AJA Vineyards
I had the opportunity to visit AJA Vineyards about two weeks ago with my fellow intern Hannah, and I am here to give you a glimpse into the experience from my point of view. Here is my day at AJA Vineyards as an intern!
As you may know, AJA Vineyards is located in the serene Santa Monica Mountains and is a family-owned estate winery. When we first arrived, Hannah and I were taken on a tour of the three vineyards. We started with the Miracle Vineyard and then explored Eds’ and Pamela’s Vineyards. The vineyards were breathtaking. We were able to visit in the prime months of the year, when the leaves were bountiful and green, bearing bunches of vibrant green grapes about to experience verasion.
The vineyards were teeming with life, not just from the lively leaves and green grapes, but also from some friendly visitors. I loved seeing lizards scurrying past us as we explored. In addition to the lizards, red volcanic rock was scattered around the vineyards, as the Santa Monica Mountains are home to the red and pink sedimentary sandstone.
Hannah and I had the opportunity to produce new photos for the AJA social media pages and for the website. Photography has always been a passion of mine and using photos to market a product is such a powerful tool. The photo at the beginning of the blog might be my favorite photo taken at the photoshoot. I love playing with lighting, symmetry, and composition.
I think lighting is vital for a good photo and can help distinguish a more professional looking photo from a less professional looking photo.
When taking the photos, we wanted the wine to be the star of the show. We created simple, aesthetically pleasing images that showcased the Malibu wine through specific lighting and angles. All of the photos were taken on the charming estate.
We also had the opportunity to sit down with Amanda after our tour and photoshoot to try the new Eds’ Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. We were able to experience the zesty notes of grapefruit and green bell pepper. We paired the wine with the Trader Joe’s Havarti Cheese with Dill to complement the green notes in the wine. The creamy cheese was ~dill~icious and paired perfectly with AJA’s Sauvignon Blancs.
We also learned about the elements of wine pairing and discussed complementary versus contrasting pairings. In complementary pairings, the food and wine will share similar flavors which amplifies these shared flavor compounds. For example, a wine that is sweet will be paired with a sweet dessert. In contrasting pairings, the food and wine will have opposite dominant profiles which balances out the different flavors. For example port wine with blue cheese.
Though the property is not currently open to the public, we’re well under way in building up our tasting room. More information will be coming soon so make sure to sign up for our mailing list to get all the info!
Cheers!
Courtney