The Northwest Wine Anthem

Friday Find, May 17th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:28:00 +0000

I studied Philosophy in college and graduate school and was particularly drawn to the work of Martin Heidegger. I think though the further away I get from my academics the more caught up in the rat race I get. His concept of Dasein or being in a uniquely human way is an important one to keep in mind. For Heidegger, this Dasein or way of being is one that acknowledges it's not forever and having confronted one's own mortality allows us to better understand the importance of the time, interactions and relationships we have, both with the world and with one another.

So, without getting too "heady" I mean we should do more of those things we say we'd like to do more often. I don't mean work out, or eat more leafy greens although we should do that too, but I mean just spending the day with friends. Taking a break from the rat race, going to see people in person we haven't seen in a long time and we wish we'd see more often.

We don't have forever.

This week's Friday Find is a wine we should drink more often, and there's not tons of it out there. Famous in the Loire's Muscadet region is the grape Melon de Bourgogne. My homeboy Jameson Fink wrote an ebook about it for beginners, you can check that out here. The perfect oyster wine, which is another thing you should do more often, eat oysters, Melon is known for it's complexity, owed to it's time on the lees. With this wine the 2010 Roots Melon de Bourgogne from Deux Vert vineyard you get a departure, no lees leads to a lot of crisp lemon zest and apricot aromatics. A fruit forward fresh Friday Find that you should do more often. $18 bones for a change up is a small price to pay. You can find the Roots wines at Wholefoods and at some select small wine shops in Seattle.

Ump & Coming, Oregon's Umpqua Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:56:00 +0000

The Umpqua Valley is probably one of Oregon's least known wine producing regions. Oregon's reputation for wine production has developed largely around the northern climes of the Willamette Valley and it's sweet spot for the cooler climate varietals that do so well in Burgundy, most notably of course, Pinot Noir.

At the state's southern border with California a climatic zone in the Rogue and Applegate valleys sees Oregon producing an array of different wines including Rhone and Bordeaux varietals as well as a concentration on Zinfandel.

Where does that leave the Umpqua Valley? Well, somewhere in the middle. Both geographically and in terms of what it's producing when it comes to the region's wines.

The Umpqua, which includes Oregon's newest AVA, Elkton provides a range that you won't find in either the Willamette or the Southern Oregon AVAs. The climatic variability of the AVA is perhaps best illustrated by the region's two best known quality producers. At the southern tip of the AVA you'll find Abacela, with a focus on Spanish varietals and known for their Tempranillo. At the northern end you'll find Brandborg winery, and winemaker Terry Brandborg in the aforementioned Elkton.

In between, a budding wine region grows.

Anchor Points for the Growth of a Wine Region

Down towards the southern end of the Umpqua is one of Oregon's most visually compelling wineries. The newly expanded Abacela is the culmination of a love story. Earl and Hilda Jones' love affair with Spanish wine, particularly that of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. That pursuit led the Jones' from Dallas. Texas to Oregon, and what they targeted as perhaps the most perfect climate to grow Tempranillo. Earl's pursuit helped in part by perhaps the only person in the region who has had a greater impact on the local wine industry than Earl, his son Greg who's a climatologist at nearby Southern Oregon University.

Abacela has helped to put the Umpqua Valley on the map in recent years. And through the use of geological and climate mapping, Earl made a very scientific decision to land in the dry and hot southern reaches of the Umpqua, where his Tempranillo has taken root.

Up in Elkton, Terry Brandborg at Brandborg Winery is crafting high acid white wines like Riesling and Gewurtztraminer as well as Pinot Noir in the cooler and wetter climate of Elkton. The Umpqua Valley is actually home to the first Pinot Noir planted in Oregon. Richard Somer planted Pinot in 1961 some four to five years before the grape was planted in the Willamette by David Lett. Hill Crest Vineyards however is a fair bit farther south and truthfully, Elkton is probably a much more suitable location for Pinot Noir. Elkton's proximity to the Pacific means the maritime influences keep the air temperatures cool, but it also sees a very dry growing season similar to the Willamette Valley.

Terry landed in Elkton after leaving a successful career as a "garagiste" winemaker in California's Bay Area. He and his wife Sue planted 5 acres of vineyards on a parcel that surrounds their home.

These two established talents serve as reliable anchor points for a region and have demonstrated it's capability for producing fine wine. The development of the region as a whole however is still a work in progress.

Growing a Reputation

The Umpqua Valley has a bit of rugged beauty to it. For those of you mostly used to the verdant green hills of the Willamette wine country, you'll find something similar in Elkton but the rest of the valley is far more arid and all of it is scenic. A culmination of sorts in both the Cascade, Coast and Klamath mountain ranges, as well as beautiful rivers that cut through the valley.

New wineries are cropping up throughout the Valley and vineyard planting is accelerating For many years the region has been a supplier of Pinot Noir grapes to the larger Willamette Valley wineries particularly in cooler years. This has been particularly true of much of the Pinot grown in the warmer transitional climate zone of the Umpqua where it's a fair bit warmer than Elkton. (Picture a bit more fruit forward Pinot Noir, more California stylistically than Willamette Valley.) If the fruit is good enough for some of the Willamette's big boys it certainly will be good enough for a growing number of Umpqua producers.

In between the Pinot from Elkton and the Tempranillo from the southern end of the AVA there is a good deal of quality Syrah and Grenache, the latter a real potential standout, though it can be a struggle to ripe in cooler vintages.

For the Umpqua Valley part of the challenge is building their own future, and the Southern Oregon Wine Institute, hosted at the local community college is a part of that growth. Capturing local talent and continuing to attract those looking to break out of more established regions in either California or the Willamette Valley. The program at SOWI offers viticulture and enology programs as well as wine marketing certifications. The institute comes with a world class modern production facility and allows for hands on learning and hopefully will stoke the passion of some home grown talent.

The Umpqua also has it's challenges. It's a sparsely populated area, so unlike the Willamette Valley where there is an enormous local market in the Portland metro area, the Umpqua will need to rely heavily on marketing outside of the region to both develop that reputation and frankly, to sell the wines.

It's a big region and you could argue that it's size may make tourism challenging at least a tourism that solely emphasizes wine. The region's outdoor offerings, and scenic beauty make it far more than a one trick pony. Nearby Crater Lake and world class fly fishing as well as what looked from my perspective to be fantastic road and mountain biking options.

There's work to do for the Umpqua Valley, both in terms of raising the overall wine quality and profile, as well as figuring out how to market such a wide ranging region. There are a lot of wineries that are producing hybrids like Baco Noir, some relying on them heavily. And the case being made is that they're popular in the tasting rooms, but they're not necessarily raising the profile of the region, or the winery producing them. Additionally, an emphasis on marketing and packaging could benefit the greater region, where many of the labels tend towards quaint or sentimental. The region has potential however and people that you find easy to root for both in the wine community and the region in general.

(On a visit I took there, I was hosted by the Umpqua Valley at the C.H. Bailey House, a bed and breakfast just outside of Roseburg, I'm not the kind of guy to use the word cute to describe anything, but for this place I'd make an exception. I also subsequently washed my phone which was loaded with photos so I've pilfered these from the internet.)

Friday Find, May 10th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:44:00 +0000

I don't necessarily understand or appreciate this idea that there are magazines dedicated to people who do different jobs than most of us and are largely better looking than the average American. Movie and television personalities whom, based upon there ability to act are somehow fawned over. The same holds true for athletes, and now people who are famous for nothing except being on a reality show, at most.

I have varying theories as to why our culture idolizes celebrities. I think mostly it has to do with the fact that we think they're better than we are. Otherwise why would they get to live such "glamorous" lives? And ultimately we're not happy with who we turned out to be. There is an entire industry, built upon the entertainment industry that wants us to believe just that. If we only buy a certain pair of jeans or a particular car we'll be more like Brad Pitt, or Gwyneth Paltrow or some other celebrity. I don't really know who is "hot" right now. I'm out of touch.

It is to this end that you'll never find me asking someone for their autograph, or taking a photo of /with them. I think there are probably exceptions I'd make if I felt a particular connection with someone. A professional cyclist, or Hines Ward perhaps. But largely, I don't really care all that much.

On Sunday of this past week I was at the airport in Pittsburgh flying home to Seattle with my soon to be two year old daughter. It was just the two of us. We were sitting on the floor trying to eat a sandwich and people kept stepping right over us, and were nearly standing on me. This went on for about 15 minutes. When the smoke cleared it was clearer why. (There was no real smoke mind you.)

An older guy was sitting in one of the chairs, waiting on his flight to LA, it was Martin Sheen. After everyone went back to their seats and things had calmed down, he looked at my daughter and said "How old is your little girl?" This began a conversation between the two of us that lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. We talked about my kid, his four kids and what I did for a living. I asked him what brought him to Pittsburgh and he told my daughter, though I'm not sure she cared, that she had the same birthday as one of his boys. "That Estevez guy." At the end of the conversation we simply left on our separate flights, but I was impressed with this guy. I thought he was a good actor, though I've never seen the West Wing, actually the only thing that comes to mind for me is Apocalypse Now. But I appreciated how much he spoke to me, just like a regular guy, how nice he was to my kid a lot more than any of that other stuff. Most people I know who meet celebrities typically tell you what jerks they are in person. In the case of Martin Sheen, nothing could be further from the truth.

