Each week, as regular readers know, Terroirist poses questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Jeff Morgan, one of three vintners at Covenant Wines, one of California’s few Kosher wineries.

Jeff first became interested in wine while living in Southern France and working as a musician. In 1989, he decided he wanted to start working in the wine industry — so returned to the United States, where he grew grapes and made wine for several years on Long Island.

At around this time, he also started writing about wine – landing big hits in the New York Times and Wine Spectator. And in 1995, the Wine Spectator hired Jeff as its West Coast editor.

Four years later, Jeff headed to Napa Valley — and Leslie Rudd of Rudd Winery  soon hired him to become the wine director for Dean & DeLuca.

In 2002, Jeff and Leslie found themselves in a conversation about the lack of high quality Kosher wine – so the next year, they decided to do something about it and produce their first vintage. Today, Covenant Wines has gained a reputation for California’s “finest kosher wine.”

Check out our interview with Jeff below the fold.

What is your general winemaking philosophy?

To make the best wine I can; and to make wines that reflect the terroir of the vineyards the produce our grapes.

What’s open in your kitchen right now?

Well, since I’m in a rented flat in London at the moment, I’ve been buying wines that are hard to find in Napa Valley. Picked up a bottle of Schloss Gobelsburg Pinot Noir Alte Haide 2008 (from Austria) at Harrods the other day. It was quite lovely….just a about a half glass left in the bottle!

Who are your favorite winemakers in history, through personal account, or their wines?

Tops are my two biggest mentors: 1) David Ramey (Ramey Wine Cellars), who basically has taught me how to make wine in California…showed me the value of native yeast ferments and gentle winemaking…and shaped my winemaking style. And 2) Leslie Rudd, who owns Rudd Vineyards (and Dean & Deluca). Les is my partner in Covenant Wines; he gave me the courage to start our kosher winery and has been a rock solid supporter from the beginning. Finally, there’s my East Coast wine guru, Larry Perrine, who runs Channing Daughters Winery in Sag Harbor NY. Larry gave me my first job in the wine biz as a vyd and cellar grunt on Long Island back in 1988. He opened my eyes and trained my palate. Who d’you think I call when I’m really in a (wine) pickle? It’s still Larry!

On the historical side; there’s Rashi, the  11th century Rabbi and winemaker who lived in Troyes (France). Rashi has given kosher winemakers a sense of pride in where we come from and what our winemaking heritage really is.

What new winemakers are you most excited about, and why?

David Tate at Barnett Winery on Spring Mountain in Napa Valley. He’s making kick-butt wines of great power and finesse. Great Sauvignon Blanc, too. Inspired me to make my own Sauvignon Blanc for Covenant RED C.

How do you spend your days off?

There are no days off…. except maybe Shabbos (which means the Sabbath). However, in Napa Valley we’ve incorporated activities like hiking and swimming into our daily routines. We used to windsurf in San Francisco Bay, but who’s got time for that kind of stuff anymore?

What’s the best wine you’ve ever tasted? The most interesting? 

Silly question. There is no such thing as a “best or most interesting wine.” The whole point of being a wine professional is that every day we encounter fabulously interesting tastes and challenges in so many wines.

What’s the oldest bottle in your cellar? The most expensive?

I don’t know! I’ve got these 3-deep wine shelves — and I’m always discovering new wines that I’ve forgotten for years in the back of them. Drank all my 89’s for my daughter’s 21st birthday last year. I may have a few older wines hanging about.

The most expensive wine is probably a magnum of Hundred Acre from the first vintage (2002, I believe). But it doesn’t have a label on it, because it was given to me by the owner/winemaker prior to labeling. My own wine, a 1.5 liter magnum of Covenant Solomon Lot 70 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 just fetched $6,000 at an auction in NY. I’ve got a few of those in my cellar — so I suppose that’s probably the most valuable wine down there.

If you had to pick one red and one white to drink for the next month with every dinner, what would you choose?

I wouldn’t. That’s like asking someone to eat the same food every day. Yuck.

What’s your biggest challenge as a winemaker?

Remembering that I am not in control. We can only anticipate and respond to what the grapes want us to do. 

What’s your favorite wine region in the world — other than your own?

Just had an amazing wine red wine from Ribero del Duero while having dinner at a tapas bar in London. But I love Mosel wines too. Of course, great white Burgundy is hard to top. In fact, I don’t think there’s a major region (growing vinifera) anywhere that can’t offer mounds of interest and pleasure.

Is beer ever better than wine?

Yes — when that’s what you’re craving.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

That I’m really a very nice, gentle person.

If you weren’t making wine for a living, what would you be doing?

Probably still playing the saxophone, which is what I used to do for a living.

How do you define success?

When you wake in the morning and you feel good about the upcoming day… and that happens most days. I’d say that’s success.