100-Point Wines: Jennie Murphy's Winemaking Adventure Pt. 3
Join us as we dive into the world of winemaking with Forrest Kelly and special guest Doug Vincent. Jennie Murphy is the talented owner and winemaker of Oxlee Graham Wines. This episode highlights Jennie's journey from making award-winning wines at Paul Hobbs to crafting unique and elegant wines that tell authentic stories. She shares her experiences of creating a light, almost rosé-like Pinot Noir that surprised many with its complexity and depth. Jennie's passion for exploring diverse vineyards across Northern California shines through as she describes how each wine has its own identity, much like people. Tune in to discover what makes her wines distinctive, from the intriguing varietals to the personal touch she brings to every bottle.
Your Host: Forrest Kelly is an experienced Radio/TV broadcaster who has interviewed some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, from Garth Brooks to Kevin Costner. A lover of wine who is fascinated by the science behind it.
Voted One of The Best Travel, Top 5 Minute, and Top Wine Podcasts.
Takeaways:
- Forrest Kelly discusses the transition from working at Paul Hobbs to creating unique wines.
- Jennie Murphy emphasizes the importance of elegance and freshness in her wine creations.
- The process of winemaking can surprise even experienced vintners with unexpected results.
- Murphy's goal is to produce wines that tell authentic stories and showcase individuality.
- The uniqueness of each wine reflects its origin, much like the personalities of people.
- Awards and high scores provide validation, but the true passion lies in creativity.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Oxley Graham Wines
- Paul Hobbs
Forrest Kelly
Welcome. Welcome to The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast
Forrest Kelly
Podcast with Forrest Kelly, owner and winemaker Jennie Murphy of Oxlee Graham Wines.
Jennie Murphy
And I had never made a wine that color before, so I was a little panicked. But the resulting wine is The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast.
Forrest Kelly
You know, part of being a business owner, and you've got to pump up your chest and you've got to tell everybody, you know, it may not be your personality, but you got to get out there.
You didn't make that jump from working at Paul Hobbs to saying, you know, because based on the cork, I want the specific cork and I want the specific barrels you made. Partly the jump was because of challenges and competitions and judgments and things.
Your wine and what you were putting out there was getting some awards, right?
Jennie Murphy
Yeah. At Paul Hobbs, I got to work with some amazing fruit.
He had some great estate vineyards, and also worked with Dexter Fruit, which is highly regarded in Napa. And so I was making 100 point wines for Paul, and there's multiple 100 point wines that we made as a team there.
And really, you know, we were getting great scores, and I just felt like it was time to kind of, you know, put those skills to good use and try something completely new for myself.
Forrest Kelly
Now, let's put that in reference. 100 point wine. And I know the point spectrum.
So for those that don't know what 100 point is, you just make a wine and you put a cork in it and bottle and put a great fancy label on it, and you can get a 75. Right. Or what do you. What is. Put it in perspective for us?
Jennie Murphy
When you look at the score ratings, there's all different classifications, and I think anything above a 95 is called a classic wine. There's a lot of wines in the 70 to 80 range. Anything above 90 is pretty darn good, and 100 is considered perfect. So that is kind of the scale.
So it's, you know, most of our wines were the 90 to 97 range, and then we had a few in the. In the hundred. So that was kind of a good, good, you know, pat on the back for. For myself and my team as well.
Forrest Kelly
So that tells you that, hey, I can hang with the big boys.
Jennie Murphy
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. It always feels good. I say I don't care about scores, but it always feels good to get that 100 pointer. You know, can you put it into.
Doug Vincent
Words what your goal is for the wine?
Doug Vincent
And how would you describe the wines that you produce?
Doug Vincent
And also, what do people love about your wine?
Jennie Murphy
My wines for the Oxagram label really want to produce wines that are elegant, fresh, delicate, and they're lower in alcohol, so they're really kind of fruit forward, but really unique wines. My tagline is sort of I want to make unique wines that tell authentic stories.
So for me, I made a Pinot Noir in 2022 that was really light in color, almost like rose. And I had never made a wine that color before, so I was a little panicked. But the resulting wine is this beautiful, complex, savory, complete wine.
So when I put it in front of people, it kind of surprises them, which I like. I like kind of to shock people a little bit.
And that's sort of my passion with Pinot is that I feel like it can be so complex and so different depending on where it's from. So my Pinot Noirs are kind of from all over the Northern California area, from Mendocino all the way to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
And each wine really has its own identity, its own personality. I think of the wines like people, so I talk about them with their own kind of quirks and personalities and.
But that's what I find so fascinating about winemaking. And I think when I kind of put my line up in front of people, they're really pleasantly surprised with how different each wine is.
So I'm not the winemaker that kind of has everything lined up and they all taste identical. They all have their really, their own identities.
And then I really delve into kind of our that maybe some people haven't heard of or haven't had a lot of experience with. So I make a white blend that's Chenin Blanc and Pic Pour Blanc Petite Bordeaux bottled by itself. I'm making an Albarino in 24.
So kind of a little bit different. I like unique, and I like different.
Forrest Kelly
We look for adventure at wineries around the globe. Oh, that's fine. The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast, please like and follow.
Jennie Murphy
Owner
After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in Chemistry, Jennie had plans to go in to forensics. Due to a bad economy when she graduated, she had to find a plan B and so took an internship at Korbel Champagne Cellars. She was immediately taken with how winemaking melded art, science, nature and humanity together - she was hooked. Her next opportunity came in the form of an Enologist position at Paul Hobbs Winery, where she was tasked with updating the lab protocols and instruments. As she grew from lab to winemaking roles, she absorbed every lesson and focused on every detail. It was an amazing opportunity to work with world class vineyards and craft multiple wines that garnered 100-point scores from critics. She departed from her role as Director of Winemaking for Paul Hobbs in 2022, after a twelve-year career with the winery, in order to focus on the OG Oxlee Graham Wines. The new label focuses on winemaking areas that exemplify a creative and individualistic spirit.
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