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Winemaker flying into town
Jordan to bring three labels for a special dinner
Sonoma Coast chardonnay (top), Failla Pinot Noir and 32 Winds Pinot Noir. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World
By SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Published: 11/8/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 11/8/2009 4:52 AM
High-flying winemaker Ehren Jordan will be in Tulsa on Tuesday to show off wines from his three prestigious labels, including one with a local connection.
When we say high-flying, we mean that both literally and figuratively.
When Jordan travels, he pilots his own Cessna 340. On this trip, he will fly from California to Colorado to pick up business partner Steve Humble, sommelier at the exclusive Roaring Fork Club near Aspen, then complete the journey to Tulsa for a Tuesday night dinner at Lucky's on Cherry Street.
As a winemaker, Jordan is at the height of his game. He was named Winemaker of the Year in 2008 by the San Francisco Chronicle, and his Failla syrah was named Wine of the Year in Wine Enthusiast's "Top 100 Wines of 2008."
Jordan made his reputation first at Turley Wine Cellars, where he still crafts big, bold zinfandels. That was followed by Failla (pronounced FAY-la) winery, founded by Jordan and wife Anne-Marie Failla in 1998, where he makes exquisite chardonnays and syrahs, and delicate pinot noirs. His most recent venture is 32 Winds, of which Humble and Tulsan Ed Mascarin are part owners.
"I've known Steve for 20 years, and we're the same age, our kids are the same ages and we have similar interests, so we always stayed in touch over the years," Jordan said in a recent phone interview. "I haven't known Ed as long, but when I met him I realized he was a man extremely passionate about wine and passionate about golf, two things I get excited about."
The Jordans
have acquired 85 acres of vineyard land on the Sonoma Coast and 10 acres south of Calistoga in Napa Valley, where they have made their home with daughters Audrey, 8, and Vivien, 4.
Jordan, who majored in art history and minored in classical archaeology at George Washington University, took a wildly circuitous route to get where his is today. And it didn't include any formal wine education.
He worked briefly in a wine shop in Washington, D.C., during college. That led to a job with a Denver wine wholesaler after college, then a position as wine buyer for Il Poggio restaurant near Aspen.
With his interest in wine growing, he moved on to the renowned Joseph Phelps Vineyards, going from volunteer laborer and tour guide to a sales job then a spot in the cellar with the winemakers.
Following that Jordan spent two years in France with Jean-Luc Columbo, based in Cornas, where he reconnected with Anne-Marie.
"We grew up together," Ehren said. "The seventh-grade dance was our first outing."
They lost track of each other during college but learned they both were heading for Europe at the same time. They saw each other in France and eventually married.
"I chased her for years," Jordan said. "It just took me 20 years to make her realize it was her idea to get married."
The winemaking experience in France set him up for an association with Helen and Larry Turley at Turley Wine Cellars in Napa Valley when Jordan returned to the U.S.
"Turley and Failla are at the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of style," Jordan said. "Our first vintage of 32 Winds was 2006, so we still are finding our way there. The style will evolve. For instance, we've invested in some fruit coming off a vineyard next year from a grape-grower who is planting a special block for us to our specifications, and we will have to see what comes from that fruit.
"If you ask about my winemaking style, I would say a) I want to make wines that please me, and b) probably more importantly, I want to make wines that please the people who own the project, which is much the case at Turley and 32 Winds. If you want to know what I like, it would be Failla, because there I answer only to myself."
Wine dinner
with Ehren Jordan
Where: Lucky’s, 1536 E. 15th St.
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Price: $80 plus tax and
gratuity
Reservations: 592-5825
Menu: Highlights from chefproprietor
Matt Kelley will
be butternut squash pie
with goat cheese and fried
sage; confit of duck spring
roll; sea bass with Brussels
sprouts petal salad with
tangelos, white truffle and
local pecans; and ancho
chile-braised short ribs
with turnip puree and
crispy onions.
Wines: 32 Winds Sonoma
Coast chardonnay, 32
Winds Hirsch Vineyard pinot
noir, Failla Keefer Ranch
pinot noir, Turley Cedarman
Vineyard zinfandel,
Turley Uberroth Vineyard
zinfandel.
“I’m glad I can present all
three labels,” Jordan said.
“Turley wines, which are
powerful, are not the easiest
pairings for a full menu.
These wines should provide
a real range of expression
for the chef.
Failla and 32 Winds
wines are sometimes
available in the bigger wine
shops and can be ordered
through any liquor store.
Turley wines are mostly
found in high-end restaurants.
All are pricey, starting
in the mid $30s and
going to three figures.
Scott Cherry 581-8463
scott.cherry@tulsaworld.com
By SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
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