on the estate

The spirit and aesthetic of a natural habitat are central to our culinary philosophy. If not in the kitchen, Jordan chefs can usually be found in the hills and meadows of the Jordan Estate throughout the year. Amid the gnarled oak trees, they forage for wild porcini, miner’s lettuce, chamomile, mint, yarrow, rosehips, prickly pear, mulberry, onions and more, coaxing out a sense of terroir, similar to our winemaking process. There is nothing fresher and more distinctively Jordan than collecting a garnish or another ingredient from the rolling hills or between the rows of vines just prior to any culinary event at Jordan. Our hospitality team shares the same inspiration and philosophy in floral arrangements and place settings, incorporating the lichen found draped in our oaks, moss, eucalyptus, branches and even the beautiful stone found throughout the estate. Ultimately, we hope our guests take with them a deeper understanding of this special place and a lovely memory to accompany their next enjoyment of a Jordan wine.

Homemade sea salt used in Jordan house caviar

ocean foraging

To create the Jordan Chef’s Reserve Caviar, our culinary team takes a few empty jugs kayaking or boating off the Sonoma Coast shore and collects saltwater and kombu (a mineral-rich type of kelp). We then lug the five-gallon containers filled with pristine coastal water and kombu back to the winery where we dehydrate the kombu and then let it infuse with a chilled bath of the collected salt water for three days before the kombu is removed and final evaporation occurs, making the caviar’s essential cure. Tsar Nicoulai then sustainably harvests the roe from 100 percent California white sturgeon raised at the company’s farm in Sacramento County before the infused sea salt is applied.

A Deeper Look

Shells filled with sea salt

Preserve Travel Memories with Foraged Souvenirs

A box filled with foraged plants in a field

Foraging: An Integral Part to Jordan Cooking