Winemaker Spotlight: PlumpJack Winery's Aaron Miller

"Nestled against the Vaca Mountains on the east side of the valley, our estate sits on the edge of the alluvial fan, with the east side marked by rocky, well-draining soils—red rock from the mountainside and volcanic rock—that yield darker fruit like blueberry, blackberry, and cassis, producing wines that are very rich, concentrated, dense, and broad. Moving west across the property, the soils shift to more loamy and loamy/clay, bringing more red fruit—raspberry, red cherry—along with sage and mint, for a more elegant profile with less structure and concentration. I’ve learned that great wine starts with great grapes, so we prioritize decisions in the vineyard to bring great fruit to the cellar. To prepare for hotter, drier seasons, we’ve adjusted farming by leaving on more leaves to protect the fruit and have been experimenting with shade cloth and micro misters to bring down temperatures." - Erin Brooks