Preserving ancient methods of winemaking with Jason Ruppert
Maker behind Ardure Wines and keeper of the natural environment
Scene: A grassy field. In the furthermost corner, two picnic blankets lay seam-to-seam partially illuminated by the three o’clock sun. Two humans sit cross-legged. Ponderosa pines tower behind.
Vanessa Li: So, what is your life story? Where does it all begin?
A frisbee and dog whoosh past.
Jason Ruppert: Well…I share a birthday with William Shakespeare. April 23rd. I was born in Los Angeles. What else? I’m a Taurus.
Among myriad professions and pursuits, Jason Ruppert founded Ardure Wines in 2018 following a notable career as a sommelier at high-end restaurants and consulting for natural wine shops in the San Francisco Bay Area. Working with distinguished mentors in the business of biodynamic and organic farming methods - Ted Lemon, Steve Matthiasson, among others - Jason quickly rose to the top of his field.
Based in Sonoma county, the brand embodies Jason’s first and foremost calling: the crossroads of environmental protection and sustainable farming. Ardure, meaning “the heat of passion” in olde French, is the pulse behind Jason's commitment to natural wine-making and doing right by all - people, animals, and Mother Earth. Without the use of sulfur or chemical sprays of any kind, his wines are vinified in the most natural of environments with a zero-intervention approach. In his words: “let the wine make itself.”
“Let the wine make itself” - Jason Ruppert
Of course, even the most natural of wines require a deft flair, tenderness, love, and care.
Cultivating every part of the process from the soil up, Jason crafts his wines in small batches. Grapes are hand-harvested, usually in the late evening or very early morning. They are then foot-tread and left on the grape’s skins for at least one and up to twelve days depending, allowing native yeasts to set off natural fermentation. When the primary fermentation process is complete, the wine is then moved to amphorae or neutral barrel to await malolactic conversion or secondary fermentation, a process that converts the sharper acidic edge of wine (malic acid) into a softer lactic acid. The wine then rests on its fine lees, deposits made up of residual deceased yeast and other particles, before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This process typically takes eleven months in total from start to finish, and is considered within the “zero-zero” subgenre of natural winemaking, where nothing is added or removed from the wines that are not already present. Jason also adds a unique touch to his wines during fermentation and elevage (rest period in amphorae or large clay vessels): charged quartz crystals; while indeed a modern twist, some manner of adding crystals to wine dates back to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Jason explains that the crystals bring out a vibrancy and energetic liveliness to each vintage, and is an Ardure Wines signature. In fact, other California winemakers have followed his lead, including Tank Garage Winery, a loud and eclectic winery in Napa, CA.
It is apparent that Jason’s heart for the trade and innovative concepts are appreciated by more than just his fellow wine aficionados, but by artists and dreamers all around. Jessica Snow, the talented graphic and multi-medium artist behind Ardure Wines’ first three vintages, offers colorful endorsement: “[Jason] combines ancient methods of wine making with contemporary techniques from harvest to bottling…[and] the success Jason has had with his wines is due to his unique methodology. ”
So why natural wines?
As a young boy, Jason was keenly aware of his global surroundings, of environmental destruction, industrial disasters, human and animal cruelty, and the interconnectedness of the natural and built environment. In his primary and secondary education, Jason’s favorite subject was environmental studies and he lit up at the opportunity to make a difference on this planet. On the outset, Jason tells me that “it’s always been about farming. [Holistic approaches] to farming. That’s the goal - my passion.”
If anything, he discovered the world of wine out of coincidence - or otherwise following not-so-fortunate circumstances: the 2007-2008 financial crisis. At the time, Jason was seven years into the operation of his Reiki therapy practice, a form of alternative medicine using energy to heal. As the perils of the economic turmoil hit every community across America - sparing no one - Jason lost eighty percent of his clientele in just four months and was forced to close up shop. To keep money coming in, he rolled up his sleeves and bounced between bartending and bussing tables; the restaurant industry was one he knew well. In short order, he was recognized around town, and for one superpower in particular: his knowledge of wines.
At the time, Jason was no wine nerd. He drank it - occasionally, socially - but he was not one to turn a bottle many times over to analyze its tannins and acidity. He did, however, really enjoy the characteristics of different bottles, and the exciting flavors that could be produced.
In 2011, Jason completed his sommelier certification and transitioned into leading widely successful wine programs across the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, after working three years as a harvest intern at Pax wines, he was given an opportunity to farm two vineyards on his own and make wine from them. Jason introduced Ardure Wines in 2018. And the rest is history…
The future, though, has yet to be written.
“What is up your sleeve next?” I ask.
Without pause, he circles back to his zeal for environmental science and his one true love: farming. “We are here for the earth,” he says, so “my goal is to [eventually] dissolve the wine brand and dive headfirst into regenerative farming.” Wine is not the end all be all for him; the health of this planet - its soil, roots, energy, life, and diversity - is his calling. And, as Erin Sylvester of Sylvester Rovine Selections put it, “Jason is fiery and strong, grounded and wise, protective and passionate. A true guardian of this earth and her people.”
“We are here for the earth.” - Jason Ruppert
As we wrap up, I cannot help but be moved by Jason’s perspective on life and the community he affects and coalesces. How does it all feel? And, what are his guiding philosophies?
Scene: A damp field. In the furthermost corner, two picnic blankets lay seam-to-seam no longer illuminated by any sun. Two humans sit with feet on the floor. Ponderosa pines cast shadows.
Vanessa Li: Can you share an emotional milestone you experienced during your time working on Ardure Wines?
The human with the beard lights up.
Jason Ruppert: Well, yes - a very specific moment comes to mind. I was sitting and eating one hot summer day a couple years ago. I had made myself a simple and delicious salad to accompany the sunny season: watermelon, cucumber, and feta. And, as I enjoyed the salad, I also sipped on one of my own wines. It was a perfect pairing. And just like that, I experienced this euphoric realization that both the food on my plate and the wine in my hands was my very own creation (“I made those with my hands!”). And it was glorious - an unmatched feeling.
VL: That’s incredible. So, at the end of the day, what drives you?
JR: I follow my heart. I lead with integrity. And, I try to use my talents to make something beautiful. To those who may be experimenting or pursuing their own calling, what I have to say is: find courage to redesign your path.
The humans laugh and smile, and enjoy nature together for a few more moments before heading to the parking lot to look at some wine-fermented crystals.
The next time you pass by the San Francisco Bay Area and our acclaimed vineyards, check out Ardure Wines at Minimo, Chez Panisse, Ordinaire, The Punchdown, MillaySF, Fig & Thistle and many more. Happy community-gathering!