About
Jus Jus is the first ever low-alcohol, sparkling verjus, now available in two variations: Jus Jus Day (3.5% ABV), and the slightly drier, boozier Jus Jus Night ( 7% ABV).
Made from organic grapes in the style of a Pét-Nat, Jus Jus is fermented with wild yeast and has no added preservatives or sulfites. Jus Jus is the first low-alcohol sparkling verjus.
The tang of a sun-ripened kumquat, the heady aroma of honeysuckle in bloom, and the bright snap of a Bosc pear, set afloat on dainty, champagne-like bubbles. Serve chilled on its own, or as a spritz.
Jus Jus is a collaboration between Julia Sherman of Salad for President and natural winemaker Martha Stoumen.
Jus Jus is currently sold out online. Please contact us directly if you are based in Los Angeles and would like to purchase.
“An effervescent drink that’s everything the zeitgeist asked for.”
“A stunning low-alcohol sparkling wine from an artist and a natural-wine maven heralds a new kind of party drink.”
“Jus Jus smells like wildflower honey and fresh lilies, and tastes like the juicy drippings of orchard fruit, balanced, with plenty of pert acidity.”
JUS JUS: DAY 2021
Jus Jus: Day is a natural blend of tart, organic Chardonnay from Hawkeye Ranch In Redwood Valley, CA, and aromatic, organic Muscat blanc from First Generation Farmers in Contra Costa, CA.
Lightly fermented in the style of a Pét-Nat to reach just 3.5% ABV, Jus Jus: Day has one quarter of the ABV of your average sparkling wine, with no added sulfites or preservatives.
JUS JUS: night 2021
Jus Jus: Night is a blend tart, organic Chardonnay from Hawkeye Ranch In Redwood Valley, CA, with aromatic, organic Muscat blanc from First Generation Farmers in Contra Costa, CA.
Fermented in the style of a Pét-Nat, Jus Jus: Night has one half the ABV of your average sparkling wine, with no added sulfites or preservatives.
How it’s made
Verjus (pronounced vair-ZHOO) translates to “green juice.” Early in the growing season, farmers prune the vines of excess grapes and press the fallen fruit to produce a fresh, tart juice that–unlike wine–is never fermented. Verjus has been used as a more delicate substitute for lemon in French kitchens since the middle ages, and more recently, it’s complex acidity has made it a treasured ingredient in the world of high-end cocktails.
Jus Jus is a playful twist on traditional verjus. We take that green juice, tame it with a splash of ripe Muscat blanc, and ferment it ever so slightly, to create a unique, low-alcohol sparkling beverage perfectly suited to your festive brunch or week night get together.
Our Story
Julia was cooking on a vineyard while on her 2017 book tour when she eased the cork from a bottle of verjus and a curious fizz materialized. A lightbulb went off in her head: the volatile juice, with all its natural yeasts and sugars, had accidentally fermented in the bottle, making it lightly alcoholic and refreshingly effervescent. She downed the entire bottle.
Piqued by a subtle buzz, Julia was determined to recreate this happy accident. But winemaking is serious business! She would need the right partner.
All signs pointed to Martha Stoumen. Stoumen’s improvisational approach to winemaking lends itself to the creation of a product that defies definition — once fermented, Jus Jus is no longer verjus, but with such a low ABV, it can’t be classified as wine.
Just weeks after their first cold call, Martha and Julia met at 5am in a parking lot in Sebastopol, California. They drove North to Ukiah where they picked 1,000 pounds of dry farmed, organic grapes by hand and pressed them the very next day. Six months later, they had the hangover-free bottle of bubbles worthy of any fête.
JULIA SHERMAN
Julia is the creator of Salad for President, an evolving publishing project that draws a meaningful connection between food, art and everyday obsessions. This online platform serves as a springboard for events, collaborations and public programming. Sherman’s cookbook, Salad For President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists, was published by Abrams Books in Spring 2017; it is a compendium of inventive vegetable recipes, and Sherman’s intimate meals with exceptional people.
Sherman, and her writing, have been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, T Mag, Domino, Art in America, Modern Painter’s, Triple Canopy, Cherry Bombe, The Paris Review, Martha Stewart, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, amongst others.
MARTHA STOUMEN
Martha is the woman behind Martha Stoumen Wines, a label founded upon the desire to recapture a farming and winemaking culture of patience and respect for the terroir. For Martha, wine sets the pace and rhythm of the winemaker’s life, rather than the other way around.
After her initial exposure to grape farming and winemaking in Tuscany, Martha began a series of apprenticeships, sandwiched around a Master's at UC Davis. Martha’s wine is a cult favorite amongst the natural wine enthusiasts. She has been featured in Bon Appetit, Sunset Magazine, goop, Vogue, Food & Wine, Milky Mag, SevenFifty Daily, The Thirty, Punch, Esquire, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
