories, personalities and passions.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alson
Levigne and today I'm in the Livermore Valley. And if
there's one name that is, I don't know if there's
any name more iconic with the Livermore Valley than Wendy.
And I'm sitting with Owenty. I'm sitting with Jordan Wendy
who is the brandemester for Mriette as Well. Jordan, Welcome
(00:33):
to Wine Soundtrack and tell us about Mariette as well.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Oh well, Marriott as Well is actually one of the
California's historic wine estates, founded in eighteen eighty four by
Louis mel who stumbled across this property and it reminded
him of his home in Borgeaux, France, so he purchased
the estate and worked with Charles Wetmore, who was the
first agricultural Commissioner for the State of California, to bring
(00:59):
over cuttings from the Chataus and plant them here on
the estate. So he was able to get cuttings from
chatou Kem and Chatateau Margo, and the descendants of those
cuttings still live on the estate today. And Louis mel
is an insurance salesman, so our family helped him farm
the grapes from the beginning, and we eventually purchased the
(01:21):
estate from him and continuously farmed the grapes since, grapes
since the eighteen hundreds, So it's a really cool piece
of history here. And then in nineteen ninety, my father,
Phil Wenty, with the rest of the Wenty family, decided
to open what they called Marriott as Well, which was
named after Joaquin Marietta, who, rumor has it, used to
(01:43):
water his horses here on the estate. And my dad
partnered with Sergio Traversa, who was a well known winemaker,
and they created these amazing wines with the art of
blending from the Marriott as Well estate itself.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
And oh, that's a I mean, that is history, and
I mean your family is history because the Wenty family
has been in Livermore Valley since one, eighteen eighty three
and you are what generation, fifth generation, fifth generation, so
I mean the history is pretty incredible and that your
(02:19):
family has been here that long. I'm curious here with
myriad as well? How big is this property?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
The Marriotte as well a state itself, is about five
hundred acres.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Wow, that's big. And how many are planted divines?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Ooh, that's a good question. I'm going to have to
defer it to my sister at the moment, because I
know she's been making some changes in the vineyards. But
I want to say most of it is planted divines.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Really, hundreds of acres out here? Wow? And you mentioned
a couple of the cuttings that came here. What are
the varieties that are planted here at this property or
that Mariette as well works with?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Oh man, can you.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Laundry list them all? Are you capable?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
That's a quiz? So I think we have over twenty
varieties planted on the estate, everything from the classic Bordeaux
varieties that really inspired Louis mel with Sauviuan Blanc, mar Low,
Petite verdeau mal back. What's the other Bordeaux variety? I'm
missing cabinet, brown, cabrinic. Oh, I missed the I miss
(03:23):
the cabernet. How could I ever do that? But we've
got greenache Movedra, Malvesia, Bianca, Orange, Muscat, Tariga, Temporneo, Susal,
Sauvium Blanc, obviously Chardonnay. So we have a lot of
fun things, and you know, we really believe in the
art of blending. We have great wines that stand on
(03:45):
their own, but blends are are.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
We We have a lot of fun And would you say,
what is your total production for this brand?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I think it's about seven thousand cases.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Okay, so not not huge and a good mix of
blends and single varie ones right okay. And obviously the
wines are available here in the tasting room, but these
are in distribution across the US.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
For the most part, this is really direct to consumer only.
We had some in distribution and we're launching a new
brand called Roaming Legend by Marriott as well that's really
intended to be out there and tell the stories of
Marriott as well.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Wow. So if you want Mary as well, you got
to come here to Livermore Valley or go online.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Join the club, go online. But we hope the Legend
will roam and you'll be able to taste a little
piece of it as well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Wonderful. Well, before we get into wine, I'm curious your
fifth generation. You grew up here in the Livermore Valley,
grew up among the vines. What's your very first memory
relevant to wine. Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think it was my dad making me pick up
rocks in the vineyards. I don't really recall why at
the time. Maybe he was just trying to get us tired,
or having us run through the vineyards to scare away
the starlings that like to eat the grapes stirring harvest.
That's probably it.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Did you always understand that you were in a multi
generational wine growing family.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I guess I never really thought much of it. It
was just what the family did and it was really
inspiring and just kind of normal.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Almost so with all the wines that you've since been
able to drink once you started finished moving rocks around
and you started drinking wines, was there a particular wine
that stands out as one of those aha moment wines?
And do you remember where and what it was?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Oh? For me, it's probably savm blanc. I think I've
tried all of them, and I love all of them,
and don't get me wrong, I have a mood for
every single wine, but it's just crisp and refreshing and
really kind of showcases the history and stories that have
(06:02):
been passed along since the beginning of this estate. And
it's got a fun you can have. There's different versions
of it that just tell a different story.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, was there, ever, when you were starting to taste
wine or in the years, was there a particular wine
that you remember tasting that kind of stopped you in
your tracks? I mean, is it always what sauvignon blanc does,
or was there a particular experience that you just kind
of stopped and said, Wow, I didn't know this great
could do this, or this place could do this, or
maybe it was just the experience. It was a romantic
evening and the wine was even better.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
That's a hard question considering how many great wine experiences
I've had in my life. I don't know. I don't
know that I could pick one. Maybe one will come
to me, What'll love to you? Yeah, there's so many,
so many, I think, you know. Probably my favorite is
being able to to taste the wines with my dad
(06:57):
and have him tell us the stories behind them and
just that bonding moment. So really, any of them that
we get to do that with is fun.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
So, if we were to come to your home, what
kind of wines do you have in your cellar or
do store? Is it a lot of myriad as well,
Wendy wines, Livermore Valley wines, or are there particular grapes
or regions that you seem to have in your home.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
In my home, I have a good mix of Marriott
as well and Weny and tend to have saviant Blanchardonay
mar low as the always in the house wines, and
a lot of other local wineries here too. It's really
fun to try them.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Kind of exchange with friends and have fun playing with them.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
A lot of us grew up together too, so it's
fun to taste.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
So do you think with all the different grapes that
you work with, that there's a such thing as a
perfect variety?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
No, No, I don't. I think mother nature has too
much of a role in that. And it really depends
on the person from a taste profile of what makes
a perfect variety or perfect wine. Yeah, it's about what
you like that young factor.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Is there anything that you opened up recently at a
dinner at home that drank really well, something that you
had at home or maybe you were out at a restaurant.
