JennaMarise Wines was founded by twin sisters Jenna and Mara York with their inaugural vintage in 2019. They are not the only twin sisters in Napa Valley producing wines; reference Brie and Bella of Bonita Bonita Wines. Jenna and Mara’s passion for wine is tied into cultural heritage as it often is for Italian families. Their family on their mothers side was originally from a small village in southern Italy. Their maternal grandfather was a wine collector; the sisters were raised trying a few sips of wine at meals. And both remember at only 8 years old already having discussions about types of wine, its various characteristics and origins.
They met winemaker Bob Foley when they were 13 years old at a San Francisco 49ers event. Fortuitously, with a focused sense of premonition, Foley informed both girls that he would make their wine someday. Both Jenna and Mara admit today, looking back on that moment that they thought he was crazy. Jenna and Mara went to school at Boston College and both majored in finance with minors in history. They continued to enjoy wine but never thought about starting their own brand. Between their junior and senior year they interned at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management but realized that type of work wasn’t what they were passionate about.
Their first wine trip was with their father to Sonoma County when they were about 15 years of age. They remember being introduced to numerous winemakers and others working in wine.
Through various connections in the industry, they gained valuable experience with three short three-week stints in 2007; the sisters worked for Joseph Phelps, Groth and Spring Mountain Winery. Their training was quick, down and dirty and offered an intense overview of the wine industry from vineyard, to cellar, to lab to hospitality. Mara recalls they were told to show up at Joseph Phelps at 7am on their first day of work, but they discovered when they arrived the cellar crew had already been there since 6am. That was the last day they showed up at 7am.
They were quickly given tasks; Jenna remembers one of the cellar crew showed her in great detail how to sanitize a tank. She admits she wasn’t paying close attention to his instructions; the employee moved the pump to the next tank and told her to finish cleaning the rest of the tanks. Then he left her alone. She had no idea where to start but eventually embraced the ‘learn by doing’ philosophy and finished the task at hand. Often learning by doing is better than learning by watching.
Much of winemaking is not glamorous, but it sure is educational. They helped plant a vineyard block at Spring Mountain Vineyard (the hillside directly above the stone wall next to the main parking lot), checking insect traps, testing water content in grape leaves and mundane tasks such as polishing barrel racks.
After both graduated Boston College, they moved to California and each sister worked harvests in Napa Valley in 2008, Mara at Robert Foley and Jenna at Spring Mountain Vineyard. It was a time they both learned a lot, especially about different cellar operations. For instance, Foley never uses a sorting table while at Spring Mountain they are fastidious about selecting grapes using a sorting table.
In 2009 they both worked harvest at Vina Cobos in Mendoza, Argentina. And they used their time there to explore and taste at other wineries, helping develop their palates. It was here that both began to discuss starting their own wine brand someday and even wrote a business plan. They returned to Napa Valley and both worked at Reynolds Family Winery for two years followed by assisting with the launch of launch Tusk Estates. It is interesting to note that two of Tusk’s proprietors Tim Martin and Michael Utengsyu met through an event hosted by the San Francisco 49ers foundation.
Their brother Tony York passed away in 2018; they remember him often saying they ‘dragged their feet’ too much when it came to projects. Timing was right in 2019, they spoke to Bob Foley and he encouraged them to get moving on a wine brand. He introduced them to Switchback Ridge Vineyard in Calistoga which supplied the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for their first vintage. And through their connections with the Papietro family in Sonoma County they secured access to Pinot Noir from two vineyards.
Foley has been wine making in Napa Valley since 1977; his first winery job was for Joe Heitz at Heitz Cellars which puts him in a select number of unfortunately dwindling winemakers still practicing their art today who were working in the 1970s in Napa Valley. He was also the founding winemaker at Markham Vineyards where he made their wines for 15 years followed by another 15 years as winemaker at Pride Mountain Vineyards.
He is among a select group of Napa Valley winemakers who seem ageless; we would also put Rudy Zuidema of Zuidema Wines and Ren Harris of Paradigm Winery in that ‘ageless’ category. If you ever get the chance to meet Bob you will soon realize his passion for both his winemaking and the wine industry is an important part of his being. Running his own winery which produces around 8,000 cases a year certainly keeps him busy. And in addition to making the wines for JennaMarise, he also is the winemaker for several other small brands.
Select Wines
The JennaMarise wines are 100% varietal and are aged longer than typical current releases. Using their 2019 vintage as an example, the Pinot Noir spent 12 months aging in barrel and then was bottled aged for 36 months prior to release. And their Merlot and Cabernet from this same vintage spent 20 months aging in oak barrels followed by 28 months in bottle prior to release. The oak program for their red wines is typically 1/3 new French oak, 1/3 once used and the remainder neutral barrels.
