Day is the Zinfandel project of Ehren Jordan, the winemaker behind such amazing labels as Turley, Neyers, and Failla. When he purchased a St. Helena property back in 2004, he knew he wanted to plant grapes on the hillside. After a few years of pondering, he decided that the locale was ideal for one of his early loves in the vine world – Zinfandel. Ehren established his reputation as a talented vigneron during his tenure at Turley and Day is a return to those roots.
A student of Art History, Ehren has long nurtured a love of modern innovation’s reflection of past brilliance. This has taken shape in his devotion to organic farming, use of native yeasts, and willingness to experiment with concrete eggs and kiln-fired, terra cotta amphora to ferment his wines. For Day, the artisan approach continues with one of the oldest continually produced (and oft-maligned) grape varietals in the American wine world: Zinfandel.
Inspired by the climate and geology of Sonoma County and the statement Zinfandel has made on the region since the 1860s, Ehren has set his sights on vineyards of pedigree for the backbone of the Day lineup. Much like Pinot Noir and Gamay (both of which are stacked high in Ehren’s cellar), Zinfandel is a varietal that offers clear transparency of terroir; true expression without need for undue fussing at the winery.
For Ehren, the Farm and its Farmer is where the story truly begins. Whether it’s Hector Garcia who has been farming the El Diablo vineyard for over 40 years, or the harmonious relationship Ulysses Valdez has with every vineyard he touches, each site’s connection to talented farmers is paramount in the creation of quality grapes.
Day is proud to offer a clear vision of how important the relationship between location, varietal, and the painstaking labor of man is to that time-honored sentiment that great wine is indeed made in the vineyard.
