Winemakers On Fire, Issue #43

Good day, and a warm welcome!

Welcome to this week's newsletter, where we are excited to spotlight Oxlee Graham Wines, a boutique winery born from passion and creativity. Founded by Jennie Murphy, Oxlee Graham Wines is a testament to her unwavering dedication to the art of winemaking and her commitment to producing exceptional wines that showcase the unique flavors and terroir of Sonoma County.

In this feature, we'll explore the inspiring story behind Oxlee Graham Wines and how Jennie's serendipitous entry into the wine industry has led to the creation of a thriving boutique winery. Discover the passion and inspiration that drive Jennie's winemaking journey and learn more about her dedication to crafting small-batch wines that pay homage to the remarkable women who have shaped her life.

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However, maintaining a consistent flow of engaging content can be challenging. As a fellow wine industry professional, I understand the unique obstacles you face. The Wine Wordsmith is here to help you overcome these hurdles and share your brand's story with the world.

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Don't let content creation challenges hold your wine business back. Contact The Wine Wordsmith today and discover how our partnership can help you harness the power of blogging to drive growth, connect with your target audience, and share your brand's unique story with the world.

Oxlee Graham Wines: A Boutique Winery Born from Passion and Creativity

In California's wine country, a bold and passionate winemaker is crafting exceptional wines that embody the essence of their terroir. Jennie Murphy, the visionary behind Oxlee Graham, has forged a path that celebrates the art and science of winemaking while paying homage to the remarkable women who have inspired her journey.

The name Oxlee Graham holds profound significance, serving as a love letter to Jennie's grandmothers, two extraordinary women whose lessons on honesty, integrity, and kindness have shaped her values and driven her to pursue her dreams. "It's because of their strength that I found the courage to start my own project and carve my own path," Jennie reflects. Drawing strength from their legacies, Jennie embarked on the courageous venture of establishing her own label after an accomplished career at Paul Hobbs Winery, where she achieved remarkable accolades, including several 100- and 99-point wines.

Oxlee and Graham, the maiden names of her grandmothers, grace each bottle, imbuing the wines with a personal narrative. Furthermore, each wine carries the name of an influential woman, amplifying the wine's distinctive personality and story and creating a tapestry of inspiration woven into every sip. This unconventional approach is a testament to Jennie's guiding philosophy of quality, attention to detail, and a thirst for storytelling.

At the heart of Oxlee Graham lies Jennie's commitment to minimal-intervention winemaking. By embracing native yeasts, avoiding additives and fining agents, minimising sulphur use, and skipping filtration for red wines, she allows the unique qualities imparted by the vineyards and terroir to shine through authentically. With a keen eye for detail, she carefully guides the process, making intentional choices regarding whole cluster inclusion, fermentation temperatures, and barrel selections to coax out each wine's distinctive character.

Jennie, can you share the story of how your passion for winemaking began and what first drew you to this fascinating world of wine?

I fell into winemaking by chance. I was going to school, majoring in Chemistry, and I had big plans to graduate and become a forensic scientist. I was spending my summers working for a Biotechnology company producing forensic test kits that were being used in crime labs in the United States and Canada, and during the school year, I was working with a graduate student on her forensic thesis of classifying rope “DNA”. I was very focused on that career path, but ended up graduating from college at a very bad time for the United States economy in 2009. I realised county labs were not going to be hiring, and so I had to pivot. 

Luckily, I was going to school at the University of California, Davis, so when I attended the career fair, I was presented with tons of wineries that were looking for interns. I thought it might be a good distraction until I got my career back on the forensic path, so I took a job at Korbel Champagne in their lab. I fell in love. I loved the work, the general science, the creativity, being able to work with my hands and the community feel of the wine industry. It truly is a beautiful combination of art and science, and to this day, it fascinates me. 

At Oxlee Graham, what is your guiding philosophy and approach to winemaking that sets your wines apart?

