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Meet Charron O’Brien.
Charron is our amazing harvest chef who is completing her final internship for NECI with us and for this we are thankful.
Just a few of the dishes we’ve enjoyed so far…
chevre + arugula salad with peaches, fresh picked blackberries + local hazelnuts
steamed mussels in pinot blanc
salmon + baby bok choy
charcuterie plates
happy employees
View more photos and updates on harvest via the Anne Amie facebook page.
Thank you Charron!
The harvest crew has been busy picking and Jason and Thomas have been busy with their babies. Congrats to Viticulturist Jason Tosch and his wife Aimee on the birth of their first child, beautiful little Olive Tosch. And not wanting to be outdone, Thomas is proud to announce the birth of his garden beast – the banana squash baby. Congrats!
Flanked by Winemaker Thomas Houseman (L) and Viticulturist Jason Tosch (R), the crew toasts the 2009 vintage over pinot noir picked from our Justin-Grant Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountain AVA.
Below are freshly picked bins of Muller-Thurgau from our estate property.
Like robins returning in Spring and geese flying overhead in long, trailing V’s in Autumn, there are signals that nature sends us that the seasons are changing. At the winery it is the appearance of the illusive, white Bravo truck. When it glides up the hill, we know it is bottling time. And, soon after, with our tanks and barrels emptied again and ready for more wine, it is time for another harvest. Our webcam is up and running. Please feel free to click on the photo below and watch us as we put the absolutely amazing 2008 Cuvee A and Willamette Valley Pinot noirs into bottle. And, keep and eye on the cellar webcam, because the Bravo truck will soon depart, and the cellar will be scrubbed stem to stern, followed by the first pick of the 2009 season. It’s what we live for here in the cellar all year long! Bring on autumn! Let the grapes appear at our threshold! It wouldn’t be harvest without bottling!
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Sounds like a good name for an Irish Pub band, but it’s actually just Thomas, Tammie and Andy.
They have been bench trialing the new “Rubies” port-style dessert wine the last two days and I happened to walk in on the final tasting.
How convenient.
Cheers,
Ksandek
Music: Earl & The Reggae Allstars
Dancing: Ksandek Podbielski
Making fun of Ksandek’s Dancing: Julie Armstrong
Guests:
Food and Paul Murphy’s Kitchen Crew:
The Menu:
Appetizers:
Dinner:
Dessert
Sunset:
Bonfire:
If you missed it, hopefully we’ll see you next year.
If you are reliving the fun, then thanks for being there. It was a lot of fun.
Cheers!
Ksandek
It feels really good to get on board with a good cause. It feels even better when the folks behind that cause are able to organize a great event like this year’s Rose City Wine Opener. The Oregon chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation puts on this event each year to raise awareness and funds for their mission of curing and controlling cystic fibrosis.
To learn more about the great work being done by the Oregon chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, please visit http://www.cff.org/Chapters/oregon/
For Career-Day in 8th grade I shadowed the Weatherman at News Channel 8, a local cable news station, in Northern Virginia. I actually had no interest in being a Weatherman. I was interested in film and television, and that was as close as I was going to get in the ‘burbs of D.C. I learned a lot from my Out-To-Work-Day experience; like how a green screen works, and what a news room looks like, and how two-way mirrors are used to prompt text onto the camera so that the broadcaster actually stares right into camera lens and appears to be speaking directly to each viewer at home. Yes, that’s right, there is nothing written on those papers they keep straightening out in front of them. The most important thing I learned, however, was that for every one person you see on camera, there are easily twelve behind the scenes. That’s twenty six total hands for just the two you see.
Blogging feels like a small sliver of that experience. It’s summer, the weather in great, we’ve got tons going on at the winery and instead of blogging a rerun I’ve decided to run a clip-show highlighting some of this summer’s events so far.
If you feel like you’re missing out, don’t worry. We’ve still got a lot happening through the end of the summer and on through the rest of the year. I hope you enjoy looking through these small tastes of the “best-of” the last month or so here up on the hill.
