Meet Andrew Jones of Field Recordings, the man who lives your dream.
Andrew spends his time planting vineyards up and down California. He discovers shy and promising patches of land in corners and far reaches, and with love turns the soil to something delicious. As he cultivates the grapes he also cultivates relationships, with the land and those who call it home.
One of the glorious results of these relationships is that Andrew is often given some of the grapes he helped grow. With those grapes Andrew makes small amounts of wine with a big amount of soul and a story. These wines will only ever be around to marvel at once, just like the un-staged patterns formed by the images of starlings that grace the wine’s label.
Each wine that comes from these overlooked patches serve to document that moment in time, functioning as field recordings. Plus, they’re all reminders of something that means more than just wine: reminders of a passion for the process of creativity. As it turns out, passion and creativity taste amazing in wine form, especially when they’re in a beautiful looking tallboy can like the 2013 Fiction Red we included in December’s Box of Awesomeness.
So when you do crack that tallboy of Fiction, savor each sip and be thankful for the fact that people are still pushing the envelope, telling stories and doing whatever the hell they’re moved to do. Today, raise your glass (ahem, can) to creativity!
WA: When did you start making wine?
AJ: I started dabbling in 2004 but launched Field Recordings in 2007/
WA: What makes wine the best drink in the universe?
AJ: Whiskey or Gin can give it a run, but nothing has a story behind it like wine. The people, the dirt, the weather. No other beverage is effected like wine. All of that I think creates a timeless beverage.
WA: What makes California wines different from the rest?
AJ: No bad years. We never have a catastrophic vintage. Almost perfect weather year after year that allows us to make a super consistent, awesome juice.
WA: If you were a grape, which variety would you be, and why?
AJ: Probably Zinfandel. I like to have fun and don’t take anything too serious.
WA: What is the best wine-drinking music?
AJ: No preference here. Ever had a bad time popping bottles and listening to good tunes?
WA: What’s the best way to cure a hangover?
AJ: Burrito and a gatorade. Lemon lime only!
WA: Tupac or Biggie?
AJ: Biggie.
WA: What’s the one thing you would most like to change about the wine world? How about the world world?
AJ: I live in California! Not much to complain about except the lack of rain.