I know, you just came back from a camping trip,
so I'm not sure if you had wine on that trip,
but you know, anything that stands out is a recent
drink that that what the whistle?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, you know. Actually we started importing with a partner,
Champagne Castle Now, and I was able to try their
Blanc de blanc, which was incredible and complex and just
hearing the stories that they've told and their aged very
long on the LEAs and for it to be fifteen
(08:50):
years when you make that bass wine before you release it,
I think the like, oh my gosh, what do you
even think about the next five years? But fifteen years
thinking about how a wine is going to progress was
pretty amazing to me. And it was delicious, So blunk
to blunkin what is the producer Champagne Castle Now?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
That sounds really tasty.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
It's like cremberlet and a glass and just it was great.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Well, so you've tasted a wine and you know you're
able to describe something that meant something new because you
tasted it and what you were enamored of. And I'm curious.
I know this is kind of a weird correlation. Tight
end but what is your opinion of wine critics and
scores if they tell you if you read something that
says a wine is really good, does that change your
mind on how you want to taste a wine or
(09:41):
as a brand, is it something that you aspire to
or is it not as important?
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I mean, as a brand, having great scores is really aspirational,
and we try to but ultimately we're just trying to
make the best possible wine we can. And you know,
I'm not sure sure that I would always go by
it personally, but I think, you know, somebody has very
good palettes tasting through all of these wines, and it's
(10:11):
interesting to see even the different perspective amongst critics. Sometimes
it's more fun to taste when you see a few
different scores on a wine and see what you actually
think for yourself.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Right, because they're all subjectives, so you might find one
you agree with, but that doesn't mean you agree with
all of them.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Right, right, So it is coming from marketing background and
supply chain, it's really fun to see the difference and
how important it is to the sales of wine. But ultimately,
like what is your palette compared to them? Is kind
of a fun challenge as well, I would.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Say absolutely so for somebody who's not had the pleasure
to taste myriad as well wines, Yet, what do you
think they're missing out on?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Deliciousness? You know? Are we try to go from the
vineyards all the way through the wine with a very
artician arteasonal handcrafted approach. Our winemaker for married as well,
Robbie Meyer. He really thinks it all starts in the vineyard,
so he works very closely with my sister to farm
(11:13):
those grapes, and he takes it all the way through
like all the touches, and so it's a lot of
fun too to see him with different barrels and they're
tasting amongst the different types, and how his vision and
everything comes back together. And I actually don't know what
the start of that question was anymore, So did I answer?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
You? Did? You did? You did? Someone who hasn't tasted
your wines, what would they get deliciousness? And you did
answer the question. So I'm curious if space aliens were
to land on your property right now and knock on
the door asking for a glass of wine, which of
all of your wines would you want to welcome them with?
That says, you know, welcome to mariad as well.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Ooh, space aliens. Maybe the whip that sounds like a
very space alien.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
What is the whip?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
The whip is our white blend. It is a blend
of Obion blanc now Basia Bianca, orange, Muscat, Muscat kennelly.
It's a beautiful fun summer wine, especially great floral aromatics,
and you know, kind of represents the tear wire and
the different aspects and elevations that we can have here
(12:17):
on the Maria as well estate to grow some of
those super fun varietals. And so it's giving the aliens
a taste of Livermore Valley whites all mixed together with
a fun name.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I love it, especially all those aromatic grapes together. I mean,
it's it sounds like a symphony of floral aromatics.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It really really is a beautiful symphony of how wines
can come together and produce an even better wine. And
so Robbie Meyer really likes to make wines with intention.
Each one of the vrietals is fermented and made separately,
and then he'll come to the blending table and see
how those play well together and where you can really
(12:56):
make the best possible wine. So it's all with intention.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So when you talk about blending different wines together to
make the best wine, I mean there's a lot of intention,
as you just said about making wine. So how much
intention do you have when you're pairing a wine with food?
Do you think there are rules to follow? Do you
have certain guidelines that you use when you're going to
pick something like the whip to pair with food, or
(13:23):
you don't really care and you just drink wine.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I think there are guidelines, and you know, the baseline
is probably all all follow. Some wines really do need
a food with them. But I think you know what's
beautiful about a lot of the blends that we have
here at Marriott as well, is the blending allows them
to play together, so you don't need food, But food's
(13:49):
an enhancement. And because they're blends, they get the characteristics
out of the different varietals, so it broadens your food
pairing abilities. I think it's a lot of fun to
play with food pairings and make your own rules. I mean,
I would say our rose here pairs really well with
(14:11):
the deviled egg, and I never would have thought that.
What is it?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Do you think that pairs with that deviled egg.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I think it's like the beautiful crisp acidity that comes
through really kind of cuts the creaminess in the deviled egg,
but some of the strawberry flavors. Maybe it's like a breakfast,
you know, a dream brunch in my mind on a
nice Sunday.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
That actually kind of makes sense because you're talking about,
you know, kind of contrast. Instead of finding a parallel
like oh, you know, high acid dish with high acid
wine or something like that, you're saying the creaminess of
an egg with the acidity of this wine. Find this
beautiful harmony, the way the blends make final harmonies.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I love to try different chocolates with all of my
reds too. Maybe that's because it's like the ultimate dessert.
But Merlow and chocolate that's not the.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate chocolate and noch what kind? Both
all the chocolates, all the chocolate chocolate chocolates, and Merlow
chocolates are low. So tell me something as a wine
drinker for you, redwater, rose red wine or rose white
red or rose okay white.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
As a wine drinker, red As a curious taster.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Oh interesting, Still are sparkling both. Why should one ever
have to pick?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Yeah, I don't want to pick anything. I like to
try them all.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
So you've grown up, excuse me, you've grown up in
this in this area. Over the years, you picked up
rocks in the vineyards. So you spent time in the
vineyard in a place like Livermore or in a big
property like this, do you see We know every vintage
tells a different story in your experience, and I know
that your sister Nikki is the vineyard manager and manage
(16:01):
it spends more time in the vineyard. But in your experience,
do you find that each vintage is really different or
do you see more commonality, more consistency in a region
like Livermore.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I think each vintage is very different, and our winemakers
really try and strive after a style of wine that
is tries to be consistent. But yeah, you can absolutely
see a vintage to vintage difference, which is fun. Which
is fun. It showcases some of the beauty and winemaking
and the artistry and chemistry really that has to come
(16:36):
together to bring it out.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
As a team. And you said your dad bought this property,
I mean the whole family, the family, but you know,
this was sort of your dad's baby here, and has
has did your dad establish or have you, as a
team leader here established any good luck rituals that you
guys do at the start of harvest or during harvest.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Oh, I think that might be a good question for
my sister, if you haven't already asked in your podcast. No,
you know, not that I know of. We have a
pre harvest barbecue where we're rituals together. I guess it
is a ritual. I was thinking more like something which
crafty than team bonding, but yeah, no, team bonding, I
(17:22):
guess would be the ritual bring everybody together there to
say thank you in advance for your beleepless nights and
not being around your families for a few months and
all those things.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So, while your sister has been the one who has
taken on the vineyards, do you like to spend time
in the vineyards.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I love to spend time in the vineyards. Yeah, anytime
I can get the kids out walking through the vineyards,
it's a beautiful day, so it's definitely where the happy places.