All three of their inaugural wines were released in October 2023.
Both sisters enjoy Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. When ready to produce a Pinot Noir, they called up Winemaker Ben Papapietro. He invited them over to Papapietro Perry Winery to sample Pinot Noir from various vineyards. The tasted through more than 20 different barrels, isolating two barrels they particularly favored. This wine was from the Leras and the Nunes Vineyard.
The 2019 JennaMarise Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley Sonoma County is a blend of three clones: 115, 667 and 777. This wine is pale to medium ruby in color; the aromatics are open-knitted and are immediately expressive. The bouquet offers scents of raspberries, a light herbal note like tea leaf, tonka bean, sweet tobacco spice, and dried tobacco leaf. The palate sports flavors of red cherry, currant, cranberry and red cherry. The tension of the bright acidity with the texture is perfectly balanced. The texture offers a creamy character in which the tannins are seamlessly integrated into the supple finish. Lingers bright, energetic and savory and begs another sip. For reference, like the other 2019 bottlings, we tasted this wine 5 years post vintage. Production: 300 cases. 13.3% alcohol. Pair with rabbit.
The 2019 JennaMarise Merlot is 100% varietal; this wine is deep ruby. The nose is a bit shy initially and needs time to open. This wine offers a diversity of aromatics including chalk, old leather, plum, dark currant, dried sage and some floral notes including lavender and lilac. As it evolves in the glass it offers a note of mocha. This wine has depth and complexity but also a plush textural feel which is often a characteristic of this variety. The palate is primarily focused on its fruit core with the oak being a complementary character. On the palate, there are flavors of blackberry, dark plum, cherry and a note of chocolate. The gravelly but not course tannins linger softly beyond the fruit on the finish. Balanced with medium acidity. Delicious. Pair with grilled duck.
The 2019 JennaMarise Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (100% varietal, clone 7) is dark ruby and opaque in color. This wine takes some time to open for its fruit core to expressive itself fully – and when it does, it is generous revealing scents of plum, cherry blackberry and boysenberry preserves. And there is a savory character at play here as well of old cedar box, smoked sage, a hint of creosote. It continues to offer more – including notes of mocha and chocolate. The generous palate reveals flavors of dark plum, cherry, and bramble – primarily blackberry. We love the texture here. The rounded and lightly gravelly tannins linger with a chalky character and equally light, but lasting grip. This wine is showing in a sweet spot at the time of our tasting. Pair with a lighter style cut of beef, slow cooked on the BBQ. Top sirloin please.
JennaMarise produced each of their three bottlings in 2020. Their scheduled picks were completed just prior to the start of the Glass Fire. The 2020s will be released most likely in October or early Spring in 2024. Vineyard sources have changed based on availability of grapes.
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The inception for their name came when the sisters were visiting Paris and happened upon combining their first and middle names to create Jenna Marise. The idea was to choose a name to represent in some way themselves and their family. They chose purple on the label to indicate the color of royalty; they hired Ellen Riando of Soda Rock Branding to create the look and feel of their wine label. The curved logos is not a family crest as we first thought, but rather a symmetrical and creative union of the letters J and M.
Visits by prior appointment are hosted at 1299A, the handsome wine salon, tucked away in St. Helena and owned by Monica Stephens (formerly of 750 Wines). 1299A is located just off of Main Street in St. Helena, off the beaten path, but accessible”. The most convenient parking is off of Money Way, a street which is more like an alley than a street, which parallels Main Street. Visits to 1299A are for serious wine enthusiasts and collectors. Monica has formed close relationships with many well-regarded vintners in the valley and as a result maintains a diverse collection of wines. She and her small team host clients by appointment seven days a week. She calls Studio 1299A her, “triangle of love and appreciation between wineries, clients and support of Jameson Humane”.
The digs are simply decorated with the focus being on the visitor and the personalized private tasting experience. Napa Valley based interior designer Richard Von Saal contributed a number of pieces including furniture to the inside. Collectively his contributions inside this space are known as: Vonsaal ADJUNKT. And each of these pieces is for sale to be replaced with another one of a kind piece after they are sold. Incidentally, the original table at 750 Wines, which was later sold to an area vintner was one of Von Saal’s early projects.
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Production is around 1,000 cases per year and is sold primarily direct to consumer. However they have limited distribution in Las Vegas and select establishments in the San Francisco Bay Area including at the House of Prime Rib and Uccello – both located in San Francisco. The wines are also available at Levi’s Stadium and at Archie’s Steakhouse, a James Beard award winning restaurant in Iowa. Those interested in purchasing current release wines can do so via their website and or signup for their mailing list: www.jennamarise.com
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