Today's Friday Find is an under-appreciated wine here in the Northwest, but really, worldwide. Grüner Veltliner. Maybe it's because of the umlaut. Or maybe it's because rather than in the renowned vineyards of France where many of the most "glamorous" wines find their origin, Gruner comes from places like Austria and Slovakia. But make no mistake, Gruner sings with food and it's fruit forward palate and zesty acidity makes it fun to drink along. The 2012 Estate Grüner Veltliner from Raptor Ridge comes from their Tuscowallame Vineyard. It's loaded up with citrus notes of lemon zest and lime and along with a touch of stoniness it brings in great acidity. You can order direct from Raptor Ridge here, and at $20 it's a nice way to bring your friends around to a few new, not so celebrity wines.

Washington Wine Icon: Red Willow Vineyard

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

In 1973 Mike Sauer planted Cabernet Sauvignon in a little three acre plot that would become Red Willow Vineyard. What grew there, in addition to the wine grapes, was a world class reputation on the western edge of the Yakima Valley and a substantial piece of Washington wine history. While the Yakima Valley celebrates its 30th year, Mike Sauer has been working that parcel of land for about 40 years.

There is no vineyard in Washington state that is so readily identifiable, and so visually iconic as Red Willow. Atop a bluff sits a beautiful and stoic stone chapel erected to honor the memory of a family friend, Monsignor Mulcahy. The chapel was created from stones that were uncovered in the cultivation and expansion of the vineyard.

The hallowed ground on the western limits of the Yakima Valley has seen the growth of the reputation of Red Willow over the years, supported by the work ethic of Mike Sauer and his son Jonathan. David Lake's 1979 vintage was his first in Washington, it was then that he began his relationship with Mike; the two of them would go on to make history. In 1981 Lake would make the state's first vineyard designate wines, from Otis, Sagemoor and Red Willow vineyards. Lake recognized very early the quality of the site the Sauers planted and farmed.

In 1984 Lake approached Mike about the possibility of growing Syrah, and the two of them went on to plant the first Syrah in the state of Washington. What has become perhaps the state's signature wine grape got its roots both literally and figuratively at Red Willow in 1986.

Over the years as the wine industry in Washington has grown, Red Willow has stood the test of time, and has even grown in stature. The relationship with Columbia Winery has been a long standing one, many Washington and Oregon winemakers have come to Red Willow for fruit and you'll find Red Willow vineyard designations on some of the finest bottles produced in the Northwest.

Red Willow fruit goes into some of the most sought after wines from Owen Roe, including a Chapel Block Syrah and Cabernet from that block Mike planted in 1973. General Manager Jeff Farell gushes over the Sauers, which is a common thing when talking to winemakers and wineries about working with them. "The Sauer's are a pleasure to work with. Their steadfast character and staunch ethic are reminiscent of a bygone era when a farmer's fiber was not just judged solely by the caliber of the yield. We are fortunate in that we have had many opportunities to collaborate with, and learn from the Sauer family through the vintages. Our gratitude, and likewise our relationship, strengthens and deepens, as we continue to focus on the Red Willow Vineyard."

For Avennia winemaker Chris Peterson Red Willow's soils and contours produce fruit that is just about perfect for the nuanced and complex wines he's hoping to craft. This is owing to the topography and geology of Red Willow, along with how long those vineyard blocks have been around. "The great thing about Red Willow, for us, is that the steep grades and somewhat poor soils tend to create lower yields, giving us great concentration and depth. Also, since the vines are older, we get the varietal typicity and complexity that we are really looking for. In other words, the fruit remains restrained and in balance with the non-fruit complexities—especially sweet Bordeaux herbs in the Cabernet, and an espresso powder or mocha note in the Merlot. "

For the Washington and the Yakima Valley it's one of the industry's long standing gems. A combination of the right people, and a specific place. What began with what Mike Sauer called his "youthful idealism and enthusiasm shared by a relatively small group of industry members" has become important and iconic. The interesting thing is that this is just the beginning, as Jonathan Sauer said "Yakima Valley may be the oldest appellation in the State, but in many ways it seems that we are only beginning to discover our potential."

Eight Bells 2010 Clonal Block Syrah. Red Willow Vineyard. Absolutely stunning wine aromatically, lots of gamy notes, black plum, dried violets and smoke, the flavor profile is classic with tangy black cherry and a tapestry of savory herbs and meaty flavors. The wine is full bodied and richly textured. The wine is a balance between elegant and masculine with it's floral aromas and balance and depth of flavor and full mouthfeel. Fantastic. $32

Friday Find, April 26th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:39:00 +0000

I had a college professor who once told me that there were only X number of original plot lines, and they were all told by Shakespeare, everything since has been a redux. You can argue that even Shakespeare's yarns were re-tellings of ancient Greek tragedies told by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

As most folks know, the modern Shakespeare is Steven Seagal. He has woven those tales of betrayal, folly, adversity and glory into a modern day tapestry of ass whooping, bone breaking and poorly timed quips. None the less, it's hard to argue with his genius. Just for safety's sake.

I used to think I knew what made a good story until I became a father. My daughter's current favorite story is the book Bee Wigged. It's a tale about a bee named Jerry, he's enormous, so large that it really is off putting. Frankly, it freaks people out. Jerry wanders around dejected until he finds a wig lying on the sidewalk.

The wig changes Jerry's life. He becomes the most popular "boy" in town, until a windy day leaves him exposed. I won't ruin the end for you but frankly, I never saw this stroke of genius coming, and I'm sure it won't be long before it's co-opted by Steven Seagal and turned into a movie where Jerry is actually a paunchy middle-aged, pony-tailed guy who goes around seeking vengeance for something. And people are going to get hurt.

Today's Friday Find is a story about a place where you might not expect to find Pinot Noir. Oregon's Umpqua Valley is a large AVA and at it's northernmost point you'll find the new Elkton AVA. Scott Henry has been growing and making wine in the Umpqua for a long time, dating to 1978. The vineyard location for Henry Estate is more towards the middle of the valley, in a somewhat transitional climactic zone. The wines they're producing are largely cooler climate varietals, Pinot Noir and mostly crisp white varieties. At $18 this "Oregon" Pinot is a bit of both "worlds" aromatically it's very fruit forward, almost akin to a California Pinot in terms of the sweet cherry elements, the palate of the wine though brings you back to Oregon. It's a light bodied Pinot Noir with early season blackberry and raspberry flavors, a touch of spice and very prominent acidity. A surprising plot twist.

Do the Clothes Make the Man? Northwest Fashion Meets Italian Wine at Blackbird

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:12:00 +0000

From Emily Popp:

When was the last time you paired your wine with your outfit? Some of you may do this with an innate sense of culture and style. Others? Not even close. Those who make a conscious effort are few and far between, but fashion and wine pairing is a more seamless match than you might think.

I was welcomed through the doors of Blackbird, a men’s fashion shop in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio crafted at the estates of Castello di Gabbiano. Winemaker, Federico Cerelli, jumped right into conversation, telling me about his run early that morning, the tour around the US that he would continue on over the next week, and of course, his lifestyle as a Tuscan winemaker.

Small groups and individuals gathered in the shop for the debut of spring’s hottest looks—and a taste of the wines that go with them.

Tailored men’s clothing, in primarily stony hues, hung neatly from racks along the walls. Scarves and ties sat rhythmically on wooden tables. The occasional magnum—decorated with the iconic knight on horseback—became a focal point among the neatly folded jeans and men’s fashion accessories.

Soon the murmuring, meandering crowd amassed behind tables where flights of wine awaited; the show would soon begin! Frederico Cerelli inquired first, of the crowd’s opinion of the music he selected. To his mock-disappointment, not one had heard the particular Italian musician before. He then told us of Castello
di Gabbiano’s historic winery, picturesque castle, and how he fell in love with Tuscany’s signature grape, Sangiovese.

“It’s good, it’s good. Drink, drink!” Cerelli recalls his grandfather’s encouragement. He was just 9 years old at the time—his first glass of Sangiovese in hand. This was the crop of his family’s land, both respected and enjoyed on a daily basis for children and adults alike.

Beyond the rich history, Cerelli aims to cut through the fabric of modern times and craft wines especially for the young and aspiring professional. When he’s not making wine, he travels the world to gain insights from chefs and consumers, asking chefs what types of wine they want to pour, and asking consumers what flavors and profiles they enjoy most. “After all,” he remarks, “I can’t drink all the bottles myself.”

The fashion of the evening took on a similar theme. Outfits were styled for the young professional; that individual who is on the brink of his career and passionate about culture and the luxury of quality materials. Here exhibits the similarities and companionship of fashion and wine. Just like we dress for the occasion, we select wine for the occasion.

Blackbird’s Creative Director, Nicole Miller, shares her tips for selecting outfits and wine for three different types of events that you might find yourself attending this spring.

Take, for example, your backyard barbeque. Gabbiano’s fresh, fruity and dry Pinot Grigio is the perfect sipper for this afternoon affair. In struts Aaron, wearing Foss Tugger Chinos in fir, made from dense 100% Japanese cotton twill, a mahogany belt with a hand-cast buckle and a checked plaid top. Miller tops the outfit with a grey sweater tied on the shoulders for a fashionable and functional solution to Seattle’s chilly spring air.

Now it’s Wednesday; your favorite wine bar awaits. What to swirl and wear? Fill your glass with Gabbiano’s Riserva Chianti. Ripe berry notes and a hint of cocoa will break up the week and take off the edge. Sipping this Sangio, you’ll want to look casually put together. Miller recommends a contrast collared shirt buttoned to the top, blue pants, and a one button notch jacket that is described to exude “humor, inventiveness, rebelliousness, and highly advanced tailoring.” What more you could ask from a Wednesday night?

