VINE PATIENCE
If you’ve been rushing eagerly to your inbox each day, hoping to find the latest Wine Jam blog entry, only to be bitterly disappointed, time after time, then let me explain.
The Jam team have been holding back...deliberately. You see, it’s a ploy to bring you on this wine making journey with us, to include you in the experience and to make your experience as real as possible. And the reality of growing and producing wine is that YOU HAVE TO WAIT! It’s all about the patience (something of which I have very little), about the perseverance, about the slow, toe-tapping, finger drumming, paint drying, kettle boiling, Christmas coming WAIT! You have to exercise patience and you HAVE TO WAIT! In the voyage that is viticulture there’s nothing for a long time, no joy and no love, nothing to see and certainly nothing to taste. You plant your root stock and then, well then there’s just nothing, nothing for a long long time, and naturally that’s difficult. To endure such pain and disappointment requires strength and patience and this, my friends, is our journey, together. Be assured, that by with-holding blog entries over the past few months, the JAM team have contributed to your strength of character, your stoicism and your capacity to endure the challenge of the years to come on the JAM Estate Vineyard quest. You now have vine patience. You have passed your initiation. You are powerful and complex, ripe and fruity, enhanced by gentle patient notes. You have intense, layered flavours with soft, supple yet strong character... and a very long finish.
Written by Jo Broom (C)


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JAM Estate update May 2009
It appears that Chardonnay vines are very hardy indeed.
Until recently, the JAM team hadn’t had an opportunity to frolic in the vines for a couple of months, but thanks to Papa Jam’s regular visits and to sheer fluke that Binginwarri receives more rainfall than anywhere in Victoria, and couple this with the fact that there’s been some jolly decent sun, our beloved vines look perfectly happy and abundantly healthy!
On our recent visit, we did discover a slight weed problem, but Mama Jam jumped on the ride on mower with a blind determination and ploughed the buggers to death (taking the corners on two wheels and narrowly missing our precious vines!)
Anyway, there’s obviously a number of seasons to wait until we are supping on a decent butterscotchy JAM Estate Chardonnay, so in the meantime, I recommend you get your Chardy legs in, by indulging in a Mornington Peninsula fav’ of the JAM team, namely the 2006 Red Hill Estate Chardonnay – Fun to buy at the cellar door (lots of worthwhile tastings to be had here) but 5 bucks a bottle cheaper at Dan Murphy. (If you are at the cellar door though, try their 2005 Classic Release Chardonnay - Quite tropical fruity, with that nice cashew flavour that I love in a Chardy).
P.S The JAM team are in mourning for the loss of Claire de Lune‘s 2006 Pinot Noir. All stocks are depleted. That such a fine specimen should be no longer, breaks my fragile heart! In its memory I am now drinking its little brother, the 2007 – quite a different pinot, but worthy of some respect.
Written by Jo Broom (c)