Petite Sirah w/ Surfer and Winemaker Aaron Jackson of Aaron Wines on The Wine Down EP#18

EPISODE SYNOPSIS:
Aaron Jackson of Aaron Wines helps us navigate the choppy seas of Petite Sirah. Still nursing a couple of broken ribs earned surfing on the rough waters near his scenic home and vineyard, Aaron illuminates the Paso Robles experience (by way of Australia) that has colored the operation of his label.

GUEST BIO:
Petite Sirah and secret surf spots seem to have more in common than we ever could have imagined. Growing up in Cayucos, California offered our guest, Aaron Jackson, a unique opportunity to experience the central coast winemaking region first hand and at an early age. Perhaps being introduced to the art when he was, the lush, deep, dark and overtly concentrated make up of Petite Sirah was able to capture Aaron's attention. Being an avid surfer has always kept Aaron near the coast even as he pursued his masters in oenology at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. The idea of harnessing the power of nature seems to connect surfing and making Petite Sirah for Aaron and he seems to have mastered both, in spite of him showing up to tape our show with two broken ribs from a recent hard fall in the water.

Today we explore this fascinating alternative to the usual suspects that we seem to be drawn to when looking for our next wine. Aaron's motto is "Go big or go home," and he makes two different wines to help represent his personality: His "Aaron" label is his flagship wine and his "Swell" label represents an everyday alternative. Aaron only makes 600 cases of his wine, yet he already has a strong following which drinks up each new vintage released. You can find his wines at www.aaronwines.com.




ADDITIONAL LINKS, ETC.
www.aaronwines.com
www.psiloveyou.org
www.casadumetzwines.com
www.malibugrange.com
www.cornellwinery.com
www.oldplacecornell.com


EPISODE BREAKDOWN
00:01 Welcome
01:15 Introducing Aaron
04:40 Aaron's secret surf spot
05:30 Aaron's wine pedigree and upbringing
06:50 Family roots
08:40 Aaron's introduction to wine making
09:52 "Grape juice gone wrong"
10:36 Paso Robles starts it's own movement
12:50 Aaron's first wine, growing up in paradise
14:00 Wine: "A multi-faceted experience"
14:40 The invention of wine
16:35 "A natural process"
18:05 The vineyards and variations of Petite Sirah
19:50 "It's not Sirah, it's Petite Sirah!"
21:46 Telling the difference
23:08 Petite Sirah's independent characteristics
25:44 Breaking down the "Swell"
27:13 Aging incredibly well
27:57 Taming the tannins
31:04 "Same" but structurally different
32:20 Alcohol range
34:03 Caring for the grapes
36:40 Pulling off juice: Throwing money down the drain?
38:38 Aaron's particular processes and risks
41:12 Blending Sirah and Petite Sirah
43:20 Surfing: Go big or go home
45:10 The purpose of the label
46:20 Why go into business for yourself?
49:05 Harnessing the power of nature
51:35 Influences and mentors
54:54 A viticultural guinea pig
55:50 Study abroad
58:48 Connecting with the consumer
1:00:02 Insanely reasonable wine
1:02:38 Living and breathing your passion

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Entertainment

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