June Wine Club Party
“enjoying the wines and the view” “A hawk circles our estate vineyard”
Oregon Pinot Camp
“Learning about Oregon Wines”
Flicks ‘N’ Flights Movie Nights above the Vines
“First we watch the sunset” “the lanterns lead the way”
“Just like what it sounds like…a great movie, on a big screen, above our vineyard” Come join us for the August 14 screening of “Princess Bride”
International Pinot Noir Celebration - Dinner
Clockwise from top left: - Wines being poured - Chef Maegen Loring and her crew working their culinary genius - Chehalem- a brie-style cheese from Beroldingen in Sherwood (go find them!) – Honey-Coriander Glazed Duck Breast with Morels.
IPNC Vineyard Tour and Seminar
“Jason talks vines and dirt”
“IPNC guests taste through a selection of Pinot noirs under the arbor”
Anne Amie Supports a Great Cause-
The Morrison Kids Wine-Dinner at Lovely Hula Hands
Clockwise from top left:
-Recognizing the great work Morrison Family Services does – Cuvée A Rosé on the back patio – Cuvée A Rosé with Olive Oil Poached Albacore, Haricots Verts, Olives and Heirloom Tomato – Guests learning about their next course.
Learn More about the difference Morrison Family Services is making here.
I hope you’ve enjoyed surfing through this clip show. Check out what else is happing this summer here at the winery.
Cheers,
Ksandek
I have just left Little Rock and the Capital Hotel. It is bittersweet, in that I have other stops on my journey through the South, but I could easily settle in for an extended stay at such a wonderful hotel with such an excellent staff. Two people specifically are to thank for their hard work and attention to detail- the two Lees. Lee Richardson is the executive chef at Ashley’s, the crown jewel for dining in Little Rock, and his counterpoint front-of-house, Lee Ingold, is the maitre d’. Collectively they run a tight ship- by ship, I mean restaurant.
It was my third trip to Little Rock, the first being the Emeril fundraiser, when I first was able to experience the wonderful skills of chef Lee. The night after the fundraiser chef Lee sat me at a table and, without a menu as a guide, food started arriving and kept coming, course after amazing course, until I literally could not take another bite! It was right then, in my food stupor, that I hatched the idea of a wine dinner at Ashley’s. It took a few years to materialize, but here is the menu and some photos from the dinner. If you’d like to see more photos from the dinner check out Ashley’s kitchen blog.
As you can probably see from the photos and from the tenor of my post I have a soft spot in my heart for Ashley’s and much of it has to do with the two Lees and their wonderful staff. That said, the entire experience at the Capital Hotel from the moment one arrives is one of polished calm. Thanks to everyone at the Capital Hotel. I’ll be back!
But I have to blog about Amrita. And, I promise I will not insert anymore bi-valve jokes (though I LOVE the 80’s fish song. You youngsters should click for an education about REAL music. Old-timers can reminisce.).
Speaking of reminiscing, I am going to tie two very divergent thoughts together-1970’s Chesapeake Bay, VA and the 2007 Willamette Valley, OR. Bell bottoms meet Gore-tex. What is the common thread?
Oysters.
As a child I'd trek to the mucky flats of the Chesapeake Bay at low tide in search of oysters. Briny. Earthy. Sharp as razors. I’d plod out into the mud flats, the sticky ooze tugging at my Keds. I’d lug back misshapen conglomerates of shells, filling my rusty red wagon with muddy clods of oysters. I'd then head back home, a wagonload of dripping salty brine behind me, and my mom would help me clean the oysters and so we could steam them.
The seaweedy smell of streamed oysters brings me back to my childhood no matter when or where I smell it.
Oysters.
Amrita.
Oysters.
Anne Amie.
Congratulations Anne Amie on three wines
in the top 20 for the
Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition
and the 2007 Amrita for being a winner!
Oh yeah, that’s because we do have new wines!
May 17; Wine Club Exclusive Pre-release
We had such a great time at the Wine Club Pre-Release Event! Twice a year we sneak preview our upcoming new releases to our wine club members before they are available to everyone else. Not only do we pull new releases, library wines, and limited release wines, but we also like to share some of favorite food parings for each wine.
There was a lot to feel good about at the party; the weather was incredible, Chefs Jan-Marc and Barbara Baker paired some delicious and beautiful food with each of the new wines, and then there’s that. The new releases are just stunning. Everything from the new 2008 Muller Thurgau and Amrita to our Midnight Saignée and the award winning Pinot Gris was on hand for sampling. I even snuck a few bottles of the 2008 Winter’s Hill Vineyard Pinot Gris from the cellar to share with everyone. This is a beautiful reserve style Pinot Gris that was barrel fermented to give it some extra depth and structure.
