13 Mar J. Brix Wines
J. Brix Wines
298 Enterprise St., Suite D, Escondido CA 92029
www.jbrix.com
Region: San Diego County
Owners/Winemakers: Emily Towe & Jody Brix Towe
About: Emily and Jody Brix Towe started J. Brix Wines in 2009 with three barrels in their two-car garage. Since then, as a two-person winemaking team, they have grown the winery into a small but mighty standard-bearer for the minimal-intervention California wine movement. Working out of a warehouse facility in Escondido since 2013, they make as many as 16 different wines per year. They source impeccable fruit from incredible vineyards all over the Golden State, focusing on Santa Barbara (where they learned to make wine) and San Diego (where they live). Their motto, in winemaking and life: ONLY LOVE.
What is your favorite forgotten grape? It’s impossible to pick a favorite grape, but we can say our favorite *fermentation* is always the Counoise – it’s like a strawberry-scented pink-and-purple-tie-dye foam party!
What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? We worked with Grenache for our first vintage in 2009.
What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? For many of the forgotten grapes, it might be the first time someone has ever experienced what that varietal wine might taste like. It’s so exciting to see people expand their horizons, and learn how much more is out there in the world of wine.