Finally, let’s talk formals. Some might argue that your choice of wine and fashion are most critically measured at an aristocratic event. In such cases, the reserve wines will do supremely. We were presented with two tastings for the upscale soirée: Bellezza DOCG and Alleanza IGT.

Bellezza is 100% Sangiovese from the finest blocks on the estate vineyard. It displays a statuesque nose of ripe raspberry and berry notes complemented with French oak nuances. It was smooth in mouthfeel with silky tannins, bright acidity and a lasting elegant finish.

Alleanza was crafted in the new world style. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine exhibited bold ripe fruit alongside notes of fresh basil and pepper. This wine is both complex and refined.

Nicole Miller makes her pairing with an icon in mind, “The ultimate to us is this James Bond look.” Beautiful wool and double vented, this suit is the epitome of charm. A classic and clean white button-up is complemented with a modern slim
black tie.

Layers, textures, tradition and impression, Gabbiano and Blackbird’s fashion and wine pairing event demonstrated that fashion and wine have long had a love affair. From barbeques to formal events, the two attend in tandem.

Do you have tips for selecting the right wine for the occasion? The right ensemble? Please do share!

Soos Creek: 2010 Coming Out Party

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Soos, not Seuss. From Lucha Vino:

David Larsen has been making wine commercially at his Soos Creek winery since 1989. For the first seven years he made a single wine focusing on quality. In 1996 he released his second wine, Sundance. Now, with the release of his 2010 vintage David delivers 6 top notch wines for all of us to enjoy.

Soos Creek recently released their 2010s and I was able to attend the release event and you'll find my impressions of the new releases below.

Sundance

This is the Soos Creek everyday wine. It is the final wine made after all the other blends have been completed. Don’t let that lead you to believe this is a cut rate wine. The 2010 follows in the footsteps of preceding vintages and over delivers on the $20 price tag. This vintage features grapes from Champoux and all the other top vineyards that David works with.

The blend is 50% Cab, 31% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc. The nose is showing dusty currant and candle wax. The palate is savory with currants and black cherry that lead to a finish featuring rich espresso bean tartness.

Palisade

The Palisade is merlot focused. The blend is different each vintage and this year features 89% merlot and 11% cabernet sauvignon. Character of black cherry and smooth light hints of earthy all spice and a touch of bitter cocoa. This wine is ready to drink right now.

Artist

The Artist is a Cab Franc focused wine. Each year features a label by a different artist. David’s son’s art has been featured several times. The 2010 features a label by American Abstract Expressionist, Herman Cherry

The blend is 49% Cabernet Franc, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. The nose shows clean dark cherry and herbal spices that add some lavender and violet notes with some air. The palate is a bit darker with black cherry and earthy spices leading to a dry pepper spice finish.

Ciel du Cheval

A single vineyard designate wine. The blend changes with each vintage to achieve the style that David feels best expresses the terroir of the Ciel du Cheval vineyard. The blend for 2010 is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot.

The nose is showing dark berries with savory light smoky sandalwood character. The palate is featuring dark berries, clove spices with a touch of menthol on the dry barrel spice finish.

Champoux

This is also a single vineyard designate wine, featuring 100% of the grapes from the Champoux vineyard which is located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The blend for 2010 is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Dark currants. earth, candle wax and some funk on the nose with a similar palate that adds in some tannin inspired spices and a dry semi-sweet chocolate finish.

There will not be a 2011 release of the Champoux single vineyard designate from Soos Creek due to major vine losses suffered at Champoux in the winter of 2010. Grab what you can of the 2010 because the 2012 will be extremely limited.

Commander Comet

The Commander Comet is 100% syrah and the 2010 will be the last vintage for this wine. David made the difficult decision to discontinue his Syrah in order to focus on new blends and vineyards beginning in 2011.

This Syrah is dark and smoky with notes of dark cherry, light smoke and cracked pepper on the palate. The finish includes spices and floral notes.

What's Next?

Look for some new wines from Soos Creek in the coming vintages. The quality of David’s wines have helped to open doors and gain access to fruit from several other top notch vineyards in the state. We will probably see another (different) single vineyard designate wine released in the near future.

All of the 2010 Soos Creek releases are drinking well now. The Sundance and Palisade are the most approachable and ready for immediate enjoyment. The Ciel, Champoux and Artist are all showing nicely now and show signs that they will continue to improve with time in the cellar.

The Commander Comet is showing the familiar notes of a hearty Washington State Syrah. Enjoy it now along with the Sundance and Palisade. These three Soos Creek wines will help keep you distracted while you let the Ciel du Cheval, Champoux and Artist Series relax in your cellar.

You will not be disappointed, regardless of when you choose to open the 2010 Soos Creek Vintage. David Larsen has delivered another high quality set of wines that will drink wonderfully for years to come.

Friday Find, April 12th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find". By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are at or under $20. We might also mean, "Hey, you really need to go find this", and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending, we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.

I believe strongly in the work smarter, not harder mantra. In fact, when you study worker productivity it's interesting what the corollaries are. They're hardly ever intuitive.

Contrary to what we might think, mindless internet surfing actually makes us more productive. What's interesting is that this company, SpectorSoft has developed a tool to make workers less productive but they sell it as making them more productive. Bizarro land. We're still never far from snake oil salesmen.

There are several varying speculations out there about what makes people more or less productive at work, exercise sleep, coffee and creative play. Companies like Google often have "game rooms" and the like set up for their employees, the thinking being that their best thinking might come doing something completely not work related.

In an effort to work smarter, not harder today's Friday Find is riding on the coattails of Full Pull Wines offering this week of the Kevin White wines.

I first got to try the wines Kevin is making last year at a tasting with Sean Sullivan, and tasting them with several other Washington wines at the time his Syrah, En Hommage really stood out. It was floral, elegant and loaded up with minerality in a way that had it standing toe to toe with some of Washington's big names, and much, much bigger price tags. I took this picture that evening of my stand outs, I stand by that assessment to this day. As you can see Kevin's Syrah is flanked by the Betz Cabernet and the Waters 21 Grams. These are bigger wines, both in flamboyance and in price. I thought the KW belonged in the shot if only because it distinguished itself in terms of elegance, acidity and fruit, much less oak and not quite as ripe and round as many of the other wines.

Kevin's new releases just hit the street and they're as good, and there's two this time and not just one. The prices are still at $20 and under, which is absolutely insane for a wine this good, and there's so little of it. For Kevin it's about paying his dues, when I talked to him at Taste Washington this year and asked him about pricing his response was full of humility. "Well, I'm new, and nobody knows me yet, so it doesn't make sense to me to price the wines too high."

That's refreshing.

The 2011 wines are well worth checking out and they're a steal. The deal is if Kevin keeps this up these won't always be under $20 gems. They're much more wine for the money than you'll get nearly anywhere, so get some. Get a bunch if you're the kinda person who buys wine a case at a time, but definitely get a bottle or two because you'll be supporting a good guy who's an up and comer. Kevin still has a day job. Check out the Full Pull Wines offer here to order yours.

Phelps Creek Vineyards: Oregon Wine, French Twist

noreply@blogger.com (Megan) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:27:00 +0000

With such great progress happening in the Portland urban winemaking scene, and the usual spotlight on the Willamette Valley, it’s all too easy to forget about the many wineries and producers in the Gorge. A short hour east of Portland proper we can find a similar, slightly nuanced wine country with just as much exploring to be done!

Phelps Creek Vineyards runs their tasting room on the Hood River Golf Course, with the vineyards not too far away in Hood River, Oregon. Owner Bob Morus relocated his family to the Gorge in the late 80s and planted the first Phelps Creek vines in 1990. For years, PCV supplied grapes to Willamette Valley wineries until 2002 when they began bottling wines with the Phelps Creek label. They currently produce wines using their estate-grown grapes, which truly utilize and exude the Columbia Gorge terroir they were harvested from.

In 2007, Bob was introduced by a mutual friend to Alexandrine Roy, a fourth generation winemaker from Burgundy, France of the Domaine Marc Roy. Alexandrine was touring the Gorge AVA with a group of French winemakers prior to attending the International Pinot Noir Celebration that year, when Bob asked Alexandrine if she would join the Phelps Creek staff to make a Cuvee of their Pinot Noir, which she has been doing since. With their 2012 vintage, Alexandrine becomes the Director of Winemaking for Phelps Creek and will oversee all aspects of their production. She visits 4 to 6 times per year to check in on the progress of the grapes, and finishes bottling wines in France just in time to come out to Oregon for harvest at PCV.

Phelps Creek recently hosted a wine dinner for their Wine Club members during one of Alexandrine’s regular visits. Alexandrine and Bob anecdotally introduced each wine alongside food pairings at Nora’s Table, a quaint location in downtown Hood River. Chef Kathy Watson spent time with each of the PCV wines to develop the six-course menu, each course more inventive and delicious than the last. While incredibly difficult to narrow it down, my favorite wines and pairings of the evening have me hooked and excited about the future of PCV wines…

Coeur de Roy Blanc de Noir – this crisp white Pinot Noir was a new, and might I add successful, experience for Alexandrine. Paired with prawn fumet, grilled prawns, saffron spaetzle, romesco crouton “dunker.”

