Brooks Wine Riesling

Today we are celebrating both Women’s History Month and Riesling Day with a Riesling from Brooks Winery in Oregon which just named  Claire Jarreau Head Winemaker after serving as Associate Winemaker and as member of the Brooks Wine team for ten years. Why is March 13 Riesling Day?  Because March 13, 1345, is the first recorded date for the planting Riesling vines. The village of Hochheim, Germany is where it began, and not surprisingly, Germany has the most plantings today with 24,500 ha (about 61k acres, according to several sources). In the Alsace region of France, Riesling is on record as being planted in 1477; today 3,280 ha (8,100 acres) are planted with these vines. In the US, Washington State pioneers planted Riesling in the 1880s, and now they grow riesling on 4500 acres (happy Washington Wine Month by the way!). California’s Riesling acres has dropped to just under 3k acres (check out Smith-Madrone’s passion for Riesling).

Claire Jarreau (photo courtesy of Brooks)

Why Oregon’s Brooks Wine’s Riesling for Riesling’s Birthday and Women’s History Month? Today Oregon has about 800 acres of Riesling, and Brooks Wine continues to lead the way, now with  Claire Jarreau at the helm. In Oregon, 33 percent of the winemaking workforce are women, according to estimates from the Oregon Wine Board (compared to only 14% in California!) Plus Brooks is certified as a B Corp, they work with organic and biodynamic vineyards, and founder Jimi Brooks was a huge proponent of the potential in Oregon for Riesling.

As Head Winemaker, Claire Jarreau follows in the footsteps of Head Winemaker Chris Williams, who learned winemaking from Jimi Brooks, and who took over when Jimi died unexpectedly at 38 in 2004. Chris will stay on staff to support Claire, and Jimi’s sister Janie Brooks Heuck will continue to serve as Managing Director of Brooks Winery, her role since 2004.

Janie Brooks Heuck, Chris Williams, and Claire Jarreau lead at Brooks Winery Photo Credit_ Carolyn Wells-Kramer

“I’ve seen Claire grow tremendously as a winemaker over the last ten years,” says Chris Williams, “Her commitment to making wonderful wines and dedication to Brooks is top tier. She is always searching for ways to improve and produce the best wines possible. Her care for the brand, the land, and the community is tangible.”

Managing Director Janie Brooks agrees, saying, “Claire’s passion for continuous learning, her dedication to individualizing each step of winemaking, and her pursuit of knowledge from renowned Riesling producers worldwide make her uniquely qualified to lead Brooks Winery into the future.”

Jarreau’s degree is in Chemistry with a concentration in Enology, and in her 15 years in the business she worked in South Africa, New Zealand, and Austria leading up to joining Brooks ten years ago. “Brooks is a unique winery in the American wine industry,” says Claire, “focusing on three of my passions: regenerative farming, site-specific Riesling, and Eola-Amity Pinot Noir. My joining the team here in 2014 was a serendipitous opportunity for both myself and the winery, and I am thrilled to continue focusing on these shared pursuits in the vintages ahead.”

2021 Brooks Lone Star Vineyards Riesling

In 2023, Brooks celebrated its 25th anniversary, and since 2004, Brooks has benefited from female leadership when Janie Brooks Heuck began managing the operation, continuing her brother’s values for sustainability, land stewardship, and strength in community. “These values will remain at the core of everything we do,” states Janie Brooks Heuck,  “and we are excited to see how Claire will embrace and carry forward these principles.”

Claire Jarreau acknowledges his influence saying “Chris has been an incredible mentor to learn from over the past decade. I am proud of the wines that we’ve made together and am incredibly grateful for his support in my growth here at Brooks.”

“Chris has been an invaluable part of the Brooks family for decades,” says Janie. “We are immensely grateful for his continuing contributions, and we look forward to the future under Claire’s leadership. Claire’s passion and commitment align perfectly with our mission, and I have no doubt that she will continue to elevate the excellence for which Brooks is known.”

Happy Birthday Riesling! Happy Women’s History Month! Congratulations to Claire Jarreau — and to Janie Brooks Heuck too!

2021 Brooks Lone Star Vineyards Riesling

2021 Brooks Lone Star Vineyards Riesling

ABV: 12.5%
SRP: $32
Grapes: organic Riesling
275 cases
sample for my review

Appearance:  Extremely pale yellow, platinum rim.

Aroma: Elderflower, slate, diesel, minerals, chamomile, alpine forest, clean, brisk.

Palate: Elderflower, very dry, lots of minerality, tart citrus, grapefruit, chamomile, bee pollen on the finish.

Pairing: The wine was fine with our pasta dish, and the bites with the grilled chicken in it worked best. Sue could see this wine working very well with a chicken cordon bleu. It’s a fun and satisfying pairing with the basil in the salad as the wine likes herbal flavors. For the rest of the bottle, I’d love to pair this with sushi, uni pasta, fondue, or with corned beef!

2021 Brooks Lone Star Vineyards Riesling paired with penne pasta in a cheese sauce with shrimp, prosciutto and chicken

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