Field Reports

I am pleased to report that while we have missed two vintages, there is a new vintage in process.  The wine is currently being blended and new vintage labels are ordered. Jarhead needs the kind attention of winemaker Andrew Murray and slotting in this additional work right during harvest is no small sacrifice.  

There are 120 cases forecasted in this lot and we are planning on bottling in mid-September.  More when we know.

 Meanwhile, don’t forget that since 1962, their Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation mission has continued unbroken helping fund the education for the children of fallen Marines and other service members.  The MCSF is unmatched in their efficiency and their award of scholarships has impacted the lives of thousands. Please keep them in your mind (and wallet!) when enjoying Jarhead Red by donating directly at www.MCSF.org.

Sincerely,

Peter Firestone

Currently on active duty at Jarhead Wine Company

Pictured here is Jarhead liaison Chuck Carlson (at left) with Joseph Franzia, owner of our distributor Bronco Wine Co. / Classic Wines of California, at the company’s recent annual sales meeting in Ceres, California.

Joseph served as a USMC Captain of Delta 1/7 in Vietnam and received a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. As you can imagine, he his a big fan of our wines, and the feelings are mutual.

For Chuck, the meeting was an opportunity to connect with around 70 Classic Wine representatives from around the nation, including those who sell our wines to military bases on the East Coast. He tasted them on our latest releases and filled them in on the latest news in the world of Jarhead Wine Company. Chuck is also a winemaker, so he was able to share details about our vineyards in Santa Barbara County.

A new year is upon us, and a meeting like this makes sure that our wines remained deployed as far and wide as possible!

As they say, like father like son…

Indeed, Nicholas Firestone (CAPT USMC ’11-’15), son of Jarhead Wine Company founder Adam Firestone (CAPT USMC ’84 – ’91), is currently transitioning from the Marine Corps and becoming more actively involved in Jarhead wines.

We caught up with Nick to learn what he’s been up to–and what lies ahead:

What are you doing for Jarhead Wine Company?

-What I am doing for Jarhead is telling its story and getting the word out. The Jarhead Wine Company is unique and special in that it offers affordable, great-value wines made by Marines to be enjoyed by Marines, and with an added bonus that we can give something back. So, I look forward to continuing to tell the story of Jarhead Wines.

You are currently transitioning from the Marine Corps. Tell us a bit more about your career in the Marines…

-While I grew up in a winemaking family, I am also a third generation Marine. My grandfather was a Marine Major who flew Corsairs in World War II and in the Korean War, and my father was a Marine Captain who served in Desert Storm when I was a toddler. With a strong Marine Corps’ tradition, I have served all over the world for the last four years as an Artillery Officer with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment including in Thailand, Korea, Mongolia, and Afghanistan. It has been a wonderful, life-changing experience.

You recently helped winemaker Andrew Murray with the harvesting and “crush” of Jarhead grapes—what was that like? How does the fruit look this year?

– Andrew is a wealth of knowledge with infectious enthusiasm who is sort of like a big brother to me. Having grown up in a wine family and well used to pitching in during harvest, it was great to join him this year as there is lots of work to go around. It seems as though this year will be a unique challenge for Andrew and other valley winemakers, as this harvest began somewhat early and yield is slightly low. I look forward to hearing more about the creative angle that Andrew will take to approach making wine this year.

You grew up in a winemaking (and brewing) family. What is your fondest or earliest memory of the winemaking life?

– Growing wine in my family prepared me well for life in the Marine Corps, as dedication, strong work ethic, passion, and early mornings are staples of both. For us, there is a strong emphasis on family, and there always has been. My fondest memory is one of our picking contest that we had when I was 12. At one point, my father, grandfather, and I were all shearing grape clusters together, and there’s nothing cooler than picking grapes with your heroes!

Net proceeds of Jarhead wines are donated to USMC-based charities, primarily the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. What makes the foundation such a great cause?

– The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is an incredible organization that provides scholarships to military children, giving special consideration to the children of fallen Marines. It’s hard to think of a better way to honor the legacy and sacrifice of these Marines than by educating their children. We have worked alongside the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation for many years now, and their cause is near and dear to our hearts.

The harvest season in the Jarhead Nation always begins with Chardonnay, which is the earliest-ripening grape variety in our family of wines. And this year, the harvest is happening even earlier than usual…

In a so-called “normal” year, we would expect to begin harvesting Chardonnay in early to mid September. This year, however, we will begin picking before the month of August is over.