And a lot of the times I'll just take the
boots off and walk barefoot.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Makes you feel grounded, really and in that feeling of
feeling grounded, you know, there's sort of an energy that
happens in the vineyard. Do you feel that that energy
becomes a level of communication. Do you talk with the vines?
Do they communicate to you? And I don't mean that
in some like crazy way. Maybe they do, and maybe
it is crazy, but I mean, do you feel that
there's some sort of communication connection that you have with
(18:15):
the vines.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, I mean I definitely have a connection with the vines.
It's home. It's home. It's that comfort feeling. I don't
know that they talk to me, but I think Joaquin
Marietta and Charles Whattmore, I hear vire goes roaming around Livermore.
So I'm not sure. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
It's what happens when you work on an old vineyard
that dates back to the et eighties.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Louis mal over here. Sometimes when I'm thinking about something,
I'm Blonki has something to say.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
So you said at the very beginning that growing up
in a wine family, it just was what your family did.
Did you always know you wanted to work in the
family business. Was it an expectation or when you little girl,
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I wanted to be a lawyer, which you know, I
saved the world. No, I didn't necessarily want to go
into the wine industry. I was a little bit rebellious
and wanted to run off and change the world. But
coming home to the family and being able to lead
(19:26):
my dad's kind of passion project forward meant way more.
After you get out of that stubborn twenty five year
old stage and you go, oh yeah, okay, sorry dad.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
So did you did you go to law school?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I did not. I did not. I got I got
in and realized that it sounded really boring. No offense.
Saw the lawyers out there. Good for you, we need you.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
You were called back to the vineyard.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
I was called back.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
I was called back and spoke to you.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Business school seemed like a better idea.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
So you went to business school and then came home
and continued in the family business.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
No, we all have to work outside of the family business,
and it's a wonderful thing because you really have a
lot of the world to experience. And I almost wish
I did it just a little bit longer. But I
ran the nonprofit that helped support the California Department of
Educations initiatives and other nonprofit things along the way.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Before I came back, you did do a little saving
of the world.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I don't know. We tried got some stem education for
kids in there, which is super fun and important.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
So yeah, yeah, you know, and now you can save
the world with wind.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
It's so much more fun. It is so much more fun.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
So when you're not working, what do you like to
do in your free time?
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Well, I have three kids, so raised three kids means
no free time. But yeah, just being outdoors, to go
hiking through the vineyards, skiing. My kids are obsessed with skiing,
so there's been a lot of skiing lately.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Camping because I know, you just got back from a
camping tramping camping.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Love to get the kids dirty and tired and see
them in their elements.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
So I mean, so definitely a lot of family time.
But if you were if you get a break from
your kids on those rare, rare occasions, or you get
the you make them work out really hard during the
day and they pass out early and you're able to have,
you know, a quiet romantic evening with your husband. What
sort of wine set the mood for a romantic evening
versus just another day. Are there any particular styles of
(21:39):
wine or particular bottles that you'll open that say this
is a special night.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yes, so, you know, not the everyday wines that we love,
but splurging on a Marriot as well. It's certainly one
of one of my husband's favorites as well. He loves
a zarzuela the merlow, So anytime I bring home a
good bottle, he's like, yes, yes, No fourth child though, No.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
So when you look back at at you know, your
life and working in a family business, is there a
piece of advice that someone shared with you at any
point that you sort of work by or live by,
something that you've carried with you that has been sound
advice that that really resonated with you.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Hm, advice? I think we, you know, really just try
to live by the values and keeping it in the
family and passing it along to our kids in the
next generation and hoping that if we continue to try
our hardest and do our best, that that that can
be a reality. I can't think of a solid piece
(22:59):
of advice except for maybe don't take it too seriously.
We're selling wine, have fun, have fun, have fun and
when we should and it's still a hard, hard labor
farming business, but there is beauty and every time you
get to see somebody take a sip and really enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Absolutely. So when you look back at your career, and
I mean, you have a long career ahead of your
your and I know that your first answer, that's why
I say career would be your three children. Well I
would hope, But what would you say, is one of
your proudest achievements so far in your career And it
could be before you were in wine, but it could
be related to wine. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
I think it's really fun to see our new brand,
Roaming Legend come to life after quite a few years
of thinking about it and the future and how it
really represents stories that have been told from the family.
I also am very proud to survive a pandemic while
being in supply chain, and you know, people hoarded our
(24:07):
morning fog Charnay like they did toilet paper. So it's
definitely like if you could do that and come out
the other end and other end, then yeah, absolutely, I mean.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
You know, life throws you curve balls and if you
come out the other side, that's an achievement.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Oh yeah, yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
So complete this sentence. For me, A table without wine
is like law fair enough. So now we're gonna fill
the table with wine. We've got bottles of Mariette as well.
Sitting here, we're at a table and there's an empty
seat next to you, who from any walk of life,
(24:50):
living or deceased? Do you wish that you could share
a bottle of wine with myriad as well wine.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
With I kind of think it'd be fun to share
a bottle of wine with Juaquin Marietta. I mean, maybe
he was a horse banded and at that segment naive
thing to say, but just all the tales that have
roamed around California be kind of interesting.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
And plus he could see where his name went for good.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah, and you know, I don't know what the real
story is there, so knowing what the real story would
be cool. Yeah, very cool. Did your head end ever
end up in a jar? Jakin? I don't know. Is
that a rumor?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Is it ended up in a jar? Okay?