2010 Cuvee Alexandrine Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir – wonderfully bright on the palate for pinot noir, this wine was made from use of grapes with thicker skin, and vines with deeper roots, truly isolating unique features of the Gorge terroir. At the time of the dinner only 18 bottles were left of this vintage! Paired with provencal lamb shank, olives, parsley, preserved lemon, roasted Saur Farm Red Norland potatoes.

Vin Dore Gewurztraminer – this wine, a perfect complement to a sugary dessert, was made especially sweet by cranking the heat on the grapes and nearly turning them to raisins for concentrated sweetness before pressing for the juice. Paired with panna cotta, pistachio meringue, candied kumquat, pineapple and sage.

I was able to snag Alexandrine during her visit and get some of thoughts on her experience thus far making wines in Oregon…

How is the Gorge different from Willamette Valley?

Alexandrine decidedly notes a different kind of “perfect” acidity in the Gorge, which has higher altitudes and longer maturation periods than the Willamette Valley experiences. The climate in the Gorge, specifically the wind off of the Columbia River, cools and controls the sugar levels in the grapes grown there.

What new things are you getting to do making wines in Oregon?

With winemaking so heavily regulated in France, experimentation is hardly available to winemakers. Alexandrine was excited to try her hand at the Blanc de Pinot, and generally about the prospect of purposeful experimentation. With the Blanc de Pinot she was able to choose the grapes and use them to make this specific wine – the wine was not an afterthought of another bottle.

How would you compare the wines you are making here in Oregon to wines you make in France?

“I don’t compare, they are completely different!” says Alexandrine. She finds she cannot make this comparison with such different controls in place. She notes what truly stands out in the Oregon wines she’s making is the strong expression of terroir, and significant flavors that take new and exciting turns than as expected.

Alexandrine finds the wine world in the Pacific Northwest welcoming and very community-oriented, and is excited to continue her work with Phelps Creek as their Head Winemaker. Bob Morus expects Alexandrine will continue to drive their emphasis on spontaneous fermentation during the winemaking processes, making serious use of the flavors and acidity the elements of the Gorge provide the grapes.

Phelps Creek Vineyards currently offers tours on-property in addition to their tasting room and Wine Club activities. Visit them here.

Friday Find, April 5th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:22:00 +0000

Everyone loves a mystery, right? Whether it's the butler in the bathroom with the candlestick or whatever the case may be. A good case of whodunit can make for at the very least, fun conversation. In the wine world there are two things that come to mind when the word mystery wine is mentioned, Garagiste and then these varying mystery labels that we find lying around, at grocery franchises mainly. Whole Foods has one, Costco has one, Trader Joes pretty much only has them. These labels are often lucrative opportunities for wineries and winemakers to often sell off sub par bulk juice. By sub par, I don't mean that it's bad, perhaps its just not up to their exacting standards. Often times, and many point to Costco as examples, the wines are fantastic and offer an amazing value. I've never had the Costco stuff but this is what I've been told.

My issue with these labelings, if I have one, is the mystery behind the wine. The blend or varietal is typically labeled and honest, but where did it come from? Who made it? What were the vineyards, etc? There's not a lot of information there, and when you flip to the back page, or label, as the case may be, the story never really comes to a conclusion. Sometimes a google search will lead you somewhere, but many times, it's just further down the rabbit hole.

Today's Friday Find is one of those wines. I have to say, I was shocked at how good the wine was drinking, the 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Savoureaux. Savoureaux? Like a French thing, according to Dictionarist.com it means: adj. tasty, savory; toothsome, pithy; palatable. Nice, toothsome. I like a toothsome wine. A little digging on the interwebs and I found out where Savoureaux came from, more or less. Mostly less.

Cultavin Cellars, the folks who produce this wine is a distribution company that carries the wines of Solena Estate. Excellent wines made by Laurent Montalieu. Cultavin it turns out is the distribution but NW Wine Co seems to be the production company. So perhaps the wine comes from the Hyland Vineyards? Who knows? Thus the mystery. They do custom crush there as well as some brand packaging, like this wine I suppose. It's a nice wine, but for consumers who want to know more, perhaps it's more confounding than anything. Certainly, when you think of the importance of site for Pinot Noir, this wine does nothing to keep that concept intact. For me, I wouldn't typically buy a wine like this, too much is unknown, but someone brought one to my house and frankly, the 2011 Pinot Noir from Toothsome, er, rather Savoureaux is out of sight.

Today's Friday Find is a bit of a corporate one, as I believe these Toothsome labels, I mean, Savoureaux were done for Metropolitan Market. This wine is the entry level, there is also a reserve bottling. The 2011 is super fresh with brambleberry fruit, great acidity and tons of minerality which I don't typically expect to find in a wine in the $14 ballpark. But hell, buy it if you like it, because it's a great house wine for everyday drinking.

Bringing Sexy Back, Syrah Too: The 12th Annual Sexy Syrah at Salty's April 10th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:51:00 +0000

It’s time for the 12th annual Sexy Syrah event brought to you by David LeClaire of Wine World & Spirits and Tim O’Brien of Salty’s restaurant.

Are you Syrah curious? Or are you Experienced? Either way, Sexy Syrah is the place for you on Wednesday April 10th. This is the evening to fly your freak flag and celebrate Washington's latest fling.

Syrah is Washington’s current Love Child. What!? Yep, Washington Syrah is getting plenty of love these days and Salty’s on Alki is hosting your opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. Sexy Syrah is the Washington Syrah Love Fest on the shores of Alki Beach from 6 – 9 PM on April 10th.

You will be able to taste Syrah from 35 Washington Wineries all in one place. One of the things that makes Washington Syrah so seductive is the distinct character delivered by each of our 13 AVAs.

Are you looking for something bold and brash yet down to earth? Check out the Syrah from the Red Mountain AVA.

Maybe you prefer something a bit more shy, coy and hard to get. If so, then you should check out the cooler climate Syrah from the Yakima Valley AVA.

Or maybe you are like Elvis and are searching for a hunka, hunk of burnin love. For you, there are lots of choices from the Walla Walla AVA.

There is literally something for every taste at this year’s Sexy Syrah event. And we haven’t even talked about the food yet. You are in for a treat with offerings from Salty’s Executive Chef Jeremy McLachlan. Jeremy is going to challenge your senses with Blackened Cod Fajitas, Mini-Chinese Pork Buns, Alaskan Halibut Cakes and Chocolates galore.

Sexy Syrah is offering up an amazing array of Syrahs and delicious food. Get your tickets now. This event is sure to sell out. Don’t be left out in the cold while the party rages on. Get in the mix and explore the wide variety of Syrah Washington has to offer. And go over the moon as you discover how these wines pair up with some amazing food.

Tickets for the event are $45 with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit FareStart.

Read event details, including a list of the wineries, and purchase your tickets here.

Hold on tight, Sexy Syrah might just be the ride of your life!

Columbia Gorge Passport Weekend; April 12 - 14th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:05:00 +0000

From Kelsey Ivey

The Gorge is the gateway to the Columbia River and also the gateway to a world of wine. From rich Italian varietals like Pinot Grigio, Barbera and Nebbiolo at Marchesi Vineyards to soft and spicy Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends at Cor Cellars, the Gorge’s wine country delivers signature options on both banks.

Whether you are a Washington wine fan or an Oregon connoisseur, taste your way through this scenic river valley and let your palate discover the variety of wine layers glass after glass.

To experience – and taste – everything the Gorge has to offer, head east and up river during Passport Weekend, April 12-14, 2013. Enjoy special deals all weekend long such as case discounts, waived tasting fees, special pairings, giveaways and more from the participating wineries. Welcoming in Spring, the Gorge will also be in full bloom and budding with open fruit stands and art galleries so maybe make it a weekend.

To prepare and preview the Gorge passport weekend, make your way to the Good Mood in Portland for the Portland Grand Tasting on April 8, 2013 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. For $25, sip some of the wineries’ offerings, pick up your passport and whet your palate for the weekend to come. Or if you can’t make it to the passport weekend, this is a great event to uncover some of the area’s lesser-known wineries without leaving the city.

A few wines that you don’t want to miss:

1852 The Pines’ Old Vine Zinfandel

With notes of fig, black licorice and pie spices, this wine soothes your
soul from your taste buds to your toes.

Aniche Cellars Atticus

A cofermented blend of Syrah and Viognier, Atticus is a beauty of blackberry, cheery
and a touch of Mexican dark chocolate on the tongue. The wine's mouthfeel is impressive; a full bodied coating of your entire palate.

Cor Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Featuring ripe dark fruit flavors, pie spice and long finish, Cor’s Cabernet Sauvignon
kicks back with a balance of rich and soft layers that instantly makes this a classic
dinner wine.

Mt. Hood Winery’s Dry Riesling

Dry like a summer breeze yet with a juicy sweetness, this dry Riesling flourishes
with notes of citrus, melon and pineapple. Bask in the namesake mountain’s glory while
enjoying this wine on a hot afternoon.

Domaine Pouillon’s Katydid

A unique blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsaut from the Horse Heaven
Hills hits the palate with layered tones of cassis, red fruit and pepper. Each sip
reveals more with this complex yet medium bodied wine.