Indeed, we expect to start harvesting fruit for the 2015 Jarhead Chard within a few days at the Firestone family’s Curtis and Kingsley estate vineyards in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley.

We are not alone. Across the Central Coast, the 2015 harvest is notably early.

So why is that? There are several factors. A mild winter brought a slightly early bud break, which got the growing season going sooner rather than later. Also, after abundant yields over the past several years, the crop loads are smaller this year. And the less grapes the vine has to ripen, the more quickly things go.

The word from the vineyard is that the fruit is nevertheless looking and tasting great. The grapes seem balanced in terms of physiological ripeness, and smaller yields typically translate to rich, concentrated flavors.

So off we go, headlong into the harvest a bit early this year. We look forward to sharing the fruits of our labors with you.

Here’s something to keep an eye out for at your neighborhood market or wine shop: the new Jarhead Red display card, hot off the presses this week.

Known in the trade as a “case card,” it is designed to slot upright into wine case boxes for in-store display. We kept the main message simple: “A robust red wine made by Marines.” No need to get fancy about it, right?

The card also lets people know that every bottle supports a worthy cause, with net proceeds of all sales going to USMC-based charities, primarily the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.

We wanted the design of the case card to be bold yet elegant, just like the wine. We hope you agree that it hits the mark.

 
Our thanks go out to Hayley Thomas of the Santa Maria Sun for her magnificent feature story on Jarhead Wine Company.

The story delves into the origins of Jarhead Red, as well as the charitable mission and family ties that continue to drive us today.

Writes Thomas, “Adam (Firestone), a former Marine Corps captain, believes wine can change the world. As owner of Jarhead Wine Company, he’s already touched the lives of dozens of veterans across the Central Coast and beyond…Jarhead Wine Company’s mission is beautifully simple: to craft robust, approachable red wines in support of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which provides educational assistance to the children of U.S. Marines. All net proceeds go toward this cause, with particular attention given to children of fallen and injured servicemen and women—more than half a million dollars in direct cash since Adam’s first unveiling of the wine at the annual Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s Birthday Ball in 1999.”

You can read the full story here.

We are excited to share that the 2011 Jarhead Reserve is now available.

The 2011 Jarhead Reserve is a limited-edition wine that is crafted as our finest expression of the vintage. Think of it as the “dress blues” companion to the more “camo” style of Jarhead Red.

The 2011 Jarhead Reserve is composed primarily of Cabernet Franc from the Firestone family’s Curtis Estate vineyard in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. The wine was aged for 18 months in premium French oak barrels, of which 20 percent featured new oak. The inclusion of Petit Verdot in the final blend brought added color, complexity and dimension to the wine.

The 2011 Jarhead Reserve is round and velvety, presenting deep black fruit flavors with notes of cherry, mint and cinnamon spice. Chewy tannins linger on a long, focused finish. This is a wine that will reward careful cellaring, but don’t be afraid to uncork it now as a centerpiece for a holiday meal.

Nick returns home

Following is an excerpt from a post by wine writer Gabe Saglie about a special homecoming in the Jarhead Wine Company family:

The Firestone family is celebrating a homecoming: 1st Lt. Nick Firestone has just returned from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. The 26-year-old Marine arrived home in the Santa Ynez Valley on November 8th. This was the second deployment for the young member of the well-known Santa Barbara County family, who ended his first tour, in the South Pacific, early last year.

“For me, it’s half excitement and anticipation, and the other side is parental nerves,” his dad, Adam Firestone, told me last year, right before his (and wife Kate’s) son left for the Middle East. “But I understand the tradition.”

And he should. Adam Firestone is, himself, a former Marine, having joined in 1984. He was promoted to Captain in 1988, ahead of his deployment to the Persian Gulf, and ended his service in 1991. Mr. Firestone, 52, son of Kate and former 35th District State Assemblyman Brooks Firestone, has since gone on to spearhead the family’s business ventures in wine grape growing and craft beer making.

The Firestones’ connection to the U.S. Marines has, in fact, inspired one of their ongoing winemaking ventures: the Jarhead label.

Our thanks go out to Gabe for his support of Jarhead Wine Company. Click here to read the rest of his story on Jarhead.