The highlight of the tasting was without a doubt the brand new 2006 L’iris. This is our first release of a reserve level Pinot Noir and with two 91 point reviews it’s a great way to get started. But we didn’t leave it to the critics to tell us how good the L’iris is, our wine club members enjoyed the chance to see what this decade-worthy wine tastes like at first release.
May 23-24: Memorial Day Weekend Open Cellar Experience
We did something a little different this year. Instead of the usual station to station tasting in the tasting room, we opened up our cellar and created a self guided tour for guests to see how we work through the different areas and stages of production. There were, of course, more wonderful wines to taste including new releases and food pairings that we’re still craving (even after eating it for two days I’m still hungry for Barbara and Jan'-Marc’s Chicken and Mango Wantons).
Following the tour and tasting in cellar, guests were invited to hang out in the tasting room or out on the patio, taking in the spectacular view and enjoying perfect weather.
Thanks to everyone who came out for either (or both) weekend. It was a pleasure sharing our new releases for Spring with you. I hope to see you at the next event.
Cheers,
Ksandek
Yamhill-Carlton District AVA Open House; April 25, 2009
I’ve been thinking about dirt quite a bit lately. In the park near where I live, I recently saw a child pick up a handful of dirt and bring it towards his mouth, only to have his mother flail out her arms in protest,“ Tim, don’t eat that!” she followed in a softer, more composed tone, “it doesn’t taste good.” As they walked past me to leave the park I could hear his mother mutter to herself that, “this is just a phase. It’ll be over soon.”
On the 25th of April, almost 500 people tasted the dirt that we’re so proud of here in Yamhill-Carlton. I don’t mean that our guests actually tasted the dirt, but instead, had the opportunity to study the terroir of our AVA by sampling wines from our district. The coarse-grained, ancient marine sediments native to the area are among the oldest soils in the Willamette Valley and produce wines of depth, nuance, and distinction that reflect the characteristics of these soils.
We opened up our cellar, and setup 25 wineries along with food from La Rambla, Nick’s Italian Café, Joel Palmer House, and Cuvée. A handful of Yamhill-Carlton AVA growers were also on hand, armed with soil samples and maps to explain what makes this area so interesting for Pinot Noir and winemaking. Participants had the chance to talk to winemaker’s and growers for an intensive, all-day crash course in Yamhill-Carlton District AVA wines.
It seems that every child goes through a stage like Tim. For some of us, however, it isn’t just a passing phase, but an interest that gets reawakened later in life. Thank you to each of the wineries that joined us, and to everyone who came out to taste our terroir. Here’s to tasting the earth in which we plant our vines, and to understanding what that means for the wines we drink.
Cheers!
Ksandek
People often ask what inspired me to become a winemaker. And, inevitably, the story, no matter how it starts, always comes back to this tree. You see, every morning when I raised the blinds in my apartment in Astoria, Queens, this was my view of the world. If the tree had no leaves, I knew the wait for the subway would be bracing. On a day like today, where young leaves are popping out on trees all over New York City, I’d probably open the window to let out winter’s stale air and breathe in Spring-exhaust fumes, car alarms and all. If there was a full canopy of green, then I knew summer was upon New York, with all the languor and humidity that comes with warmer weather. And, if the leaves on my tree were turning golden, it was my cue to head to Central Park to walk amongst the palette of Fall colors that are so fleeting in the City. This tree was my one true connection to all things natural. It was a barometer for the passing seasons, and likewise, my time in New York.
It was from this vantage point that the seed for winemaking was planted. It was in the kitchen of this apartment, whose very window faced this tree, that I started brewing beer. I was in this kitchen that I fell in love with the science fermentation. It was on the stove next to this window that many experimental batches of beer were brewed- some good, some great, and some….. well, some exploded! And, in time, it was from a tiny table next to the window, with this tree as my only witness that I started scribbling a list. On that paper I started to list the pros and cons of my life in New York.
I knew I loved dance. I loved moving through space and the challenge of creating new dances. I relished performing for audiences, feeling their energy from the dark void at the edge of a lit stage. I dearly loved traveling and experiencing new places, even on the tight schedule and budget of a dancer. And, as I mentioned already, I was falling in love with fermentation.
