Hi Berserkers!
I’m a long-time lurker (on and off since 2009) and often came to WB for inspiration in my previous life as a fine wine retailer (in Berkeley, CA). I’ve met a handful of Berserkers off-line and was finally encouraged to join up and participate.
Stereophonic Wine is my project in tandem with winemaker Aaron Jackson of Aaron Wines in Paso Robles.
Aaron and I first met roughly a decade ago when his first vintages were being delivered by pickup direct from Paso. My focus was wines of Europe, but I had to admit that his early wines were excellent, and surprising to me since they focused on Petite Sirah. He then dazzled me again with a varietal-defining take on Viognier and it was then I knew he was a real talent. After he completed a stint with Justin Smith at Saxum (2012-2013), his winemaking went to the next level, in particular his Rhone blends, and critical scores have followed - he’s hit 95 with both Vinous and Jeb Dunnuck.
During that same era, we were visiting my wife’s family in Alsace and Campania and I became obsessed with Aglianico. I began to taste and collect Taurasi extensively. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and I realized I wanted to bring our international family together through wine.
So one day, I asked Aaron if he could find me any Aglianico. Previous attempts had failed so my hopes weren’t high. A day later, he had two vineyards. And he was really curious about my weird quest. He asked if I had anyone to make them. Well I did now. Six months later I tasted the wines and I realized I wasn’t a retailer anymore. I had to follow this where it went and try to contribute something useful to the world of wine that I loved so dearly.
In 2018, we and our two young boys moved to Napa. Our family are wine geeks to the core (my wife worked for Winebow Imports for a decade and now works for DuMOL) and we love to cook and wine really brings our international family together.
Our plan was to officially launch Stereophonic on March 16, 2020. You may recall something that happened around then…
Stereophonic Wine is where our “multi-disciplinary” approach to wine - its relation to art, music, literature and culture - is matched with Aaron’s meticulous, layered style - and Aaron and I challenge each other to make unique wines that showcase the incredible potential of the Central Coast. Our releases to date include Aglianico, Grüner Veltliner, Albariño, some genre-bending approaches to Rhône blends as well as a really special bottle of Syrah. You’ll see that our inspirations from winemaking range from traditional to modern to totally left-field and our choices are informed by our wide experience in tasting the wines of the world. The last thing we want is to make the same old wine.
SUPER IMPORTANT: We love Central Coast wines but our wines are not your typical Central Coast wines. We’ve worked really hard to combine concentrated fruit with energetic acid and tannin and limited oak influence to make something uniquely representative of our American and European backgrounds.
I’m thrilled to be able to offer these micro-lots (everything is 50-200cs production) to the discerning and enthusiastic Berkserker hordes. I appreciate getting a chance to showcase our beautiful wines made with atypical inspirations - and I appreciate being a part of a community that loves wine in the all-consuming way that we do!
Thanks for giving us a shot -
please make sure to check out our offer on Berserker Day
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised -
and contact me anytime at jason@stereophonicwine.com