WINERY HISTORY
Founded in 2017 by the trio of Kyle Jeffrey and (now) husband-and-wife duo Brad and Miriam Jonas, Minus Tide is the realisation of years of friendship and assiduous effort. Having met a decade prior while studying at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, the three spent their student nights dreaming of a winery amongst the towering old-growth redwoods and dense fogs of Mendocino County, where Brad was raised. Graduation took the trio in different directions, with Kyle working harvests across the world before moving to New York to manage Discovery Wines, eventually relocating to his home state of California to further his winemaking career. Brad also travelled the vast expanses of the world’s viticultural regions, working harvests in Australia and New Zealand before returning to Anderson Valley to embark upon his own career in California winemaking. Miriam spent years working in – and directing - special events and public relations for some of the States’ most acclaimed wineries, honing her invaluable skills in the business of wine.
In 2015, the decision to collaborate on a single barrel of Malbec from Alder Springs would kickstart the story of Minus Tide. Having produced wines each vintage since, and having shifted their specialty to cool-climate Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay, the trio have marked themselves as ones to watch in California's ever-expanded wine scene.
The spirit of Minus Tide is deeply rooted in their name. A reference to the extremely low tides of Mendocino County, which reveal the hidden gems of the ocean, Minus Tide seeks to reveal the hidden, vinous gems of Mendocino County.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
Specialising in the creation of elegant, balanced wines revelatory of the distinct, coastal, and rustic vineyards of Mendocino, the trio behind Minus Tide have rooted their project firmly in the land they call home. Working exclusively with sustainable and organic vineyards – the majority of which are dry farmed – Brad, Miriam, and Kyle source distinct fruit characterised by high natural acidity, intensity of flavour, and cool climate balance. In the cellar, minimal intervention practices are key, yielding stunningly refreshing wines of unrivalled purity, delicacy, and intrigue. Highly reflective of site and terroir, each wine is a sort of vinaceous love letter to the land of Mendocino.
Working out of Toulouse Vineyards & Winery cellar in the idyllic Anderson Valley (where Brad is chief winemaker), Kyle and Brad – with help from the deft palate of Miriam - produce only 600-700 cases per year. Prioritising quality and earnestness over quantity and standardisation, these are highly site-specific wines that perfectly convey their terroir. Focused on the production of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Carignan, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, each cuvée reveals the distinct cool-climate and oceanic influence of Mendocino County.
GRAPE VARIETIES:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Carignan, Chenin Blanc
IN THE PRESS:
Wine & Spirits Top 100 Awards 2023: Top 100 Winery, Best Syrah, Best Buy
"I’m happy to recommend to you the latest Syrah release from the tiny boutique producer Minus Tide, who has managed to get ahold of fruit from one of the best Syrah vineyards in California. The Valenti Vineyard is high on Greenwood Ridge, roughly 6 miles from the Pacific at the western edge of Anderson Valley in Mendocino. Planted in 1998 it has made some of my favorite California Syrahs for many years. This one, made by Brad Jonas and Kyle Jeffrey, has a feral intensity that will appeal to anyone who is looking for more than just polished fruit in their glass." - Alder Yarrow, Vinography
"It’s so exciting to discover new producers making serious, kindly priced wines anywhere, but especially in California where they have been relatively rare...[o]ne is Minus Tide, producers of a series of exciting Mendocino wines grown close to the Pacific coast and named after a particularly low tide there that is great for gathering seafood, I’m told. I’ll be writing about these wines and the trio behind it in a big survey of new-wave California wines I’m planning." - Jancis Robinson