Founded in 2014 by Roger and Donna Beery, J. Cage Cellars opened a tasting room in downtown Windsor in March. Sharing the space alongside Mengler Family Wines, the well-appointed lounge showcases a delicious tasting experience for their small-lot wines. “Chris Mengler and I have been friends for a few years now,” says Roger Beery, co-proprietor of J. Cage Cellars. “But he specializes in Rhône and Italian wines whereas J. Cage is more about Pinots and Sauv Blancs, so our wines compliment each other instead of conflict.” With the two wineries sharing the same roof, it creates an optimal pairing for a full palate of varied wine tasting.
Windsor was the perfect home for the tasting room in Beery’s eyes, so much so that they moved to be within walking distance of their wine boutique. “Windsor is growing. There are five wineries a block from each other where we are located,” he says. “More people are starting to realize, next to the restaurants and the cute shops, there’s a growing wine movement. Would you like to be where the puck has been, or where the puck is going?”
Roger hasn’t looked back since he left Austin Consulting Group Inc., a company he founded and was president of, in favor of a career change into viticulture. “Did I want to be a 57-year-old who followed his dream or a 67-year-old who regrets not trying?” He and his wife’s passion soon transformed into a business, and one where both of their kids are involved. Their son, Conch, is the winemaker alongside consulting winemaker, Adam Lee, and their daughter, Whitney, leads the winery as its brand ambassador. Eight years after launching the J. Cage brand and 13 years after starting a wine blog that became the origin of the entire operation, the family business has a tasting room in the slice of Wine Country they call home.
For more information, check out jcage.com
Down to Earth in California
April is California’s 11th annual Down to Earth Month, a celebration of the wine community’s commitment to protecting and enhancing the land, regions and wine industry for future generations. State senators Bill Dodd and Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry introduced a state senate concurrent resolution (SCR 88) declaring the designation each April going forward.
The California wine industry is a world leader in sustainable wine growth. Here are a few facts:
80% of California wine (255 million cases) is made in 178 certified sustainable wineries.
55% of California’s vineyard acreage is certified sustainable.
2,402 Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing vineyards farm 204,857 acres or 33% of California winegrape acres.
Another 22% of California winegrape acres are certified to other sustainability programs, including Fish Friendly Farming, LODI RULES, Napa Green and Sustainability in Practice (SIP Certified), and some vineyards certify to more than one program.
While sustainability practices may include elements of organic, Biodynamic and regenerative farming, sustainability is broad in scope, encompassing energy and water efficiency, employee relations, community engagement and more.
“As the fourth-largest wine-producing region, California has the most comprehensive and widely-adopted sustainability programs in the world,” said Robert P. Koch, president and CEO of Wine Institute in a statement. “April is the perfect time to support our member wineries across California, whether by visiting to taste and learn in-person or virtually.”
[Photo courtesy of J. Cage Cellars]
