James Jelks chases a finite resource: California's old, mixed-planting vineyards, the kind that link today's drinkers to the state's winemaking past. From a base in Santa Cruz he turns that fruit into wines built for pleasure and ease.
Backstory
Born in Santa Cruz and raised in Davis, Jelks founded Florez Wines in 2017. He came to the label after the UC Davis viticulture and enology program and a decade of cellar work that took him from Burgundy to New Zealand, returning home with a technically informed but low-intervention point of view.
The Region
Florez is centered on Santa Cruz County and the broader Central Coast of California. Jelks prioritizes local sourcing and champions old, mixed-variety sites, which he sees as both a historical link and a vanishing resource worth protecting.
Vineyards and Farming
He farms his own organic, dry-farmed vineyards and supplements with fruit from organically and sustainably farmed growers. Dry farming is a guiding principle: by withholding irrigation he pushes the vines to root deeply, producing more resilient plants and grapes with concentrated flavor.
Winemaking
In the cellar the approach is hands-off and old-world in sensibility. Jelks ferments with native yeasts, adds no additives, racks carefully but never filters, and ages without sulfur and on the lees, reserving just a touch of sulfur at bottling. The wines aim for purity and drinkability rather than power.
The Wines
The range spans whites, skin-contact wines, reds and field blends, including an Edelzwicker-style cuvee. The bottles are recognizable for their labels: Japanese-style woodcut designs created by Jelks's friend, tattoo artist Drew Nelson.