Speaker 3 (25:35):
I offered a reward, but yeah, so I think he
was just probably a normal guy trying to survive in
a hard time.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
I want to know more.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
I want to know more, but I do. I mean,
we'll have to talk offline about that. You'll have to
tell me the stories about him. But I'm curious if
you were sent off to a deserted island and can
only take three wines with you, any wines, they can
be your own, they don't have to be your own.
What three lines would you want to take with you?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Hmm? Take a Marriat as well sabam Blanc and I'm
a bit of a Riva diva, so went to Riva
Branch Chardonay and I'm not sure about the third. I'm
on a deserted island, so I feel like I need whites.
(26:28):
Here are your rose?
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (26:30):
Yeah, a good crisp pacidic rose.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
I like your loyalty to your brand?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Yes, I am very less, very loyal to the brand.
Have had way more wow factors here, so maybe that's it.
And you know, I know where it's grown. So to me,
that's kind of like everything, like it's the family. It's
knowing start to finish how everything was made and produced,
(26:56):
and maybe that's that's just me.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
It's personal. I get that. So I want to see
if you can bring some of these personal personality personalities
of these wines to life by pairing them with music.
It can be generic like a song, a genre musician.
It's up to you depending on what it is. But
the roaming Legendsavignon Blanc which you're sipping, which you've been
(27:21):
talking about, you know, stylistically, what is that wine like
and what kind of song or genre does it remind
you of?
Speaker 3 (27:30):
So it's a beautiful savion Blanc. It's got great like honeysuckle,
classic California savion blanc notes, not too overpowering, but I
would say it kind of goes with a fun country song,
little lighthearted, a little storytelling.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah, okay. And then what about You're Merlow? A single vineyard.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Marlow, Oh, a single vineyard Marlow. It's classic rock all
the way classic. It's just such a beautifully smooth, dependable
Maybe it's because I think classic rock is dependable.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
There's no right or wrong answer.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Wine. I just the velvetiness of Marlow and a good yeah,
classic rock song.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
What about the Rose? You were talking about how great
it is with Deviled Eggs, But what song would you
want to play with that?
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
And it's a rose of grenaches, m Veja and kunwash.
I don't know why Party in the USA comes to mind,
but well, I don't know. I don't know that it
goes either. What's the July wine? Red white and rose?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
There you go, it came right to mind, so we're
gonna go with Party in the USA.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
I don't know that it represents the brand, but that's okay.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It has to represent the wine inside, not the brand itself.
And let's do one more because I found this really interesting.
And this is what I've been sipping on the arzuela. Now,
this is a blend. What is the blend in thezuela?
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Triga susal and Timbernio.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
So two Portuguese and one Spanish grape, and you know
it's got a lot of like kind of dark red fruits.
It's really smooth. What would you I mean, you can
continue describing it, but what would what music would you
put with this?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
The Suave Men song comes to mind?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Okay, you know I like this what comes to mind first?
Because then you get Party in the USA and swam
Amente and there's no you know you planning.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
You know, it kind of makes you want to move
your hips a little sossa kind of yea vibe to
it when you taste it.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
It's a really smooth wine. Very it's a lot lighter
on the body than you might imply by the darkness
of the color. Really just kind of drinkable, as you
said before, probably a wine that can be drunk on
its own without food.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yes, the varietals play really well together and they're just
fun like they're fun.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Well, Fantasi Jordan, It's been really fun chatting with you.
I want to just finish this up with a two
part question. One is is there a wine region in
the world anywhere that's at the top of your bucket
list that you would love to go explore?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
All of them? Know, Bordeaux, probably just from learning history
of what we grow here and the roots that came
over from there. But I also think I'm gonna go
explore Italy a little this summer. So we'll see, are
you We'll see, Well, there you go.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
So as you plan your trip to Italy. If someone
wants to plan their trip to come out here to
Livermore Valley, what will they find here at Myriad as well?
I mean it's a beautiful property. You come up, you
come off a main road and then you turn up
a driveway and then suddenly you feel like you're in
another world up here.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yeah, so nestled right into the hillside, beautiful gravity flow
winery literally crafted from the tear war of the arroyo
that kind of comes through, and so the winery building
has been here since the eighteen hundreds, the original Louis
Mel Winery, So it's kind of a little serene piece
(31:45):
of history. We have the artesian well here that rumor
hadn't walking Marrietta watered his horses.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
At and just quiet, pieceful vibe to the estate feel itself.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Nestled in the vineyards, but beautiful wines that really tell
a story of our stage showcase what we can grow
here in the Livermore Valley, the tear wire, the different microclimates,
aspects and elevations, and just really amazing wine making from
our wine making team.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
So if somebody comes here, are you open seven days
a week? What kind of experiences can they have here
at the tasting room?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
We have quite a few different experiences that you can have.
We do everything from hiking in the vineyards to sit
down tasting a little pairing food and wine pairing experience so.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
It runs the gamut. So if you're a more physical person,
go hiking, and if you love to have food and wine,
then sit down and eat food or just do a tasting.
And what days are you open during the weeks or
weekend only?
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I think they'reesday to Monday. I know we just shifted
and maybe the summer hours have kicked in, so I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Don't quote me on that, but always on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Wellt real fast, no, but I know we've changed for summer.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Yeah, well, typical wine days are usually kind of Thursday,
Friday through Monday. So check out mariad as well online
and you can find out and also how to book
an experience here because it's a beautiful property. They've got
indoor and outdoor seating, so lots of room. Bring friends
come on out here.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
It's yeah, the outdoor property during the summer, just to
like I said, it just makes you feel at home,
and I hope everybody that comes to visit.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Does and maybe you'll too hear the spirits of the
people from the past, like juackin Yeah, in a.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Good way, in a good way. They're very inspirational, I swear,
but our team is definitely amazing at telling the stories,
educating on the wines, and getting to know everything that
you can behind the bridles. So and if you don't
want that full education experience, you can just come drink wine.
Why it turns out we have both well.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Jordan, thank you for joining us today on Wine Soundtrack,
and I'll raise a glass to you and to your
ancestors here.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA.
For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtrack dot com.
Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with
which producers narrate their winery and their world team. Thirty
answers discover their stories, personalities and passions.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alson
Levigne and today I'm in the Livermore Valley. And if
there's one name that is, I don't know if there's
any name more iconic with the Livermore Valley than Wendy.
And I'm sitting with Owenty. I'm sitting with Jordan Wendy
who is the brandemester for Mriette as Well. Jordan, Welcome
(00:33):
to Wine Soundtrack and tell us about Mariette as well.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Oh well, Marriott as Well is actually one of the
California's historic wine estates, founded in eighteen eighty four by
Louis mel who stumbled across this property and it reminded
him of his home in Borgeaux, France, so he purchased
the estate and worked with Charles Wetmore, who was the
first agricultural Commissioner for the State of California, to bring
(00:59):
over cuttings from the Chataus and plant them here on
the estate. So he was able to get cuttings from
chatou Kem and Chatateau Margo, and the descendants of those
cuttings still live on the estate today. And Louis mel
is an insurance salesman, so our family helped him farm
the grapes from the beginning, and we eventually purchased the
(01:21):
estate from him and continuously farmed the grapes since, grapes
since the eighteen hundreds, So it's a really cool piece
of history here. And then in nineteen ninety, my father,
Phil Wenty, with the rest of the Wenty family, decided
to open what they called Marriott as Well, which was
named after Joaquin Marietta, who, rumor has it, used to
(01:43):
water his horses here on the estate. And my dad
partnered with Sergio Traversa, who was a well known winemaker,
and they created these amazing wines with the art of
blending from the Marriott as Well estate itself.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
And oh, that's a I mean, that is history, and
I mean your family is history because the Wenty family
has been in Livermore Valley since one, eighteen eighty three
and you are what generation, fifth generation, fifth generation, so
I mean the history is pretty incredible and that your
(02:19):
family has been here that long. I'm curious here with
myriad as well? How big is this property?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
The Marriotte as well a state itself, is about five
hundred acres.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Wow, that's big. And how many are planted divines?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Ooh, that's a good question. I'm going to have to
defer it to my sister at the moment, because I
know she's been making some changes in the vineyards. But
I want to say most of it is planted divines.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Really, hundreds of acres out here? Wow? And you mentioned
a couple of the cuttings that came here. What are
the varieties that are planted here at this property or
that Mariette as well works with?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Oh man, can you.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Laundry list them all? Are you capable?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
That's a quiz? So I think we have over twenty
varieties planted on the estate, everything from the classic Bordeaux
varieties that really inspired Louis mel with Sauviuan Blanc, mar Low,
Petite verdeau mal back. What's the other Bordeaux variety? I'm
missing cabinet, brown, cabrinic. Oh, I missed the I miss
(03:23):
the cabernet. How could I ever do that? But we've
got greenache Movedra, Malvesia, Bianca, Orange, Muscat, Tariga, Temporneo, Susal,
Sauvium Blanc, obviously Chardonnay. So we have a lot of
fun things, and you know, we really believe in the
art of blending. We have great wines that stand on
(03:45):
their own, but blends are are.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
We We have a lot of fun And would you say,
what is your total production for this brand?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I think it's about seven thousand cases.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Okay, so not not huge and a good mix of
blends and single varie ones right okay. And obviously the
wines are available here in the tasting room, but these
are in distribution across the US.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
For the most part, this is really direct to consumer only.
We had some in distribution and we're launching a new
brand called Roaming Legend by Marriott as well that's really
intended to be out there and tell the stories of
Marriott as well.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Wow. So if you want Mary as well, you got
to come here to Livermore Valley or go online.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Join the club, go online. But we hope the Legend
will roam and you'll be able to taste a little
piece of it as well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Wonderful. Well, before we get into wine, I'm curious your
fifth generation. You grew up here in the Livermore Valley,
grew up among the vines. What's your very first memory
relevant to wine. Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think it was my dad making me pick up
rocks in the vineyards. I don't really recall why at
the time. Maybe he was just trying to get us tired,
or having us run through the vineyards to scare away
the starlings that like to eat the grapes stirring harvest.
That's probably it.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Did you always understand that you were in a multi
generational wine growing family.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I guess I never really thought much of it. It
was just what the family did and it was really
inspiring and just kind of normal.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Almost so with all the wines that you've since been
able to drink once you started finished moving rocks around
and you started drinking wines, was there a particular wine
that stands out as one of those aha moment wines?
And do you remember where and what it was?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Oh? For me, it's probably savm blanc. I think I've
tried all of them, and I love all of them,
and don't get me wrong, I have a mood for
every single wine, but it's just crisp and refreshing and
really kind of showcases the history and stories that have
(06:02):
been passed along since the beginning of this estate. And
it's got a fun you can have. There's different versions
of it that just tell a different story.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, was there, ever, when you were starting to taste
wine or in the years, was there a particular wine
that you remember tasting that kind of stopped you in
your tracks? I mean, is it always what sauvignon blanc does,
or was there a particular experience that you just kind
of stopped and said, Wow, I didn't know this great
could do this, or this place could do this, or
maybe it was just the experience. It was a romantic
evening and the wine was even better.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
That's a hard question considering how many great wine experiences
I've had in my life. I don't know. I don't
know that I could pick one. Maybe one will come
to me, What'll love to you? Yeah, there's so many,
so many, I think, you know. Probably my favorite is
being able to to taste the wines with my dad
(06:57):
and have him tell us the stories behind them and
just that bonding moment. So really, any of them that
we get to do that with is fun.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
So, if we were to come to your home, what
kind of wines do you have in your cellar or
do store? Is it a lot of myriad as well,
Wendy wines, Livermore Valley wines, or are there particular grapes
or regions that you seem to have in your home.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
In my home, I have a good mix of Marriott
as well and Weny and tend to have saviant Blanchardonay
mar low as the always in the house wines, and
a lot of other local wineries here too. It's really
fun to try them.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Kind of exchange with friends and have fun playing with them.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
A lot of us grew up together too, so it's
fun to taste.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
So do you think with all the different grapes that
you work with, that there's a such thing as a
perfect variety?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
No, No, I don't. I think mother nature has too
much of a role in that. And it really depends
on the person from a taste profile of what makes
a perfect variety or perfect wine. Yeah, it's about what
you like that young factor.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Is there anything that you opened up recently at a
dinner at home that drank really well, something that you
had at home or maybe you were out at a restaurant.
