Umami Podcast

At the intersection of wine and art, you’ll find Jarad Hadi: vigneron, winemaker, and owner of Grape Ink in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Grape Ink’s wines celebrate the creativity, diligence, and connection to nature that farmers and winemakers share. Their wine labels in themselves express this relationship; each one is a unique artwork by Italian artist Giulia Schiavon — paintings printed on the bottles. Grape Ink’s wine emphasizes small-scale production and personality, growing at altitudes as high as 1500 feet in the Valley’s northernmost climes, with rich mineral soil over volcanic deposits. 

Jarad earned his master’s degree in viticulture and winemaking at the source: The University of Bordeaux and studied under French masters. He also learned hands-on in the Bordeaux region, Parisian vineyards, and South America. While farming and making wine for Grape Ink, he’s also working on high elevation vineyards in California and elsewhere in Oregon.

During our time with Jarad, we learn about farming in Oregon’s fickle snow zone, where weather is often cloudy and cold and one must “follow the sun and watch out for the rain.” Jarad understands the ecosystem of his land, including how wild animals like birds and elk interact with his crop and the “acceptable casualties” caused by predation and disease. He farms with serenity, even when conditions are difficult — which they often are, in the hills above 800 feet.

Pinot noir wine grapes.

Jarad describes the musical interplay of soil, temperature, the day/night cycle, the wind, and the countless other natural elements that sculpt the expression and composition of his plants. Forces as great as the pull of the moon and atmospheric pressure and organisms as miniscule as the nematode in the soil all affect the grape vines. Among the defining factors of viticulture and winemaking, Jarad says, are the where and when — representing a significant investment of time in a specific geographical area and undertaking a long, slow process of which the actual production of the wine — from picking to processing — is the shortest period.

Jarad’s other passions include art and poetry, and he draws a parallel between pianists and winemakers. You’ll also hear about winemaking wizardry, Jarad’s sundial watch, companion plants for grapevines, why viticulturists play awful radio stations, and the difficult task pairing wine with radishes and artichokes. 

Jarad shares a love for wines that elude standardized terms and definitions, contributing to a paradigm shift from prioritizing how wine is expected to taste to experiencing the artfulness threaded throughout the process. Jarad encourages a younger generation of the “wine-curious” in their capacity to support small growers and businesses, instead of large companies who churn out bottles by the millions. After listening to Jarad, you’ll be inspired to enjoy the fruits of the labor of artists like him.