When and where was Hundred Acre Vineyard founded?

It's hard to believe, but Hundred Acre Vineyard was actually only founded at the turn of the millennium. In 2000, the Canadian Jayson Woodbridge bought the Kali Morgan winery at the foot of the Howell Mountain in St. Helena in California's Napa Valley. It had been clear to Woodbridge since the early 1990s that he would one day found a winery in the area. He had fallen in love with the land, the people and, of course, the wines at the time.

What is the story behind the name Hundred Acre Vineyard?

If you have children, the name Hundred Acre may sound familiar. It is the name of the forest where the cartoon character Winnie the Pooh lives with his friends. Why did Jayson Woodbridge name his winery after the home of a children's character? It's simple: Woodbridge's children liked to play in a large forest and called it ‘Hundred Acre’. The family spent many happy hours there together. For Jayson Woodbridge, it was only natural to name his winery after this happy place.

Where did Jayson Woodbridge train as a winemaker?

Now, brace yourself: the man responsible for some of the best wines in the world never completed an ecological training programme. Jayson Woodbridge is a career changer and an autodidact. Woodbridge originally worked as an investment banker in Toronto, Canada. Even during his training, he put every penny he could spare into wine. Not as an investment, but to drink. He wanted to explore and internalise every facet that wine has to offer. According to his own statements, his passion for wine began at the tender age of five, when his grandfather let him sip wine for the first time. It was also his grandfather who later encouraged him to explore wine as a beverage.

With the founding of Hundred Acre Vineyard, a completely different side of wine was added. Namely, how it is made. Woodbridge taught himself winemaking from scratch. This is probably why he does many things differently than his colleagues. But don't worry: he also has some true professionals on his team. For example, his winemaker Philippe Melka. And then, of course, there is his wife Helen Maison, who not only supports him as his right hand, but is also a winemaker herself. The native of New Zealand was already living in Napa Valley before Woodbridge joined, where she worked for Joseph Phelps, then at Miner Family and Vineyard 29, before joining the winemaking team at Hundred Acre Vineyard.

Why is Jayson Woodbridge considered eccentric?

Woodbridge is considered a quality fanatic and perfectionist. The latest technology and ancient winemaking methods go hand in hand for him. Nothing but an absolutely great wine is allowed to leave his cellar. In the vineyards, for example, manual labour and extreme yield reduction are mandatory. No other Napa winery sees as much of its harvest go to waste as Hundred Acre Vineyard. Jayson Woodbridge is extreme in that regard. In general, he is always aiming for the maximum in terms of enjoyment. That's why, for example, he also employs two professional chefs to cook for him, his family and the team.

Everything in his life has to be at least excellent. This absolute urge for something bigger than man himself probably does not come out of nowhere. In one of his very, very rare interviews, he once told Wine Spectator that he had cancer at the age of 18. When he defeated it, his view of the world changed, which is why he would not see many things in the same way as his fellow human beings. He himself admits that he is like an unstoppable force of nature when he makes wine.

What grape varieties is Hundred Acre Vineyard known for?

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon and more Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, Jayson Woodbridge has also planted other grape varieties. But the heart and soul of Hundred Acre Vineyard is Cabernet Sauvignon. Woodbridge is considered one of the great Cabernet Sauvignon specialists in the world. Few people are as good with this red grape variety or understand how to bring out its different facets so subtly and skilfully.

Which vineyards does Hundred Acre Vineyard cultivate?

There are three main vineyards in St. Helena and Calistoga that form the heart of Hundred Acre Vineyard. Jayson Woodbridge bought the first vineyard together with his winery: Kayli Morgan. The top vineyard covers just 3.6 hectares and is planted exclusively with Cabernet Sauvignon. The same applies to the Ark Vineyard, which covers 6 hectares. The last vineyard to be added was the rather exotically named Few and Far Between, with its 2 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. Incidentally, this is located directly above the historic Eisele Vineyard near Calistoga. So it is still in Napa Valley, but not directly around St. Helena.

What is special about the vinification of the grapes?

Actually, we have to start in the vineyard itself. Jayson Woodbridge has had a very special irrigation system installed in his vineyards, which is actually used for tulip cultivation in the Netherlands. It is not a drip irrigation system, because the vines are sprayed. This extends the growing season. The grapes thus have more time to reach optimal physiological ripeness, which then also ensures maximum aromas and extract. We have already told you that Woodridge radically reduces the yield. In fact, only a single grape is allowed to hang on each vine. And it is not simply harvested in its entirety. No! Each individual grape is harvested at perfect ripeness. Five or more harvesting passes are perfectly normal at Hundred Acre Vineyard for each vineyard.

And the work continues in the cellar with the same level of effort. Micro-vinification takes place in small batches. Spontaneous fermentation is a matter of course here, as is maturation in new French oak barrels. There is no second occupancy. All wines mature in wooden barrels for at least 24 months. Although there are also wines that Woodbridge matures for up to 42 months. Good things take time. Oh, and then there's a filter in the cellar that was originally used on a NASA space station – and is now used by Woodbridge in the cellar. Thanks to the UV light strips it contains, even the smallest microorganisms can be filtered out of the air so that the wines are as clean as possible during their production process and are not contaminated or influenced.

What wines are produced at Hundred Acre Vineyard?

The three top sites Kayli Morgan, Ark Vineyard and Few and Far Between are, of course, all aged separately at Hundred Acre Vineyard. And, of course, they all consist of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sometimes a barrel from these three sites is so special that Woodbridge makes a wine from it that then has ‘Dark’ in its name. For example, ‘Dark Ark’. If the barrels are aged for an extra long time, the label also includes the addition ‘Deep Time’. Here you can be sure that you are getting absolute top quality. Woodbridge also makes a cuvée from all three sites, which is then called ‘Wraith’.

Why are Hundred Acre Vineyard wines so sought after?

First and foremost, of course, is the quality of the wines. A ‘good’ wine never leaves the cellar. For Jayson Woodbridge, only excellent wines meet his standards. The wines shine with unexpected intensity, complexity, elegance and depth. They are enormously complex and can be impressively stored. The wines mature to perfection in 20 or 40 years. And of course it is precisely these extraordinary qualities that have resulted in storms of enthusiasm from international wine critics. Since 2000, the wines have been awarded 100 points 61 times. Almost half of these 100 points come from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate! Hardly any winemaker with just one winery has achieved something like this in such a short time! This is precisely why the wines have enjoyed cult status for years and are in such high demand.

Can Hundred Acre Vineyard wines be bought everywhere?

Sorry, no. The wines are not available for everyone to buy – they are allocated. There is a waiting list that you can sign up for. And then it takes an average of five years before you even receive a reply from the winery. But even then, there is still no guarantee that you will be allowed to buy the wines of Hundred Acre Vineyard. That is why you can only find the wines at a handpicked selection of wine merchants who are deemed worthy enough to sell them. And yes, we are very proud that Best of Wines is one of these wine merchants.