Purchase your Passport for $15 online, call at 866-413-WINE (9463) or email
coordinator@columbiagorgewine.com

Purchase tickets to the Portland Grand tasting for $25 online, call at 866-413-WINE (9463) or email coordinator@columbiagorgewine.com

Friday Find, March 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:26:00 +0000

This month, the month of March has been designated Washington Wine Month. As is often the case, many retailers, dining establishments and certainly the Washington State Wine Commission have shifted a focus to the wonderful wines being produced in Washington state. Discounts, winemaker dinners and of course the events that surround Taste Washington. March is a celebration of Washington wine, but as March wraps up, that doesn't mean the party should end.

What's important about Washington and Washington wine for those of us here in the Northwest is that it's a local story. A story we should want to be a part of telling. It's a story about 750 plus wineries, and 350 plus grape growers. 19,000 jobs here in Washington and another 10,000 around the country. It's about local. Local winemakers and winegrowers, some of whom, no, many of whom are the salt of the earth. It's about some of the very finest people making very fine wine. Are there some ego maniacs and some jerks working in Washington wine? Sure, but there are jerks everywhere.

As a Washington state resident, or someone hailing from the Northwest it's an opportunity to develop relationships with winemakers, and fellow wine lovers. To commune over our local bounty. This might sound hokey, but it's real and I'm serious. Washington is still relatively small in terms of wine production when you compare it to California and you can drive out to Eastern Washington and talk to these folks, everyday folks about what they love about it. And you should.

And that's why you shouldn't let the party end on Sunday when it's no longer Washington Wine Month. You should drink wine from all over the world, maybe even California, sometimes. It helps you learn not only about what you like, but what different parts of the wine world produce so well and it can reinforce what's great about Washington. So, celebrate all year long.

This week's Friday Find is of course a Washington wine, and what does Washington do best but Syrah. The II Vintners 2010 Syrah is just about $20 on the nose and it's got a nose that is signature Washington. Gamy earthen and dark plums. There is a presence of oak but it doesn't take over the show. In terms of value it's ridiculous. II Vintners is one of those local operations over in Woodinville, winemaker Morgan Lee is doing some imaginative things and if you're not familiar you should get to know their wines.

State of the Union: Taste Washington 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:51:00 +0000

What was was over.

Taste Washington 2013 is in the books, the two day formatted event showcasing some of Washington's finest wines has come and gone yet again. Over 200 wineries, some featured vineyards and AVAs and we're talking over 1,000 different wines easily. I didn't try to taste all of them. From the looks of the crowd at the end of the day on Saturday, some folks may have. I did experience the most aggressive line from a drunken wine event attendee of all time. I believe she was Australian.

There are a lot of tasting events that happen throughout the Northwest throughout the year, but there's not really anything on the scale of Taste Washington, not even close. It is a combination of wine tasting, educational seminar, food pairing and who's who of the Washington wine and Seattle food and hospitality industry, for example on Saturday I saw Tom Douglas and Dick Boushey. See what I mean?

Taste Washington, in it's grandeur is slightly overwhelming, in terms of the number of wineries there as well as the number of attendees. To arrive at Taste Washington without a strategy is a fool's errand, and let's face it, no one likes to run errands. There's no glamour in that.

My strategy was a list of about 15 wineries that I wanted to check out, a couple that were new to me and a longer list of more established wineries that I knew would be pouring wines I had yet to try. I also gave myself the opportunity to wander around a bit and see what might "catch my fancy." Which is an expression I do not really understand.

My reactions to follow.

Syrah is Where the Sizzle's At (Again)
If you're not a fan of Syrah from Washington state then it's likely your tastebuds and olfactory senses are shot to hell. How else do you explain it? The varietal has so much to offer in terms of range. Perhaps second only to Pinot Noir in terms of it's ability to express the unique signature of the site it's grown in. Washington has a great variety of sites and growing conditions and so, boom, it's got some great Syrah. I'm actually trying to remember the last time I had a bad Syrah from Washington.

Highlights were from just about all over the state, the Chelan area vineyard designate Syrahs from perhaps the region's best producer Nefarious Cellars were really stellar, they were pouring the Defiance Vineyard Syrah and an under the table special pour, the Rocky Mother Syrah. Contrasts in style to be sure but both wines demonstrate the largely untapped possibility for cooler plantings of Syrah in Washington. From the opposite of cool sites there were excellent Red Mountain Syrah offerings, namely the Goedhart as well as my wine of the event, but more on that later. Not to be outdone of course was Walla Walla Valley. Syrahs from Tertulia Cellars as well as the Loess from Waters make a case for Walla Walla as the most aromatically captivating region of Washington.

That's New(s) to Me
The number of new wineries that rise above the standard bearers or even become part of the conversation is relatively small and speaking of small the newest Washington discovery for me was Ramseyer Vineyards. The little known Ramseyer Vineyards in Zillah, Washington has apparently already built a bit of a cult following, and has received some accolades from the press in high scores from Wine Spectator. I suppose I'm embarrassed to say I'd never heard of them. The wine (there's only one) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec. The 2009 vintage, or Vintage Five was poured at Taste but their 2010 will be all estate fruit and it'll be released in May. Tiny production size at 220 cases but certainly worth seeking out.

You Never Forget Your First Love
The winery that introduced me to Washington and frankly wine is Claar Cellars and I was pleased to find them pouring their wines at Taste. My favorite was their 2010 Riesling which had stone fruit, as well as loads of honey and was taking on the secondary flavor characters which included diesel notes. The wine smacks of German Riesling and is one to seek out. The no frills Claar Cellars, is a family operation which is parked right next to highway 82 as a kind of gateway to the Rattlesnake Hills area in Zillah.

The Return of Value
As Washington's profile has raised, so have the prices on not only it's cult wines like Quilceda Creek, Cayuse and Leonetti but a lot of the high quality, smaller producers have moved from the high $20 mark to the $40 ballpark. While you certainly wish them all the success, as a consumer it's nice to find well made wines offering a high value. This, refreshingly was one of my standout impressions of Taste Washington this year. The values from Kevin White Winery were probably the most notable, his Fraternite blend, of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah is only $20. When I asked Kevin about that his response was as notable as the wine value. "Well, I'm new, and nobody knows me yet, so it doesn't make sense to me to price the wines too high." I can't encourage you strongly enough to seek out his Fraternite and En Hommage, which is a Syrah and Grenache blend for a mere $5 more. Ryan Kerloo pulled out an under the table surprise in his Kerloo Cellars Majestic, a value priced GSM for $26, it was frankly incredible and will not last long. The For A Song wines produced by Vinum are a value beyond belief. Their 2009 Syrah and Chardonnay were both standout wines from the event and the Chardonnay retails at under $10.

Quality Across the Board
I wasn't taking tasting notes but the wines from Avennia continue to impress, and not just a little bit. I've been a fan of their Syrahs but the Bourdeaux style releases are also incredibly well made. What I like most about Avennia is winemaker Chris Peterson's commitment to the Yakima Valley. I believe it's what has made Maison Bleue such a favorite of mine. The commitment to site and demonstration of the region's potential, outside of Red Mountain as an exemplary growing region has produced some fantastic, nuanced and Old World style wines. If you're not familiar with these wines act quickly, it's a rising star.

Wine of the Night (Day)

So, keeping in mind that I did not get to try every wine; the one that I drank and was immediately taken by was the 2009 Collaboration III from Force Majeure. The winemaking team of Mark McNeilly and Mike Macmorran of Mark Ryan and some of the most sought after fruit on Red Mountain has produced a masculine Syrah that stands out in terms of it's texture and depth. Black berries and crushed stone minerality mark a serious Syrah on a day of exceptional Syrahs.

That's a wrap folks.

Friday Find, March 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:34:00 +0000

On March 7th my friend and cycling teammate Mark Bender was injured in Hawaii. He was there with his wife Sarah celebrating their 15th anniversary. While bodysurfing Mark suffered a serious spinal injury, he has gone through surgery and at the moment, has very limited feeling and movement in his body. Mark and I raced together in the Master's Cat 3s in cyclocross and we spent a fair bit of time together this last season warming up and watching his boys and his wife race before our races would begin. (Mark and Sarah have four boys.) I'm not sure what's next for Mark and his family, there is a long road ahead for them. They are people of tremendous faith and so I think that, coupled with the toughness that they all exude will hold them in good stead as Mark goes through rehabilitation and recovery. I hope that one day we'll race together again.

For me, seeing Mark's attitude and approach, has been in some ways embarrassing (I have a reputation for whining about things among my teammates; the weather foremost among them), he's not complaining, he's putting his head down and doing what he needs to do. Grateful that he's still alive and has a wonderful family and community there to support him. If Mark can do that, than the least I can do is look for the positive, brush off the small things, and keep everything in perspective. I'm very lucky, and so, I should be happy for that.

photo from Tiffany Stevens

Today's Friday Find is not a wine, but rather a coffee. Yes, I know this is a wine blog, but it's also my blog, and so I can do whatever I want, and in this case, I'm calling attention to a very special coffee. The good people at Doma Coffee outside of Couer d'Alene, Idaho have partnered with another teammate Jenni Gaertner to sell a particular coffee with all the proceeds going to Mark and his family through the end of April. The La Biccicleta is a floral and nutty roast with mocha and spice flavors. More than anything it tastes like doing the right thing. So buy a bag, for $12.50 plus shipping you'll be helping one of the nicest families you could ever have the pleasure to know. Thanks, and enjoy today. (You can buy a bag for Mark by clicking here.)

Oregon Wine: Hitch Your Wagon To A Star

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Oregon's largest annual industry gathering, the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium, wrapped up at the end of February after two days of enology, business and viticulture sessions. Guest speakers contributed from a wide range of backgrounds - CEO to scientist, vineyard owner to olfactory educator. They shared their expertise and how it applied to growing the industry's success in marketing, research and winemaking.