I know, you just came back from a camping trip,
so I'm not sure if you had wine on that trip,
but you know, anything that stands out is a recent
drink that that what the whistle?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, you know. Actually we started importing with a partner,
Champagne Castle Now, and I was able to try their
Blanc de blanc, which was incredible and complex and just
hearing the stories that they've told and their aged very
long on the LEAs and for it to be fifteen
(08:50):
years when you make that bass wine before you release it,
I think the like, oh my gosh, what do you
even think about the next five years? But fifteen years
thinking about how a wine is going to progress was
pretty amazing to me. And it was delicious, So blunk
to blunkin what is the producer Champagne Castle Now?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
That sounds really tasty.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
It's like cremberlet and a glass and just it was great.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Well, so you've tasted a wine and you know you're
able to describe something that meant something new because you
tasted it and what you were enamored of. And I'm curious.
I know this is kind of a weird correlation. Tight
end but what is your opinion of wine critics and
scores if they tell you if you read something that
says a wine is really good, does that change your
mind on how you want to taste a wine or
(09:41):
as a brand, is it something that you aspire to
or is it not as important?
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I mean, as a brand, having great scores is really aspirational,
and we try to but ultimately we're just trying to
make the best possible wine we can. And you know,
I'm not sure sure that I would always go by
it personally, but I think, you know, somebody has very
good palettes tasting through all of these wines, and it's
(10:11):
interesting to see even the different perspective amongst critics. Sometimes
it's more fun to taste when you see a few
different scores on a wine and see what you actually
think for yourself.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Right, because they're all subjectives, so you might find one
you agree with, but that doesn't mean you agree with
all of them.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Right, right, So it is coming from marketing background and
supply chain, it's really fun to see the difference and
how important it is to the sales of wine. But ultimately,
like what is your palette compared to them? Is kind
of a fun challenge as well, I would.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Say absolutely so for somebody who's not had the pleasure
to taste myriad as well wines, Yet, what do you
think they're missing out on?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Deliciousness? You know? Are we try to go from the
vineyards all the way through the wine with a very
artician arteasonal handcrafted approach. Our winemaker for married as well,
Robbie Meyer. He really thinks it all starts in the vineyard,
so he works very closely with my sister to farm
(11:13):
those grapes, and he takes it all the way through
like all the touches, and so it's a lot of
fun too to see him with different barrels and they're
tasting amongst the different types, and how his vision and
everything comes back together. And I actually don't know what
the start of that question was anymore, So did I answer?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
You? Did? You did? You did? Someone who hasn't tasted
your wines, what would they get deliciousness? And you did
answer the question. So I'm curious if space aliens were
to land on your property right now and knock on
the door asking for a glass of wine, which of
all of your wines would you want to welcome them with?
That says, you know, welcome to mariad as well.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Ooh, space aliens. Maybe the whip that sounds like a
very space alien.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
What is the whip?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
The whip is our white blend. It is a blend
of Obion blanc now Basia Bianca, orange, Muscat, Muscat kennelly.
It's a beautiful fun summer wine, especially great floral aromatics,
and you know, kind of represents the tear wire and
the different aspects and elevations that we can have here
(12:17):
on the Maria as well estate to grow some of
those super fun varietals. And so it's giving the aliens
a taste of Livermore Valley whites all mixed together with
a fun name.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I love it, especially all those aromatic grapes together. I mean,
it's it sounds like a symphony of floral aromatics.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It really really is a beautiful symphony of how wines
can come together and produce an even better wine. And
so Robbie Meyer really likes to make wines with intention.
Each one of the vrietals is fermented and made separately,
and then he'll come to the blending table and see
how those play well together and where you can really
(12:56):
make the best possible wine. So it's all with intention.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So when you talk about blending different wines together to
make the best wine, I mean there's a lot of intention,
as you just said about making wine. So how much
intention do you have when you're pairing a wine with food?
Do you think there are rules to follow? Do you
have certain guidelines that you use when you're going to
pick something like the whip to pair with food, or
(13:23):
you don't really care and you just drink wine.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I think there are guidelines, and you know, the baseline
is probably all all follow. Some wines really do need
a food with them. But I think you know what's
beautiful about a lot of the blends that we have
here at Marriott as well, is the blending allows them
to play together, so you don't need food, But food's
(13:49):
an enhancement. And because they're blends, they get the characteristics
out of the different varietals, so it broadens your food
pairing abilities. I think it's a lot of fun to
play with food pairings and make your own rules. I mean,
I would say our rose here pairs really well with
(14:11):
the deviled egg, and I never would have thought that.
What is it?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Do you think that pairs with that deviled egg.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I think it's like the beautiful crisp acidity that comes
through really kind of cuts the creaminess in the deviled egg,
but some of the strawberry flavors. Maybe it's like a breakfast,
you know, a dream brunch in my mind on a
nice Sunday.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
That actually kind of makes sense because you're talking about,
you know, kind of contrast. Instead of finding a parallel
like oh, you know, high acid dish with high acid
wine or something like that, you're saying the creaminess of
an egg with the acidity of this wine. Find this
beautiful harmony, the way the blends make final harmonies.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I love to try different chocolates with all of my
reds too. Maybe that's because it's like the ultimate dessert.
