Field Reports

Today marks the 235th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. For those who aren’t familiar with the story, the United States Marine Corps has been celebrating its birthday every year since it was founded November 10, 1775 by commission of the Continental Congress at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia.

Happy birthday, USMC! Semper Fi.

P.S. In some ways, this day also marks the birthday of Jarhead Red. The wine was conceived by Adam Firestone in 1999 as a celebratory bottling for the annual Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s Birthday Ball in Los Angeles. Over the years, the wine gained a following by word of mouth and was enjoyed at Birthday Balls around the country. Eventually, to meet growing demand, the wine was released for distribution nationwide.

We are nearing the release of our 2008 Jarhead Reserve, a limited-edition wine that is crafted as our finest expression of the vintage. The 2008 vintage also features a new look for the Jarhead Reserve line, as depicted in the accompanying photo.

The 2008 Jarhead Reserve is composed mainly of Cabernet Franc from the Firestone family’s Rock Hollow Vineyard in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. This small vineyard occupies a southeast-facing slope, where gentle exposure to the elements ensures a long, steady growing season. This orientation is enhanced by the vineyard’s rocky soils, rolling topography and thorough natural drainage, which combine to yield complex, intensely flavored fruit. A contribution of Syrah from the Firestone family’s nearby Kingsley Vineyard brings a deep black fruit quality to the wine, while Merlot from Westerly Vineyard in eastern Santa Ynez Valley adds suppleness and depth to the palate.

Only 560 cases of the 2008 Jarhead Reserve were produced. Look for it to be released within the next month.

This is a harvest season to remember, started off cool, followed by a heat wave last week, and now back to cool again. The heat kicked the ripening into a higher gear, but the harvest is still considerably later than usual. The estate fruit looks great, and the added hang time will bring nice balance and intensity. Stay tuned!

Thanks to the Brain Wines Blog for penning another rave review of our wines, this time for Jarhead Red: “If you are looking for a fruit bomb, this is not it. This is a classy, earth-driven, sophisticated, old-world taste – for a very affordable price and one hell of a great cause.”

Click here to check it out.

We pleased to share that our 2009 Jarhead Chard gets a rating of 95 points for “astounding” from the Brain Wines Blog.

Their description of the flavor profile is as follows: “Nicely weighted…Clean, full yellow tropicals, citrus backbone, light pear. Nice structure…Long, clean finish.”

Thanks, Brain Wines. Click here to read the full review.

The 2008 vintage christens a new label design for Jarhead Red, one that builds upon the earlier label while incorporating fresh new elements.

The new Jarhead Red label features the “digital camouflage” pattern seen on the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform, in keeping with Jarhead Red’s positioning as a wine for “everyday” enjoyment.

Our Jarhead Reserve label will reveal a similar evolution with the release of the 2008 vintage later this summer. The new Jarhead Reserve label echoes the “dress blues” that are worn in more formal settings, in keeping with the wine’s “reserve” status.

Inside the bottle, of course, the wine remains the same: intense flavors, fine structure, and a finish that doesn’t quit.

We hope you like the new look, and we are looking forward to your feedback.

Welcome to our new Field Reports blog on our new web site for Jarhead Wine Company. Stay tuned here for news, events and other adventures from the world of Jarhead Wine Company.