Quality, attention to detail, and the thirst for a good story are our guiding philosophies. Quality is the driving force behind everything I do at Oxlee Graham, and a huge part of making quality driven wines is paying attention to every detail. Every decision matters, from the pick call out in the vineyard to the closure you choose to finish the bottle. I pay really close attention to how many punchdowns or pumpovers each wine gets, what the whole cluster inclusion should be for that particular clone, what fermentation temperatures should be for each lot and what barrels we should choose to vinify our wines. Each cellar movement matters, and blending is done super deliberately. Each detail can affect how the end consumer feels about your product, and I want them to feel the care and passion that went into each of these wines. 

I also really treat these wines as if they are old friends – to me, they are people with their own unique personalities and stories to tell. I think that minimal intervention in the cellar, while still paying very close attention to what is going on in the tank or barrel, is key to letting the wines express themselves in an authentic way. 

During your successful career at Paul Hobbs Winery, you achieved remarkable accolades with several 100- and 99-point wines. Could you share some of the most memorable moments and valuable lessons you learned during your time there?

I learned a ton while I was at Paul Hobbs and I would not trade my time there for anything. I started there when I was 22 and was very green in the industry. As my career started out, I worked alongside some great winemakers. The scientist in me would just observe and listen to how they saw the wines and what they were tasting. I was working in the lab at the time as the Enologist, so I was able to taste and look at the numbers and start connecting the dots with how everything correlated.

 As I grew in my career and took on the role of winemaker, I was able to really embrace my creative side. I had worked with some of those vineyards for many years and knew how they behaved, but I always had this itch to make the wines even slightly better. We called it the pursuit of perfection. I was able to start experimenting with things like fermentation vessels, fermentation temperature, whole cluster inclusion, new clones, and clone co-ferments. It was really special that Paul allowed that freedom to create and perfect. 

We also went through a lot during my 12.5-year stint there – fires, evacuations, and power outages. Each experience added tools to my tool belt - like learning how to make a 99-point Cabernet without any power, just gravity, and using my Hybrid car as a plug for our scale. I am forever grateful for that experience. 

What motivated you to make the bold decision to transition from your successful career at Paul Hobbs Winery to start your own label, Oxlee Graham?

I had an itch to continue growing and learning. It was never really in my plans to start my own label – I was happy making wines as part of that fantastic team - but then thoughts of “what’s next” kept creeping in. I felt like there was so much more for me to learn in the wine industry, and I wasn’t sure those learning opportunities would be available to me at Paul Hobbs. 

I wanted to learn the business side of winemaking; I wanted to spend more time in the vineyard; and I wanted to continue being creative and work with new varietals and AVAs (American Viticultural Area) that I hadn’t yet experienced. So, I thought, if not now, when? And I jumped. 

As a woman-owned winery in a predominantly male industry, Oxlee Graham stands out. Please share your experiences navigating this space and any wisdom you may have for aspiring women winemakers and winery owners.

It is definitely not easy, and I think the most frustrating part for me is how often I am underestimated. One big difference I have observed working with men and women in the industry is that some men, not all, can walk into a situation and have this overly confident sense about them. They know exactly what they want in a situation, and just power forward without asking any questions. Women tend to plan a bit more, ask questions, and think through the details, so what sometimes comes across as hesitancy or a lack of confidence is just a bit of thoughtfulness. I think this is a strength and avoids mistakes. I think a lot of times people are afraid to ask questions because it makes them seem like they don’t know how to do something, but I feel this is the absolute best way to learn and to improve. It’s hard, but I sort of like being the underdog because it drives me to prove everyone wrong. I think knowing what your strengths are and embracing being uncomfortable in the space just a little bit is how you grow. 

It took me a long time in my career to figure all of that out. I am still, to my core, a people-pleaser, but I learned how to be strong and set boundaries. I think that is super important for a business owner. Someone once said to me, after I was on a speaking panel and felt I was too quiet, that “sometimes the person who says the least is heard the loudest,” and that has stuck with me.   

Minimal intervention is a key focus in your winemaking process. Can you explain what that entails and why it's important for achieving the quality and character of your wines?

Minimal intervention is all about letting the wines speak for themselves and not impeding that journey with additives and fining agents. I want the wine’s unique qualities and personality to shine through. 

