Jeremy Wine Co
There are wineries whose names require explanation. Jeremy Wine Co is not one of those. Its owner and winemaker is Jeremy Trettevik.
Jeremy’s career in wine started as a Sebastiani “cellar rat” in 1994. He moved to work in the lab. Jeremy then took on a marketing role for Michael David whilst also running an etching business. His experience in many aspects of the business was extended by running a design business for Lodi wineries. Many Lodi labels, including Klinker Brick, were created by Jeremy.
That first vintage consisted of eight barrels (About 160 cases). Over the years he grew and now his annual production is about six-thousand cases.
Jeremy Wine Co Tasting Room
Jeremy is working on opening a tasting room on a property that used to belong to Cosentino. For now, he uses a downtown tasting room with an extensive patio behind the building for outdoor tasting.
Jeremy said that “nobody’s coming in here for a bottle of wine.” That seemed an odd thing for a winemaker to say. However, he clarified it by adding: “They can go to the grocery store for a bottle of wine. They’re coming in here because they want to get asked about their kids, about their vacations, about them.” In short, Jeremy treats his role in the tasting room as that of a bartender.
The Wines
Jeremy greeted is with a glass of sparkling Rosé of Grenache. Bubbles are a good way to start a Sunday. Scratch that; bubbles are a good way to start any day. A light, balanced sparkling wine.
We tasted several wines as Jeremy talked about his career and winemaking. These included a Grenache and a couple of blends: The Gentleman and Winemaker’s Blend.
The 2018 Grenache (Hand Crafted) sells for $35. There were two pickings of this fruit from the Tamura vineyard. The first was for the aforementioned sparkling wine. The second for this red wine and a Saignée. The wine was smooth with the tannins laced through tart cherry. Vanilla emerged in a richly textured finish.
A Couple of Red Blends
The Gentleman V5 is an Italian Blend. Jeremy uses the version naming as the wine blends different vintages of wines. This fifth iteration was 34% 2019 Sangiovese, 33% 2017 Barbera, 17% 2018 Montepulciano, 8% 2019 Nebbilo, and 8% 2017 Amador Primitivo.
The nose offered a mix of earth and dark fruits. The wine was lush, fruit dancing on the top of the tongue. Tannins emerged in the finish, but still wrapped in soft fruit. This is approachable yet with a layered complexity. Jeremy described it as a reflection of this palate.
The 2018 Winemaker’s Blend V4 is a Tempranillo-based wine. The main grape is from Amador, with the rest from Lodi. 42% Tempranillo, 33% Old Vine Zin, 17% Cab, and 8% Petit Verdot. The nose led with heavy oak notes. It tasted fruitier and more subtle than those aromas implied. However, the oak emerged with some force in the finish.
Jeremy Summary
Those who know our taste will not be surprised that we bought a bottle of The Gentleman. Amber also purchased a Jeremy Co tee-shirt; a testament to his design ethos.
There are eleven different wines in the current releases. These cover all the bases. White and red, dry and sweet, still and sparkling. With its convenient downtown location and offering wine by the glass or bottle in addition to tasting, we recommend a visit.