Oregon Wine Board (OWB) staff members summarized the positive changes and growth that occurred in 2012. Oregon wine sales increased nationally by 6.4%, exceeding the overall US wine growth of 4.7%. The Board pinpointed more about the type of consumer buying these wines by gathering some revealing information through out of state consumer surveys. Oregon wine rated highly for quality and taste, with people often willing to pay more for these wines than their typical wine purchase. Those surveyed made virtually no association with Oregon wine being mass produced. Feedback indicated that an excellent reputation is solidly established.

People are seeking out Oregon wines. Great opportunity exists in strategic distribution, and making these wines available to these seeking markets. Winery branding and marketing was a major focus during the business sessions. Wineries were strongly encouraged to develop their own websites. The OWB's Executive Director, Tom Danowski made a bold, direct statement to wineries saying "...you have to do it. You are not even in the game if you do not have a website that tells the world who you are." The OWB has completely revamped its own website. It offers an area for wineries to input their unique profile information into a searchable Oregon wine database, with the ability to link back to their own individual websites.

Another aspect of tremendous marketing potential was brought to light by Lesley Berglund, Chairwoman of WISE Academy. She focused on a three part concept: what, how and why.

What - case numbers, flavors and aromas in the wine, award winning Pinot Noir
How - family run, clone and soil type, biodynamic
Why - the personal aspect, the emotional story, purpose

With more than 21 years of industry experience, Lesley is well acquainted with many of the unique, inspirational stories of Oregon Wine's heritage. She recently spent time enjoying Oregon wine country and made some observations. She noticed tasting room staff well versed in the facts, able to explain the "what" and "how" with statistics and facts, but lacked the ability to effectively share the "why". Hearing a winery's unique story, why it is special, how the dream became a reality, is key to making a personal connection with the customer. Part of WISE Academy's focus is educating and training tasting room staff to effectively share that story with those who walk through a winery's door. There is potential for great benefit by ensuring the story is communicated effectively.

Throughout the symposium, several references were made regarding the recent abundance of positive press for Oregon wine. Robert Parker stated, "Oregon is finally fulfilling its vast potential...Oregon has come of age, something that is also reflected in the numerous articles about this idyllic region." Matt Kramer referred to those in the Willamette Valley as being in a Golden Age "creating the finest wines they've yet offered."

The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson unintentionally, yet accurately paint a picture and tell the story of Oregon wine today.

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage."

"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone."

"Hitch your wagon to a star."

Friday Find, March 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Tiffany) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:16:00 +0000

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find". By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are at or under $20. We might also mean, "Hey, you really need to go find this", and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending, we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.

The mild winter months have packed their bags and finally left town. Our collective wine thoughts can now turn to what pairs well with Northwest sunshine and t-shirt weather. The 2010 and 2011 Oregon vintages produced some stellar white wines. These bright, vibrant wines can easily induce the whitest of legs to parade around the backyard in shorts, while unearthing patio furniture in the 52 degree sun. These wines are capable of convincing the mind that a sunny spring day in Oregon is almost, almost like a day at the beach in San Diego; they're that persuasive. Is one of these lively, delicious wines, occupying that half empty bottle next to your chaise, the reason why you and your sunglasses ignore the pale goosebumps covering your pale legs? Does it really matter? The time has come for the parade of whites and rosés to march past our daffodils and into our wine glasses.

Today's Friday Find is a Pinot Gris that fits the bill for our warm weather plans. The 2011 Pinot Gris from Omero Cellars was fermented in stainless steel, a leaner style with enough roundness of mouthfeel to fill out the wine nicely. Lemon, mild melon and lychee flavor this Alsatian style wine, with all the acidity that also makes this great with food. Fruit and floral aromas and flavors are capped off with nice bit of spice.

Prior to joining Omero, winemaker Sarah Cabot spent time working in New Zealand, and at Belle Pente and Willakenzie, two highly respected Oregon wineries. Sarah's collaboration with Vineyard Manager David Moore, is proving that Omero Cellars is coming into its own. They began producing wines with the 2008 vintage. This 2011 Pinot Gris is their first with 100% estate fruit from the Omero Vineyard. The 26 acre vineyard was planted in 2009. Four acres are planted to Pinot Gris, clones 146 and 152, the remaining acres comprised of five Pinot Noir clones. The vineyard is located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, the smallest of Oregon's wine growing regions.

You can find the wine at their tasting room in Carlton if you're out and about in Oregon wine country. Their website states tasting room hours are daily from noon until 5pm. The wine is also available for $19.99 at Whole Foods Bridgeport Village and at many Portland area wine retailers. You can contact them through their website to find out how you can have your own delicious slice of sunshine.

5th Annual North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend - April 13th & 14th!

noreply@blogger.com (Megan) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 01:02:00 +0000

Save the date, Portlandia! April 13th and 14th, the North Willamette Vintners present their 5th Annual North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend - a weekend of tastings, food pairings from local vendors and restaurants, cooking demonstrations, and more! Participating wineries open their doors from 11am to 4pm for those of us out-of-towners ready to explore the North Willamette wines in a ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of way…

Pick up your tickets from the starting winery of your choice and get to tasting! Ticket tiers are offered as follows:

$45 – Full Weekend Pass!* For the weekend warrior, this gets you a North Willamette Vintners wine glass, access to all Wine Trail activities and a canvas tote for any wine purchases you make along the way.

$30 – Sunday ONLY Pass! Half as much weekend fun, with the aforementioned SWAG.

$10 – Full DD Weekend. Where would us wine-Os be without our beloved designated drivers? Be safe and bring one along – this ticket gets your DD a wine trail kit, a bottle of water and that canvas tote, for toting around the wine they’ll need to break into after a long weekend of being your DD.

*Snag your full weekend ticket before March 15^th and get $5 off your pass with the code “WineTrail5” at checkout.

If you’re feeling lucky, keep your eyes out for the Wine Anthem Wine Trail Weekend giveaway, coming soon via our Facebook page!

North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend

11am – 4pm, April 13^th & 14^th

Can’t make it to Wine Trail Weekend? The North Willamette Vintners have recently launched a seasonal, self-guided wine touring experience! The inaugural spring route kicks us off with a focus on Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in the region. A new route and different varietals will be featured each quarter – simply print out your map and be on your way!

Mellisoni: Wine and Experience on the Shores of Lake Chelan

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:48:00 +0000

From Lucha Vino:

Lake Chelan visitors are having their world rocked with the Mellisoni wine and tasting experience. Proprietors Rob and Donna Mellison know that wine can rock all by itself like a blazing guitar solo. But, wine really shines when you surround it with other elements like food, ambiance and friends. The same way a guitar combines with bass, drums and vocals to create a kick ass rock band. Engaging all your senses can take you from a Joe Satriani guitar solo to a full on rock opera ala Tommy from The Who.

Another thing that Rob and Donna know is that a mosh pit might be part of the punk rock experience, but it shouldn't be part of your wine tasting experience. They know that appreciating and experiencing wine is something that cannot be rushed. Rather, you need to take your time and truly experience the unique characters of the wine along with food, friends and all your senses. Just like a great rock band. You can have stellar guitar solos, but you need a full ensemble to put together a super group and rock the world.

Rob and Donna started hosting private tastings on the vineyard out of necessity. They did not have a tasting room or other facility to host people at their vineyard, yet they wanted to be able to share their wines and experiences. Voila! The Mellisoni wine experience was born.

Let’s rewind the tape a bit and start this thing from the top.

Rob and Donna purchased their property on the South shore of Lake Chelan with the intent of building a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Within days of their purchase closing they were off to Italy for an agri-tourismo experience in Tuscany. They never saw it coming, but that trip to Italy was literally a life changing experience.

Rob and Donna spent two weeks between Tuscany and Umbria. While in Livernano they lived and worked on an estate vineyard. Quite literally drinking in the Italian lifestyle and winemaking experience.

You could say that their senses were awakened by the time spent in Tuscany and Umbria. That awakening hatched a plan to bring the agri-tourismo experience back to Lake Chelan. That piece of property that was going to host their weekend get away was transformed into a vineyard. And that vineyard would be the place where Rob and Donna hosted people to help them experience wine, food and the beauty of the Lake Chelan valley. The Mellison’s dream is turning into reality one piece at a time like putting together a super group.

Flip the album over, drop the needle and back in Chelan the vineyard is bursting to life like the sounds of AC/DC and an Angus Young power chord blasting from your stereo speakers.

In 2005 they began by terracing the land and planning for their vineyard. Plenty of research went into determining what grape varieties to plant and then what clones to use. Rob wanted to plant red wine grapes, but the guidance was that white wine grapes would thrive on their property. The lower 2 acre vineyard was planted in 2006. Seeking inspiration from the Zind-Humbrecht wines of the Alsace region of France Rob and Donna planted the lower vineyard with Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris.

The upper 2 acre vineyard was planted in 2010 and is the home for red wine varieties including Moscato, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Barbera that will be released as single varietal wines. Then there is Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that will be blended with the Nebbiolo and Barbera to make Super Tuscan style wines.

Rob and Donna are focusing on their vineyard while learning the ins and outs of wine making. They have partnered with Katy and Milum Perry (from Tildio) to make the Mellisoni wines. In addition to being the Mellisoni wine maker, the Perrys are also helping Rob and Donna learn the details of the wine business.