But Merlow and chocolate that's not the.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate chocolate and noch what kind? Both
all the chocolates, all the chocolate chocolate chocolates, and Merlow
chocolates are low. So tell me something as a wine
drinker for you, redwater, rose red wine or rose white
red or rose okay white.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
As a wine drinker, red As a curious taster.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Oh interesting, Still are sparkling both. Why should one ever
have to pick?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Yeah, I don't want to pick anything. I like to
try them all.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
So you've grown up, excuse me, you've grown up in
this in this area. Over the years, you picked up
rocks in the vineyards. So you spent time in the
vineyard in a place like Livermore or in a big
property like this, do you see We know every vintage
tells a different story in your experience, and I know
that your sister Nikki is the vineyard manager and manage
(16:01):
it spends more time in the vineyard. But in your experience,
do you find that each vintage is really different or
do you see more commonality, more consistency in a region
like Livermore.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I think each vintage is very different, and our winemakers
really try and strive after a style of wine that
is tries to be consistent. But yeah, you can absolutely
see a vintage to vintage difference, which is fun. Which
is fun. It showcases some of the beauty and winemaking
and the artistry and chemistry really that has to come
(16:36):
together to bring it out.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
As a team. And you said your dad bought this property,
I mean the whole family, the family, but you know,
this was sort of your dad's baby here, and has
has did your dad establish or have you, as a
team leader here established any good luck rituals that you
guys do at the start of harvest or during harvest.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Oh, I think that might be a good question for
my sister, if you haven't already asked in your podcast. No,
you know, not that I know of. We have a
pre harvest barbecue where we're rituals together. I guess it
is a ritual. I was thinking more like something which
crafty than team bonding, but yeah, no, team bonding, I
(17:22):
guess would be the ritual bring everybody together there to
say thank you in advance for your beleepless nights and
not being around your families for a few months and
all those things.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So, while your sister has been the one who has
taken on the vineyards, do you like to spend time
in the vineyards.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I love to spend time in the vineyards. Yeah, anytime
I can get the kids out walking through the vineyards,
it's a beautiful day, so it's definitely where the happy places.
And a lot of the times I'll just take the
boots off and walk barefoot.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Makes you feel grounded, really and in that feeling of
feeling grounded, you know, there's sort of an energy that
happens in the vineyard. Do you feel that that energy
becomes a level of communication. Do you talk with the vines?
Do they communicate to you? And I don't mean that
in some like crazy way. Maybe they do, and maybe
it is crazy, but I mean, do you feel that
there's some sort of communication connection that you have with
(18:15):
the vines.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, I mean I definitely have a connection with the vines.
It's home. It's home. It's that comfort feeling. I don't
know that they talk to me, but I think Joaquin
Marietta and Charles Whattmore, I hear vire goes roaming around Livermore.
So I'm not sure. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
It's what happens when you work on an old vineyard
that dates back to the et eighties.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Louis mal over here. Sometimes when I'm thinking about something,
I'm Blonki has something to say.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
So you said at the very beginning that growing up
in a wine family, it just was what your family did.
Did you always know you wanted to work in the
family business. Was it an expectation or when you little girl,
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I wanted to be a lawyer, which you know, I
saved the world. No, I didn't necessarily want to go
into the wine industry. I was a little bit rebellious
and wanted to run off and change the world. But
coming home to the family and being able to lead
(19:26):
my dad's kind of passion project forward meant way more.
After you get out of that stubborn twenty five year
old stage and you go, oh yeah, okay, sorry dad.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
So did you did you go to law school?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I did not. I did not. I got I got
in and realized that it sounded really boring. No offense.
Saw the lawyers out there. Good for you, we need you.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
You were called back to the vineyard.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
I was called back.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
I was called back and spoke to you.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Business school seemed like a better idea.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
So you went to business school and then came home
and continued in the family business.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
No, we all have to work outside of the family business,
and it's a wonderful thing because you really have a
lot of the world to experience. And I almost wish
I did it just a little bit longer. But I
ran the nonprofit that helped support the California Department of
Educations initiatives and other nonprofit things along the way.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Before I came back, you did do a little saving
of the world.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I don't know. We tried got some stem education for
kids in there, which is super fun and important.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
So yeah, yeah, you know, and now you can save
the world with wind.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
It's so much more fun. It is so much more fun.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
So when you're not working, what do you like to
do in your free time?
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Well, I have three kids, so raised three kids means
no free time. But yeah, just being outdoors, to go
hiking through the vineyards, skiing. My kids are obsessed with skiing,
so there's been a lot of skiing lately.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Camping because I know, you just got back from a
camping tramping camping.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Love to get the kids dirty and tired and see
them in their elements.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
So I mean, so definitely a lot of family time.
But if you were if you get a break from
your kids on those rare, rare occasions, or you get
the you make them work out really hard during the
day and they pass out early and you're able to have,
you know, a quiet romantic evening with your husband. What
sort of wine set the mood for a romantic evening
versus just another day. Are there any particular styles of
(21:39):
wine or particular bottles that you'll open that say this
is a special night.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yes, so, you know, not the everyday wines that we love,
but splurging on a Marriot as well. It's certainly one
of one of my husband's favorites as well. He loves
a zarzuela the merlow, So anytime I bring home a
good bottle, he's like, yes, yes, No fourth child though, No.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
So when you look back at at you know, your
life and working in a family business, is there a
piece of advice that someone shared with you at any
point that you sort of work by or live by,
something that you've carried with you that has been sound
advice that that really resonated with you.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Hm, advice? I think we, you know, really just try
to live by the values and keeping it in the
family and passing it along to our kids in the
next generation and hoping that if we continue to try
our hardest and do our best, that that that can
be a reality. I can't think of a solid piece
(22:59):
of advice except for maybe don't take it too seriously.
We're selling wine, have fun, have fun, have fun and
when we should and it's still a hard, hard labor
farming business, but there is beauty and every time you
get to see somebody take a sip and really enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Absolutely. So when you look back at your career, and
I mean, you have a long career ahead of your
your and I know that your first answer, that's why
I say career would be your three children. Well I
would hope, But what would you say, is one of
your proudest achievements so far in your career And it
could be before you were in wine, but it could
be related to wine. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
I think it's really fun to see our new brand,
Roaming Legend come to life after quite a few years
of thinking about it and the future and how it
really represents stories that have been told from the family.
I also am very proud to survive a pandemic while
being in supply chain, and you know, people hoarded our
(24:07):
morning fog Charnay like they did toilet paper. So it's
definitely like if you could do that and come out
the other end and other end, then yeah, absolutely, I mean.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
You know, life throws you curve balls and if you
come out the other side, that's an achievement.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Oh yeah, yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
So complete this sentence. For me, A table without wine
is like law fair enough. So now we're gonna fill
the table with wine. We've got bottles of Mariette as well.
Sitting here, we're at a table and there's an empty
seat next to you, who from any walk of life,
(24:50):
living or deceased? Do you wish that you could share
a bottle of wine with myriad as well wine.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
With I kind of think it'd be fun to share
a bottle of wine with Juaquin Marietta. I mean, maybe
he was a horse banded and at that segment naive
thing to say, but just all the tales that have
roamed around California be kind of interesting.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
And plus he could see where his name went for good.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah, and you know, I don't know what the real
story is there, so knowing what the real story would
be cool. Yeah, very cool. Did your head end ever
end up in a jar? Jakin? I don't know. Is
that a rumor?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Is it ended up in a jar? Okay?