The other side of the list contained what I was missing in my life. At the top of that list was a series of things related to nature- sunrises and sunsets, seasons, stars, and growing things. There were many more items on the list I am sure, but I can’t recall them anymore.
From that list came the first nebulous notion of making wine. After a trip to California visiting wineries and looking into wine schools, I came back to Astoria and started the process of untangling myself from New York. It was a summer day when I loaded all my belongings into my VW bus-all under the shade of the tree outside my window. That was the last time I saw that tree until today, almost 10 years from the day I packed up and drove away to my new life making wine.
A decade later I am making wine in a place I truly love, working with wonderful, creative people who believe in the wines we are crafting. I have witnessed some amazing sunrises and sunsets in that period of time. I have traveled the globe learning about and making wine. I am extremely happy with my decision to uproot myself from dance and transplant that artist into the arena of winemaking. The things on the list I enjoyed about dance- being creative, making people happy, traveling and learning, and lastly, fermentation, have all become an essential part of me “the winemaker”. As I sit in a Greek cafe’ in my old neighborhood in Astoria, drinking rich creamy coffee and eating sticky, crispy, cinnamon and pistachio-infused pastries, my mind drifts to the view from my new home- Anne Amie Vineyards. I made the right decision ten years ago. Enjoy the view from outside my window now!
I’d like to say I wasn’t worried when Tim said he knew how to shuck oysters, but I did have my doubts. Nevertheless, we decided to go with it. Fresh shucked oysters to pair with our 2006 Pinot blanc was a pairing too good to pass up. And I have to give it to him, he was almost as good as the pairing itself!
For those of you who made it out to the winery for the pick up party, this will be a nice little walk down memory lane. For those of you who could not attend…the food was terrible and you didn’t miss a thing…
(Meghan beams in awe of great the new 2007 Cuvée A Pinot noir tastes)
We paired the 2006 Pinot blanc with fresh shucked Fanny Bay oysters and a champagne vinegar mignonette. The new release 2007 Cuvée A Pinot noir is amazing, and it paired really well the white bean and smoked ham crostini. I’m really excited to have had the chance to share this wine with our guests. Just for good measure I also opened up some 2007 Chardonnay, a tasting room exclusive, and a few bottles of 2002 Rainbow Ridge Vineyard Pinot noir from the library. Once we gave it a little time in the decanter, it really showed its staying power. By the end of the afternoon people’s palates were ecstatic with the selections and I think it’s safe to say, everyone had a great time.
Thanks to Meghan, Alisha, Julie (even with an injured foot), Danielle, Tim, and Sarah for all your hard work to make this event so much fun for everyone who attended. More importantly, thank you to all of you who came out and let us show you how we like to party.
Cheers,
Ksandek
This past Saturday we hosted our I Heart Oregon dinner, along with Jason Barwikowski of Clyde Common, David Nemarnik of Alloro Vineyard, and Chris Berg of Roots Wine Company. The idea for the dinner came about because Oregon celebrated its 150th year of statehood on Valentine’s Day and we felt it was appropriate to celebrate our love of this state we all call home. But for me, this event was really much more than just a winery dinner.
My first introduction to Clyde Common came a few years ago, when Jason Barwikowski was our featured chef for an early summer dinner we hosted shortly after I joined Anne Amie. I remember Jason’s kitchen crew being excited about one of the dishes they were plating; Oregon coast sardines, with cracked picholine olives, and fleur de sel. I was equally fascinated by his use of finishing salt as I was impressed by the camaraderie he seemed to inspire in the kitchen. A lot of caterers seem to just hammer out the service, and really appear to be “at work”, but here was a crew that was making beautiful food, and enjoying working with each other.
Clyde Common strikes me as a distinctly Oregonian restaurant. Jason’s dedication to local ingredients and flavors, combined with traditional culinary techniques, create an approachably adventurous experience. So it was a no-brainer to have Clyde Common prepare the food for our celebration of all things Oregon.
Working in wine country has also given me the chance to meet some very talented winemakers (one of whom I work for) and vineyard owners. There is a sense of camaraderie within the industry that is unique to Oregon. I first met Chris Berg at the Yamhill-Carlton AVA Open House we hosted last year. He’s got an easy to like, down to earth personality, and is passionate about making wines that reflect their Oregonian origins. David Nemarnik owns and operates Alloro Vineyard and also shares our passion for crafting artisan wines to enjoy with the incredible culinary bounty Oregon has to offer.