When the final notes fade away and the album is done we are back to the beginning or a new beginning. Rob has big plans to turn the Mellisoni estate vineyard into a wine tourism destination. There will be a giant pool, cabanas and maybe even a chateau. I am picturing something like the scene in The Kid’s are Alright where John Entwistle takes his gold albums out on the property and uses them for skeet shooting practice.

If you are looking for a unique and personal way to experience wine you should make a plan to meet up with Rob and Donna for the Mellisoni experience. You will take part in a private three hour tasting that will feature five wine and food pairings.

The pairings are personally selected to accentuate the character of the wine and the food. Like this example: Rob pairs spicy habanero infused humus with Gewürztraminer. The dry sweetness of the Gewurtz immediately soothes the burning fire created by the habanero and lime humus.

You will feel like a rock star for those three hours. Don’t delay, make your reservations to hang out in the Mellisoni vineyard soon. The word is spreading and the dates book up in a hurry. Catch these rising stars before the rest of the world and you will be able to say “I knew about Mellisoni wine before they hit the big time.”

Bacon & Wine Pairing in Southern Oregon

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:29:00 +0000

From Corey McTaggart

Bacon imagery courtesy of Off the Bone BBQ

Did you know that when a web search for “Bacon and Wine Pairing” is properly conducted, every varietal under the sun will populate as a perfect match? Syrah, Cab Franc, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel…. The list goes on and on. America’s love for bacon is timeless, however, the foodie caliber fascination of late with bacon has created an obsession unmatched, at least temporarily, by everything but, errr, dare I say… a wine lover’s affection for all fabulous things vin?

Of course, here in the Northwest, we must put a Portland/NW Oregon/hot Southern Oregon spin on it. Our bacon, like our wine, is intentionally local (Wilbur is the name of the most recent bacon donor I partook of), raised in a free-range, organic, healthy, happy, hormone and antibiotic-free, loving environment with flora and fauna variety and Mat Kearney playing in the background.

We are also very serious about the way our bacon is prepared. Jason Sellers is co-owner of Off The Bone Barbecue and Catering in Southern Oregon and possesses more ardor for bacon than pigs do for mud. He takes pride in perfecting the fine art of bacon barbecue. “Anytime you make something with your own hands from beginning to end, the finished product brings a much larger reward.” Jason attests. “Investing my time into cooking expresses my love for those who get to enjoy the meats of our labor.” Searing, then slow grilling a slab of bacon allows the fat to baste the meat. The result looks nothing like bacon, but produces a moist (not crispy) delicious smoky pink product that will make the traditional bacon strip curl with envy.

A friend recently forwarded me an invitation for a Southern Oregon wine club event: “Cliff Creek Cellars- Bacon and Wine Pairing! We barbeque local artisan bacon in addition to legendary bacon flown in fresh from the Loveless Café in Tennessee.” DIY pairings with incredible Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Claret and a wonderful white blend resulted in some creativity and a lot of food and wine driven passion. “The biggest hits were the BLT - Bacon, cherry tomato and Rogue Creamery ‘Oregon Blue’ Cheese lettuce wraps with the Roussanne/Marsanne, and a 60% cacao dark chocolate dipped bacon paired with the ‘Cadence’ Port-style Syrah”, Roy Garvin related. Roy is among three generations of the Garvin Family who founded the vineyard and winery in the early 1990s. His mother, Dorothy, standing right beside him in the tasting room, adds “We decided on the Roussane/Marsanne blend at the suggestion of our winemaker, Joe Dobbes.” Cliff Creek crafts an assortment of red wines that are rich and velvety with a distinct hint of cinnamon on the finish well suited for a peppered or maple smoked bacon pairing.

Photo courtesy Cliff Creek Cellars

The buzz created around the bacon and wine events is phenomenal. Emails, calls, RSVPs and a flurry of excuses to cancel on prearranged plans to attend the said bacon pairing events. As a wine advocate, I make it a point to say the name of and pour the wine first when pairing to place emphasis on the wine. However, the craze of bacon (which, I am told, might just be the only substance known on earth to make a vegetarian forget his or her meatless world for a moment) prompts me to blurt out the word “bacon” even before that special vintage bottle title I have so carefully chosen to offer. Gateway meat indeed.

Truth is, I cannot say it’s a bad thing. The most fervent bacon aficionado may be next in line for the CS or MW badge, because, if one loves bacon and wine paired to the quintessential extreme, it may mean one really does adore wine that much, or that, for the very first time, the zeal for a beautiful glass of the good stuff was that much enhanced by the bacon-induced opiates connecting right now with the brain’s receptors, and what could be so wrong about that?

Taste Washington University; Now Enrolling for March 23rd and 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:09:00 +0000

To learn more about wine, you have to drink more of it. Sound good? I thought so, and lucky for those of you yearning for learning Taste Washington on March 23rd and 24th is the perfect opportunity. In fact, in the event's 16th year there has been a focus on learning for the consumer with the tag, Drink, Eat, Learn. For both the experienced and the uninitiated Taste Washington offers a an opportunity to enroll one's self in a sort of Washington Wine University over the weekend. Use the following "course catalog" to craft your own Taste Washington learning and tasting experience, and graduate with honors. (Course requirements are in bold and for winery reference please refer to the course catalog addendum.)

Washington Wine 101 (Prerequisites: NONE)

For the beginning level enthusiast enter the WW101 code into your course registration. This entry level course guides students through a survey look at the well known varieties, history and current state of Washington. Beginning with a brief history lesson start your tasting at Washington wine pioneers. Required: Chateau Ste. Michelle, L'Ecole No. 41, Kiona Vineyards and Woodward Canyon. With the history component complete move on to Washington's signature varietals. Required: Riesling from Dunham Cellars and Efeste, Merlot from Northstar and Seven Hills Winery, Syrah from Ross Andrew and SYZYGY. Students may chat with winemakers Ross Mickel about Washington Syrah and Eric Dunham about Riesling for additional credit opportunities. Upon completion of this required course students will be prepared for levels, 201, 202, 301 and 401.

Washington Wine 201: A Sense of Place (Prerequisities: WW101, students may test out of 101 requirements based on prior knowledge) Enter the WW201 code into your course registration. This intermediate level course examines Washington's diversity in growing conditions and vineyard sites. Students will be expected to taste wines that showcase Walla Walla Valley, Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley the Columbia Gorge and the Puget Sound AVAs. Walla Walla requirements: Rotie Cellars, Dusted Valley, Gifford Hirlinger, optional: Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and Tertulia Cellars. Red Mountain requirements: Col Solare, Force Majeure, Cadence Winery, optional, Cooper Wine Company, Hedges Estate and Hightower Cellars. Wahluke Slope requirements: Gilbert Cellars, Milbrandt Vineyards, Saint Laurent Estate, optional Desert Wind. Horse Heaven Hills requirements: McKinley Springs Vineyard, Columbia Crest, optional Mercer Estates. Yakima Valley requirements: Cote Bonneville, Avennia Cellars, Maison Bleue, Kana Winery, optional Eight Bells, For A Song and Two Mountain. Columbia Gorge requirements: Syncline Cellars, Memaloose optional Maryhill. Puget Sound requirements Whidbey Island Winery. Upon completion students are prepared for levels 301 and 401.

Washington Wine 202: A Sense of Place (Prerequisites: WW101, students may test out of the 101 requirements based on prior knowledge) Completion of WW202 satisfies the same requirements as 201. An advanced course on place and wine is available at Taste Washington through their featured vineyards program. Students can speak with winemakers and vineyard managers about some of Washington's signature vineyards. 202 course completion requirements: Sagemoor Vineyards, Tapteil Vineyards, Naches Heights Vineyards and Stone Ridge Vineyards. Students are expected to engage with winemakers and vineyard managers to understand the unique nature of each of these vineyards and the impact that this specific sense of place has on a wine. Upon completion students are prepared for WW301 and WW401.

Washington Wine 301: Talented Craftsmanship (Prerequisites: WW101)
This class will focus on some of the top talents crafting the wines of Washington. Students are encouraged to explore the established talents of Washington, fresh new faces and a special emphasis is placed on the fabulous women winemakers of Washington. Established Talent requirements: Betz Family Winery, Woodward Canyon, Fidelitas Wines, Januik Winery and Owen Roe. Fresh Young Fellows requirements: William Church Winery, Kevin White Winery, Cairdeas Winery, Avennia Cellars. Ladies First requriements, Chinook Wines, Forgeron Cellars, Sonoris Wines, Goedhart Family.

Washington Wine 401: Wine & Food Pairing (Prerequisites: WW101 & WW201)
Equipped with a general sense of the history, talent and capability of Washington wine students are now prepared to begin exploring the proper pairing of Washington wine and food. Taste Washington University has paired a plethora of chefs and restaurants to offer you the opportunity to practice your pairing. Pairing requirements: Seafood and white wines, Asian cuisine and Riesling, oysters and Sauvignon Blanc, steak and Cabernet Sauvignon, mushrooms and Syrah.

Post Graduate Study:
For those who have passed with flying colors post graduate work is available via the Taste Washington University seminars. Topics include Washington vs. The World, The Art of Blending, The 30th Anniversay of the Yakima Valley AVA, as well as an Introduction to the World of Wine and a Riedel Glass Tasting.

Remember folks, education is everything. Get your tickets here.

