A lush, well-balanced Chardonnay from an iconic brand

J Vineyards Chardonnay, Monterey, Sonoma, & Napa Counties

$20.89

14.3% alcohol

PLCB Item #98196

Sale price through Aug. 4, regularly $23.89

Many wine drinkers associate this iconic “J” label with Sonoma’s historic Jordan Winery, and understandably so, given its history. When it was first made in the late ’80s, “J” was a cuvée name given to Jordan’s first sparkling wine. Sparkling winemaking is so very different from still winemaking that production shifted almost immediately to a new standalone winery that took the single-letter name of the famous bubbly. When Tom and Sally Jordan ceded control of their wineries to the next generation, their son John took over Jordan Winery while his sister Judy took over J. Judy built J into a powerhouse in its own right, with its well-made sparkling wines, but also with sleek and sophisticated chardonnays and pinot noirs. The wines of both wineries attained a blue-chip status of sorts, becoming staples on the wine lists of steakhouses and country clubs thanks to their name recognition and reputation for quality. Like many of the most iconic brands in California winemaking, J Vineyards & Winery has since changed hands, and since 2015 it has been owned and operated by the largest family-owned wine company on earth: E & J Gallo.

Gallo has led in U.S. wine market share for over 50 years, earning a staggering 33 cents on every dollar Americans spend on wine. Much of their volume does still flow through the value wines they’re most famous for, not just old school brands like Boone’s Farm and Carlo Rossi, but more modern labels too, like Barefoot, Apothic, and Dark Horse. They have also secured their legacy among prestige wines and solid mid-range performers as well, like Louis M. Martini and Rombauer in Napa Valley, Pahlmeyer and Ravenswood in Sonoma, Talbott and MacMurray Estate in the Central Coast. Like J Vineyards, these historic properties continue to operate independently and make top-notch wines in their respective tiers, while benefiting from the distribution advantage of Gallo’s supply-chain dominance. So as we’re sipping on this lush and well-balanced chardonnay from the more accessible end of J’s product range, laden with flavors of spiced apple butter on toast, we can be thankful; a trusted family-owned brand has found safe harbor with another family-owned wine enterprise, one that knows that preserving quality and heritage are essential for protecting a winery’s future.

Also available at:

Wine Warehouse in Sicklerville, $19.99

sicklerville.winewarehousenj.com/

Joe Canal’s in Bellmawr, $19.99

www.joecanalsbellmawr.com/

WineWorks in Marlton, $20.98

www.wineworksonline.com/