Why Blending is As Important to Olive Oil as it is to Wine at Jordan Winery

Jordan olive harvest

In the 1970s, Tom and Sally Jordan, founders of Jordan Vineyard and Winery in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, engaged André Tchelistcheff and later, Rob Davis, to develop premium cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Tchelistcheff and Davis traveled to Europe together many times over the years, a complement to the Jordans original embrace of Bordeaux, where estate wines are produced, and later, Burgundy. Olive trees were planted in the mid-1990s, evoking a Tuscan landscape. The first vintage of Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil was released in 1997 and it became an integral part of their approach to wine country cuisine.

Growing Grapes and Olives

Brent Young

Brent Young grew up as part of a farming family in Sebastopol, California and started as a harvest intern at Jordan in 2005. After a stint at Kunde Winery, he returned as a viticulturalist and later, the ranch manager. He became Jordan’s Director of Agricultural Operations in 2019. Young is acclaimed for visionary sustainability and vineyard management practices, micro- farming, managing irrigation and cover cropping on a row-by-row basis, informed by soil type and moisture content. He engages GPS technology to measure soil moisture content and vine stress remotely from iPhones and computers, conserving water while elevating grape quality. Working with AgCode Inc., he developed a custom iPad app that allows him to handle most vineyard management tasks on a wireless tablet—in real-time, in the vineyard.

“Young is acclaimed for visionary sustainability and vineyard management practices, micro- farming, managing irrigation and cover cropping on a row-by-row basis, informed by soil type and moisture content.”

Jordan olive groves

According to Young, the Mediterranean climate in Sonoma County nurtures a diverse range of ecosystems and species, across the region. Says Young, “The majority of our estate is preserved in its natural state, and the combination of warm days and cool nights, volcanic rich hillside soils and natural habitats supports an ideal setting for the health of our trees.” The groves are planted with 15 by 15 feet spacing, allowing for an open center canopy and trees are pruned every 2-3 years by hand.

The 1,200-acre estate is also kept in a natural state for ecological balance. Shares Young, “Seventeen acres of olives are planted across the estate. On average, we hand-harvest 19 tons a year, when olives are at peak ripeness. They are pressed within just a few hours to ensure both quality and to achieve the standards of extra virgin olive oil designation.” Alexander Valley in Sonoma is not only a prime location for grapes but also olives. Says Young, “We grow frantoio, pendolino, and leccino and one Spanish variety, arbequina. They each play a role in our master blend and support one another during the growing season. Leccino is not self-pollinating and requires assistance from pendolino (“the universal pollinator”) and or arbequina to set fruit.” The variety allow for cross-pollination and a more bountiful harvest. All harvesting is done by hand and are milled at the Olivino mill in Hopland, within 10 hours of harvest.

It’s All in the Blend

Jordan Estate olive oil

Just as Jordan creates the perfect blend for each vintage of cabernet sauvignon, they also create unique olive oil blends each year. Explains Young, “Olive varieties are harvested and milled separately, then blended. Pre-harvest, each variety is sampled weekly; ripeness will dictate the total amount of oil extracted during the milling process. Arbequina, for instance, can have a ratio of 40 gallons of oil per ton of harvested olives. The Italian varieties will generally have less extraction, even when harvested at a similar maturity.” Jordan’s executive chef is typically involved in creating the blends. See a video that details the making of the blend.

The Olive Oil of Halkidiki: Home of Greece’s Big Green Olives

Jordan’ olive oil is a source of richness and complexity for summer salads, as a dipping oil for breads, and when marinating meats and vegetables. In addition to be used for tastings and events on the property, Jordan’s annual estate blend is also available for purchase. Recipes developed using the oil include Jordan Winery’s Olive Oil Cake recipe and Marinated Goat Cheese With Citrus Olive Oil . According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2021) olive oil actually enhances the flavor or red wine, something to consider over your next glass of Jordan cabernet sauvignon.