The fact that we’re in this industry alongside passionate winegrowers like Chris and David, and that creative and talented Chefs like Jason and the crew at Clyde Common can turn the incredible local bounty our state has to offer in a spectacular meal are just a few of the reasons why I love Oregon. Thank you to everyone who attended the dinner, and to my crew here at the winery for all your help and hard work, I’m glad I was able to share. Here’s to 150 years.
Cheers,
Ksandek Podbielski
Director of Hospitality
Portland’s winter can stretch on like wet asphalt, with no discernable horizon in sight. Like the Inuit, who have numerous words for snow, we in the Pacific Northwest have a vast lexicon for rain. When I feel that underneath my layers of Gore-tex and fleece I am sprouting vestigial gills, I yearn for a place in Portland where the cement skies of winter do not loom overhead like a tenement ceiling. I yearn for food that seems to be filled with light- flavors that transport me south, across the equator to the Southern Hemisphere. For there it is summer when the light is at its most anemic here. And, like Portland in the summer, I imagine sidewalks lined with cafes. Humanity milling about. Guitar music drifting from an open door. Laughter spilling onto the street.
I grew up on Florida’s panhandle, just blocks from the ocean. In our backyard, like most others in our neighborhood, we had citrus and bananas. I spent the time I wasn’t required to be in a school room at the shoreline, fishing and mucking about in the water. Light filled every crevice. Heat radiated from every surface. Sand could be too hot to cross to make it to the tepid water of the Gulf of Mexico. Getting to the water’s edge often required literally running a gauntlet of scalding beach.
There is a part of my cellular makeup that yearns for heat, for sun, and for the fresh, “alive” flavors of summer- of my youth! The tang of a fresh fruit puree, the buttery richness of avocado, the crunch and pleasing texture of fresh vegetables are what I desire most in the doldrums of winter. The place I go to rescue me from myself is Andina, in Portland’s Pearl District.
That’s exactly where I headed recently to escape flurries of snow and the unseasonably cold winter we have had this year. A brisk walk from my truck brought me to the entrance of Andina. I opened the door to a heady blend of cinnamon and cilantro, of laughter and chatter. I slid into a booth, joining others for a meal. Looking out the plate glass window I watched light spill on bundled people tracing the steps I had just made as I dashed by minutes before. Inside the amber-hued restaurant I enjoyed the view of winter through the glass.
A round of “entradas” later, the table was overflowing with color. Every dish was a distinct study in both texture and flavor. The crunch of jicama, zing of lime, buttery yucca, briny ceviche , a sweet-tart sauce of tamarind. Each bite offered new tastes and textures and led to feeling of respite from the shades of grey outside.
This matched with a superb wine list makes Andina one of my favorite restaurants in Portland, both summer and winter. Wine director and sommelier Ken Collura has assembled a wonderful assortment of food-friendly wines from around the globe. On my most recent visit I had to see how our 2007 Amrita paired with the food on the table. Amrita’s bright citrus and lean minerality was enhanced by the food on the table and vice versa. For the price of round of entradas and a few glasses of wine everyone at the table was treated to a little bit of summer in the middle of winter.
Congratulations to Assistant Winemaker, Andy Gribskov, and his wife, Jill, on their beautiful new baby girl!
Welcome, Molly!
It’s that time again! Pallets of empty bottles are stacked and waiting to be filled. Our wine is in tank and ready to go into the empty bottles. The boys from Bravo Bottling have rolled into town in their shiny trucks and we’ll be labeling our 2007 Cuvee A and 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot noir this week and all our 2008 white wines next week! The webcam is up again and we’ve moved it closer to the action! If you liked the episode of “I Love Lucy” where all sorts of mayhem broke loose, then you might HAVE to make Anne Amie your station for the next few weeks while we bottle and label. Click on the photo of Lucy and Ethel to take you to the webcam. Remember, our webcam only works with Internet Explorer and you must have your pop-up blocker turned off! Aside from that all you have to do is open a bottle of Anne Amie, kick up your feet, and watch us do all the work! What could be easier? See you on the bottling line…..