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William was born in Oklahoma, a dry state! So when
the Navy took him to California he enjoyed wine for
the first time. He probably appreciated it more at
that time than those who grew up with wine.
After his
stint in the Navy, William continued his studies in
both technical and liberal arts at The University
of California Berkeley, Stanford and French Universities,
where his courses covered such diverse subjects as
Greek philosophy, particle physics, music theory,
and electronics. Turning to business, he headed his
own telecommunications company, which was involved
with international business.
Leticia
was born in Pueblo, Mexico where she finished her
college degree and then met William.
After
marriage, William and Leticia traveled and studied
abroad, finally adopting France for a part time residence.
For a number of years they maintained a Louis XIV
Chateau in the Vesle Valley near Reims in Northern
France. The two spent time at French Universities
concentrating on their shared interest, French literature.
They also enjoyed the many wines found in the different
regions which they visited, eventually gravitating
to the fine Bordeaux reds and Montrachet whites.
Not to
neglect their Spanish culture, Leticia, William, and
their young son William, spent summer months in Spain.
There they studied Spanish literature at Salamanca,
the oldest university in Spain, and also came to appreciate
Spanish wines and Zarzuela (Spanish opera).
The two
eventually acquired a weekend estate in Napa and bit
by bit got into the culture of winemaking. They spent
a lot of time studying how to best plant a vineyard.
Next came a careful 10 years of nurturing a vineyard
and finally the winery itself, underground for the
right cool, humid conditions, and with a combination
of the latest rotary fermenters while at the same
time classic oak cuves from Cognac.
Their
other important activity is a music conservatory they
founded in Napa, California. Housed in a 100-year-old
stone winery building, the Conservatory conducts master
classes in the various arts that go to make up operas.
Their annual opera workshops culminated in area-wide
“Festivals of the Zarzuela” bringing Spanish
opera to the United States. A Baroque Dance Workshop
followed. Leticia is now bringing new art film presentations
to Napa including current Metropolitan Opera productions
sent by way of the internet in High Definition.
Both the
winery and the conservatory draw upon a lifetime of
education and are part of the Jarvis’ celebration
of the things they enjoy in life.
All Jarvis
wines are produced from estate vineyards, located
high above the city of Napa, in the beautifully rugged
mountains between Mt. George and Milliken Canyon at
the southeastern end of the Napa Valley. The vineyards
are planted in gently sloping meadows one thousand
feet above the valley floor. As the cool maritime
air passes over the Carneros flats and begins flowing
into the valley, it falls about seven degrees in temperature
for the thousand feet of vertical rise. As such, our
vineyards tend to be cooler by several degrees than
the famous Carneros region! These cooler temperatures
allow a long “hang time,” permitting a
long, slow fruit maturation for maximum flavor and
concentration at harvest.
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