Speaker 3 (25:35):
I offered a reward, but yeah, so I think he
was just probably a normal guy trying to survive in
a hard time.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
I want to know more.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
I want to know more, but I do. I mean,
we'll have to talk offline about that. You'll have to
tell me the stories about him. But I'm curious if
you were sent off to a deserted island and can
only take three wines with you, any wines, they can
be your own, they don't have to be your own.
What three lines would you want to take with you?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Hmm? Take a Marriat as well sabam Blanc and I'm
a bit of a Riva diva, so went to Riva
Branch Chardonay and I'm not sure about the third. I'm
on a deserted island, so I feel like I need whites.
(26:28):
Here are your rose?
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (26:30):
Yeah, a good crisp pacidic rose.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
I like your loyalty to your brand?
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Yes, I am very less, very loyal to the brand.
Have had way more wow factors here, so maybe that's it.
And you know, I know where it's grown. So to me,
that's kind of like everything, like it's the family. It's
knowing start to finish how everything was made and produced,
(26:56):
and maybe that's that's just me.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
It's personal. I get that. So I want to see
if you can bring some of these personal personality personalities
of these wines to life by pairing them with music.
It can be generic like a song, a genre musician.
It's up to you depending on what it is. But
the roaming Legendsavignon Blanc which you're sipping, which you've been
(27:21):
talking about, you know, stylistically, what is that wine like
and what kind of song or genre does it remind
you of?
Speaker 3 (27:30):
So it's a beautiful savion Blanc. It's got great like honeysuckle,
classic California savion blanc notes, not too overpowering, but I
would say it kind of goes with a fun country song,
little lighthearted, a little storytelling.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah, okay. And then what about You're Merlow? A single vineyard.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Marlow, Oh, a single vineyard Marlow. It's classic rock all
the way classic. It's just such a beautifully smooth, dependable
Maybe it's because I think classic rock is dependable.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
There's no right or wrong answer.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Wine. I just the velvetiness of Marlow and a good yeah,
classic rock song.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
What about the Rose? You were talking about how great
it is with Deviled Eggs, But what song would you
want to play with that?
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
And it's a rose of grenaches, m Veja and kunwash.
I don't know why Party in the USA comes to mind,
but well, I don't know. I don't know that it
goes either. What's the July wine? Red white and rose?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
There you go, it came right to mind, so we're
gonna go with Party in the USA.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
I don't know that it represents the brand, but that's okay.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It has to represent the wine inside, not the brand itself.
And let's do one more because I found this really interesting.
And this is what I've been sipping on the arzuela. Now,
this is a blend. What is the blend in thezuela?
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Triga susal and Timbernio.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
So two Portuguese and one Spanish grape, and you know
it's got a lot of like kind of dark red fruits.
It's really smooth. What would you I mean, you can
continue describing it, but what would what music would you
put with this?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
The Suave Men song comes to mind?
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Okay, you know I like this what comes to mind first?
Because then you get Party in the USA and swam
Amente and there's no you know you planning.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
You know, it kind of makes you want to move
your hips a little sossa kind of yea vibe to
it when you taste it.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
It's a really smooth wine. Very it's a lot lighter
on the body than you might imply by the darkness
of the color. Really just kind of drinkable, as you
said before, probably a wine that can be drunk on
its own without food.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yes, the varietals play really well together and they're just
fun like they're fun.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Well, Fantasi Jordan, It's been really fun chatting with you.
I want to just finish this up with a two
part question. One is is there a wine region in
the world anywhere that's at the top of your bucket
list that you would love to go explore?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
All of them? Know, Bordeaux, probably just from learning history
of what we grow here and the roots that came
over from there. But I also think I'm gonna go
explore Italy a little this summer. So we'll see, are
you We'll see, Well, there you go.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
So as you plan your trip to Italy. If someone
wants to plan their trip to come out here to
Livermore Valley, what will they find here at Myriad as well?
I mean it's a beautiful property. You come up, you
come off a main road and then you turn up
a driveway and then suddenly you feel like you're in
another world up here.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yeah, so nestled right into the hillside, beautiful gravity flow
winery literally crafted from the tear war of the arroyo
that kind of comes through, and so the winery building
has been here since the eighteen hundreds, the original Louis
Mel Winery, So it's kind of a little serene piece
(31:45):
of history. We have the artesian well here that rumor
hadn't walking Marrietta watered his horses.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
At and just quiet, pieceful vibe to the estate feel itself.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Nestled in the vineyards, but beautiful wines that really tell
a story of our stage showcase what we can grow
here in the Livermore Valley, the tear wire, the different microclimates,
aspects and elevations, and just really amazing wine making from
our wine making team.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
So if somebody comes here, are you open seven days
a week? What kind of experiences can they have here
at the tasting room?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
We have quite a few different experiences that you can have.
We do everything from hiking in the vineyards to sit
down tasting a little pairing food and wine pairing experience so.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
It runs the gamut. So if you're a more physical person,
go hiking, and if you love to have food and wine,
then sit down and eat food or just do a tasting.
And what days are you open during the weeks or
weekend only?
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I think they'reesday to Monday. I know we just shifted
and maybe the summer hours have kicked in, so I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Don't quote me on that, but always on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Wellt real fast, no, but I know we've changed for summer.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Yeah, well, typical wine days are usually kind of Thursday,
Friday through Monday. So check out mariad as well online
and you can find out and also how to book
an experience here because it's a beautiful property. They've got
indoor and outdoor seating, so lots of room. Bring friends
come on out here.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
It's yeah, the outdoor property during the summer, just to
like I said, it just makes you feel at home,
and I hope everybody that comes to visit.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Does and maybe you'll too hear the spirits of the
people from the past, like juackin Yeah, in a.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Good way, in a good way. They're very inspirational, I swear,
but our team is definitely amazing at telling the stories,
educating on the wines, and getting to know everything that
you can behind the bridles. So and if you don't
want that full education experience, you can just come drink wine.
Why it turns out we have both well.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Jordan, thank you for joining us today on Wine Soundtrack,
and I'll raise a glass to you and to your
ancestors here.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA.
For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtrack dot com.
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