I make our wines as naturally as possible while still maintaining the utmost quality. I don’t add any yeast or bacteria for our primary (sugar to alcohol) or secondary (malic to lactic acid) fermentations – I let the natural yeast and bacteria coming in on the skins do the work. I add minimal amounts of sulphur dioxide to the wines to keep them safe from bacterial growth, such as volatile acidity (vinegar), and to protect them from oxygen. I do not add a lot of sulphur—less than most winemakers - as I feel sulphur can affect the final aromatics of the wine. If I can avoid filtration, I do – the white wines are filtered because I think having some residual malic acid in the wine makes them better, and the leftover bacteria has to be filtered out to achieve this – none of the reds are filtered. 

The magic of these wines comes from the uniqueness of the sites, and I am able to put my stamp on these wines by selecting the right whole cluster inclusion, fermentation temperatures, and barrel selections (or lack thereof) for each individual lot. Diversity in barrel selection lets me put together some very intentional and special blends when it comes time to bottle. 

Many modern consumers appreciate wineries that prioritise sustainability. What eco-friendly and sustainable practices does Oxlee Graham embrace to ensure both environmental stewardship and exceptional wine production?

Since we don’t currently have any estate vineyards, I have chosen to partner with grape growers who share our passion for quality and sustainability. I purposely choose small, family-owned vineyards that are sustainable or organic, where I can form meaningful relationships with the growers, and we can work together to make sure we are doing right by the land and the people who farm it. 

When it comes to bottling, I am sourcing lighter-weight domestic glass, as it is the most sustainable option for bottles. I am also always looking for the most eco-friendly packaging and will continue to stay interested in alternative forms of packaging wines. I think our industry has a long way to go as far as bottling sustainability. 

What exciting plans and new wines can wine lovers expect from Oxlee Graham in the coming years?

I lovingly call this project “the Pinots and my weirdos.” We focus on making Pinot Noir from different parts of California that have unique expressions from the sites from which they are born. I am also allowed the freedom to work with fun varietals that I am passionate about – like Petit Verdot and Picpoul Blanc – that are less well known to a lot of consumers in our area. 

We have so many exciting things happening for our 2023 vintage – to be released later this year and in 2025. We just bottled a super fun wine, our 2023 Elinor’s Alder Springs Vineyard White Blend, that is a mix of Chenin Blanc and Picpoul Blanc. We also just bottled our 2022 Enedina’s Fountaingrove District Petit Verdot. Both wines are slated to be released in April 2024. 

And for Pinot Noir, we again made our Sonoma Coast and Alder Springs Vineyard wines but have added a Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir and a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that I am so excited about. 

Also coming in 2024, we will also be making some Russian River Valley Albariño – so fun!

Essential Insights

Drawing from our interview with Jennie Murphy, here are three key insights that encapsulate her core ideas and perspectives:

1. Minimal intervention winemaking

Jennie embraces a minimal intervention approach to let the wines express their authentic personalities. This involves using native yeasts, avoiding additives and fining agents, minimising sulphur use, and skipping filtration for red wines. The goal is to preserve the unique qualities imparted by the vineyards and terroir while guiding the winemaking process with careful attention to details like whole cluster inclusion, fermentation temperatures, and barrel selections.

2. Sustainability and environmental stewardship

Oxlee Graham prioritises sustainability by partnering with small, family-owned vineyards that practice sustainable or organic farming methods. Jennie also sources lightweight, domestic glass for bottling and explores eco-friendly packaging options, recognising the need for the wine industry to improve sustainability efforts.

3. Overcoming challenges as a woman in the wine industry

As a woman winery owner in a male-dominated field, Jennie has navigated preconceptions and underestimation by embracing her strengths, like thoughtful planning and asking questions. She advises aspiring women winemakers to know their strengths, set boundaries, and find confidence in being an "underdog" as a driving force for growth and proving doubters wrong.

Thank you, Jennie, for taking the time to share your inspiring story and passion for winemaking with our readers. We look forward to following your continued success and can’t wait to see what the future holds for Oxlee Graham Wines. Also, a massive thank you to Vito Lerede, founder of Winecork for introducing us to Jennie.

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