Wit, Wine, and Wisdom: Visiting Jim Prosser at his winery, J.K. Carriere by Jillian Glazer

The Ponzi Wine Bar team joined our friends from The Dundee Bistro last week for a special tour and tasting with Jim Prosser at J.K. Carriere’s beautiful new winery and tasting room in Newberg.

The short story: These guys are a delight and the wines speak for themselves.

Jim is a talented guy making superb wines, and yet his attitude is lighthearted, his language occasionally foul, and really, he just doesn’t take himself too seriously. The rest of us certainly are listening carefully though, since Jim is truly full of knowledge and isn’t afraid to share it. We learned about his focus on higher acidity wines to pair perfectly with food, the importance of temperature during fermentation—he sometimes lets heat build to 100 degrees F—and many other tidbits showcasing Jim’s gentle but precise style. (We noticed a great deal of similarity with our very own Luisa Ponzi’s strategies including using wild yeasts, and blind barrel tasting followed by careful blending of vineyards!)

Ever wonder what’s with the wasp on J.K. Carriere’s label? It’s a nod to the insect that threatens Jim’s existence due to a severe allergy. Don’t worry… Jim pretty much always has an Epi-pen strapped to his belt, just in case! He says the wasp is a reminder of the conscious choice to live a life of adventure and passion.

Like Jim, the winery is unassuming and super functional. The barrel room is beneath ground level due to the slope of the property, and careful thought was put into efficiently heating and cooling the building as needed.

A couple things to know about J.K. Carriere wines: With bright acidity and smooth tannins, these great-value wines will gain beauty with age. Jim is sourcing fruit from some of the area’s most acclaimed vineyards including Temperance Hill, Shea, and Anderson Family vineyards. A quick “advanced search” on our Wines page (http://ponziwinebar.com/wine/) reveals a couple of our favorites, including a half bottle of 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that knocked our socks off. In general, Jim believes that “vineyard equals potential,” and that a good winemaker hopes to capture 95% of that potential. We think the J.K. Carriere team easily fits into the top tier of Willamette Valley talent, and like we said, the wines speak for themselves.