Field Reports

A big “thank you” to writer Ed Vasgerdsian and publisher/editor Walt Ford of Leatherneck Magazine for their fine feature on Jarhead Wine Company in the latest issue.

The three-page spread delves into the origins of Jarhead Red as a celebratory Marine Corps Birthday Ball bottling conceived by Adam Firestone in 1999 along with Doug Hamlin, a board member of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. It also shares Adam’s personal experience as a captain in the Marine Corps, and his inspiration to continue making Jarhead Red in support of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.

As Vasgerdsian writes,”The foundation provides scholarships for post-high school education to deserving sons and daughters of Marines and Navy corpsmen, particularly those who have had a parent killed or wounded in action.”

Articles such as this are a big boost to our mission of making a difference through the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Click here to learn more about Leatherneck Magazine, including subscriptions.

We are pleased to share that Jarhead Wine Company was recently featured in a Santa Maria Sun story about charitable endeavors in the local wine industry.

In the story, food and wine columnist Wendy Thies Sell writes, “In this season of giving, we are reminded to do what we can to improve the lives of those less fortunate. Residents on the Central Coast have generously raised millions of dollars over the years, allowing nonprofit groups to do their important work. It is worth mentioning that the local restaurant and wine industries contribute to our community all year long, not just around the holidays—and in a very big way. ”

She notes how numerous local wineries “pay it forward,” including Jarhead Wine Company:

Adam Firestone founded a wine company with fellow Marine and vineyard foreman Ruben Dominguez with the sole purpose of raising scholarship money for children of U.S. Marines…“It’s not a novelty item, but something we’re very passionate about,” said Firestone, a former captain in the Marine Corps who was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait in 1991.

Today we celebrate the 236th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps!

As you may recall, Jarhead Red was first made in 1999 as a celebratory bottling for the annual Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s November Birthday Ball in Los Angeles. Over the years, the wine gained a following at other Marine Corps Birthday Balls, and we ultimately released the wine nationally to meet growing demand.

On that note, we encourage you to raise a toast to the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, which was established at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia on November 10, 1775.

One cannot live off red wine alone…After all, you have to mix in a little white wine once in a while!

In that spirit, we are pleased to announce the release of the 2010 Jarhead Chard, the successor to the inaugural 2009 vintage. We introduced Jarhead Chard to showcase our lighter side and offer a companion to our signature wine, Jarhead Red.

The 2010 Jarhead Chard comes from two of the Firestone family’s estate vineyards in Santa Barbara County—Kingsley Vineyard and the Curtis Estate. The grapes were picked in the cool morning hours to preserve fruit integrity and freshness. After gentle pressing, the wine was fermented in a combination of stainless steel and French oak to maintain crisp flavors and aromatics while bringing roundness to the palate. The wine was aged on the lees for enhanced textural richness.

Visit our online wine shop to purchase the 2010 Jarhead Chard, and consider enlisting in our wine club to ensure a steady supply of Jarhead wines.

This month, we are honoring Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn, Jr. with an “Around The World” special, consisting of one bottle each of the 2008 Jarhead Red, 2008 Jarhead Reserve and 2009 Jarhead Chard. Price includes shipping!

Glenn began his military career with the U.S. Navy, but was later reassigned to the U.S. Marine Corps. He flew 63 combat missions in the Korean war. According to Wikipedia, Glenn “gained the dubious nickname ‘magnet ass’ from his apparent ability to attract enemy flak.”

On April 10, 1959, Glenn was named as one of the original seven Project Mercury astronauts. Three years later, became the first American to orbit the Earth. It was a cornerstone achievement that culminated in U.S. astronauts landing on the moon seven years later.

In honor of the end of the Guadalcanal Campaign on the same date as today, we are offering a “$43 Henderson Field Special” featuring two bottles of 2008 Jarhead Red Reserve signed by proprietor Adam Firestone and offered in a cloth tote with free shipping now through the end of February.

The Guadalcanal Campaign, fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943, was for the control of a key airstrip, later named Henderson Field after a Marine pilot lost in the Battle of Midway. The victory at Guadalcanal ended all Japanese expansion attempts and placed the Allies in a position of clear supremacy. They suffered and they did their duty so a sheltered homeland could enjoy peace. We owe those Marines a profound debt of gratitude.