Friday Find, March 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:34:00 +0000

There are certain things that are already perfect. As a society, America has long been prized for it's ingenuity. The ability to envision an opportunity and creation or an improvement on a process or contraption to make things easier, faster, "better." When you throw around the term "American ingenuity" you think of names like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Eli Whitney.

There were certainly substantial and modern additions made by the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, not inventing whole new ways of doing things but improving upon them vastly.

There's a new way of "improvement" that we're seeing in the approach to everyday foods. I'm here to tell you that this has gone too far. The gourmet-izing of everyday eats is taking the form of fancy taco stands, burger joints and hot dog vendors and while I support those endeavors and love the creations and concoctions can we agree on one thing. Let's leave doughnuts alone.

Doughnuts don't need improvement folks. They're already delicious. The reason that people have decided to "upgrade" burgers, tacos and the like is because they've fallen on hard times. Gotten bland, boring, bad. Doughnuts? Not so much. There is nothing that captures a slice of heaven like a simple glazed doughnut. We don't need weird meat additives odd protrusions or the combination of booze in them. They're doughnuts for god's sake.

Make mine glazed and keep it simple.

Today's Friday Find is the 2010 Glaze Cabernet Sauvignon which is a bit of a second label for Ross Mickel of Ross Andrew wines. In my theme of keeping things simple and true to their identity this wine does just that. A blend of 3/4 Cabernet and 1/4 Merlot you get those chocolate and fruit aromatics that are undoubtedly Cabernet. The 2010 vintage was supposedly a royal pain in everyone's you know what, but many of the wines are impressing on release. Flavors of dusty black cherry, and measured dollops of spice make this a great everyday option at the $16 price point (I got mine at Ballard Market).

Mind the Gap: Van Duzer Vineyards

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:39:00 +0000

There is so much serendipity at play when it comes to Pinot Noir in Oregon. The foresight of David Lett and others to plant Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley not withstanding. There are geological and topographical realities that, were they not in place, the place wouldn't be quite so magical for Pinot Noir.

The conditions of the Willamette Valley are a marriage of so many elements including soils, the rolling hills created by the Coast Range and the long summer days afforded by the Willamette Valley's latitude. However, without the cooling effect of the Van Duzer Corridor all of those other elements might be for naught.

Brief meteorology lesson: Wind is the atmosphere's way of equalizing air pressure. As air warms it becomes less dense and rises. This creates a low pressure area where the warm air is rising. Areas with cold air have higher atmospheric pressure. The atmosphere naturally seeks to equalize the pressure and so the cold air moves to warmer areas.

As the Willamette Valley warms throughout the day the air above it becomes less dense, a low pressure area is created. This happens each day in the warmth of summer. Conversely, the air over the Pacific remains cold and once that low pressure zone is created over in the Valley, by afternoon, cold air rushes from the coast through the Van Duzer Corridor to cool off the Willamette Valley floor.

Cold air rushes through the corridor and temperature fluctuation can be considerable, nearly 30 degrees each day. That temperature range, known as diurnal variation can be essential to the production of wine grapes. Warm air during the day allows the fruit to fully ripen and develop flavors and sugars. The cooling down in the evening allows the grapes to preserve their acidity creating balanced fruit, and thus balanced wines.

Van Duzer Vineyards is planted smack dab at the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor and so has a front row seat to that meteorological manifestation. Their vineyard location places them in one of the coolest places within the already cool Willamette Valley. This accentuates those effects within their estate grown Pinot Noir. In 2010 they brought on a new winemaker Jerry Murray to make the most of the vineyard's potential. To Jerry, that meant tannin.

For Jerry, the Van Duzer estate Pinots were loaded with potential in the form of tannin and his charge was to begin changing the wines structure starting with the 2010 harvest. Jerry gave me a short oenology lesson on the differentiation of tannin in Pinot Noir. Tannin in wine typically comes from two sources, skins or seeds and they both produce dramatically different results in terms of how they appear in the wine. Tannin from seeds typically shows up as bitter, green and astringent while the tannin produced by skins is richer, rounder and sweet. The last bit about tannin that's important to note is it's chemical structure or lack thereof. Unlinked monomeric phenols (tannin) tend to be unpleasant, it is only through creating those linkages, and that structure that we enjoy in our wines do we get silky, textured tannin. (Thanks to Jerry for the crash course on wine chemistry, if you're interested here's a great primer from Wines & Vines.)

"My assessment was that the wines needed a tannin profile dominated by skin tannin and that the tannin needed to be given the opportunity to develop into a “structure”. This would add depth, texture and length to the wines." In order to get that structure Jerry did two things: in the vineyard they employed leaf pulling to increase skin tannin in the Pinot berries. In the production phase things were changed to get more precise control on the extraction of seed tannin. (Here's a bit more insight on how tannin extraction occurs.) "While seed tannins make minimal contributions to the tannin pool of big red wines, they represent the largest pool of potential tannins in Pinot Noir. Likely a function of the relatively low contribution of skins to total berry weight in Pinot Noir… “thin” skins."

So in their 2010 releases the folks at Van Duzer are hoping to show a new way forward. I was contacted to try out the 2010 and to compare it against the last two releases from Van Duzer. Additionally they created some very well done and informative videos to explain what they're doing to the wines, as well what great potential their vineyards offer and how they hope to maximize that. I've included tasting notes to follow, my overall impressions were that the 2010 was a pretty wine, which has largely been my experience with this cool vintage. Low alcohol levels and elegant aromatics as well as a candied blueberry note stood out for me in the Van Duzer 2010, I was also very taken with the 2008, flashy wine.

2008 Van Duzer Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir. This is a very nice wine from the 2008 vintage, showing a lot of the fruit that the "can't miss" 2008 vintage was known for with bramble berries, clove and earthen aromatics. Fantastic flavors of sweet ripe cherry and dark blackberry, a rich texture with a really impressive and flashy acid finish. A very showy wine that really delivers on both concentration and mouthfeel. $30

2009 Van Duzer Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir This wine is a bit muted aromatically but if you wait around you'll get touches of orange zest and white pepper. Tart cranberries and early season raspberries as well as a douse of spice on a fairly tannic finish. While 09 has been known for it's "drink now" status, this wine may have more to offer us down the road. $32

2010 Van Duzer Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir True to the vintage this wine is loaded with elegance in the form of floral aromatics and candied blueberry notes. Elegant sweet light fruit flavors, baking spice and faint hints of smoke in a medium bodied and very pretty wine. The structure and lithe acidity make this a presently pleasant Pinot packed with long term potential. (Man, that was some alliteration.) The first full production of the new winemaking cadre is a very promising one. $32

these wines were provided as samples by the winery

Friday Find, February 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:44:00 +0000

They say that for everything there is a season. I suppose that's true, I mean there is football season, cyclocross season, the off-season, oh, and winter, spring, summer and fall as well. There are seasonal sales, which are one of the most baffling phenomenon to me. You're only supposed to wear certain clothing items apparently seasonally. Then, I suppose you throw them away and get new ones. And we're left wondering why our economic model based on the enormous use of credit and bad debt is such a problem.

I love living in the Pacific Northwest but because of the topography and geography only certainly places really get all four seasons. And what is springtime in a desert supposed to look like anyways? Here west of the Cascades we mostly have three seasons. The summertime here is the best on the planet, really, though it can be short and the fall and spring and winter more or less run together. Things are really green through all three of those seasons and frankly if someone walked you outside in December or February or April you wouldn't really be able to tell the difference, except it's darker in December.

Growing up in Western Pennsylvania we certainly had all four seasons but what was most memorable were the fall colors. The rolling hills of the Pennsylvania put on a fall-time display that may only be rivaled by the very similarly hilly New England states. The arbiter of all things seasonal Punxsutawney Phil is also from Western Pennsylvania and is of course a famous groundhog. This makes sense of course if you're from Pennsylvania, where groundhogs are sacred. I went to college a short drive from Punxsutawney, which is actually referred to as Punxsy by those who call it home. It's not nearly as charming as it was made out to be in the movie Groundhogs Day. The coolest thing though is that driving there you pass through Home, Pennsylvania which was the setting for one of the creepiest X-files episodes ever.

Today's Friday Find is a celebration of the seasons, all four of them, which they enjoy down in Oregon's Umpqua Valley. I was recently there on a wine media visit and it's a beautiful place. Look for more on the Umpqua, Elkton, Oregon's newest AVA and many of the area wineries coming soon. The 2012 Transparency from Season Cellars a white blend of Mueller Thurgau, Muscat and Riesling. The wine definitely has loads of fresh floral aromatics and tons of bright fruit. On the palate you get a lot of lift from the wine's substantial acidity and a zing that almost hints at effervescence. If you view wine seasonally you're thinking summer with this one but don't do that. In this case the Transparency would go great with food any time of year. Although this wine is crazy refreshing so it'll be brilliant come summer time.

Season Cellars is one of the Umpqua's newest wineries and they're just getting started when it comes to getting their wines out to market. I want to say the Transparency is in the $16 range but it's only available from the winery right now and there website is under development but shoot them an email at winery@seasoncellars.com and they'll sort you out.

Friday Find, February 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Clive Pursehouse) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:44:00 +0000

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are at or under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this", and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending, we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.

Today is the day after Valentine's Day. Which means heart shaped chocolates are on sale all over America. People will do amazing things to prove they love someone. As you take stock of how you think you did yesterday there are a few things to keep in mind.

Roses and chocolate are traditional, some might say, unoriginal. Jewelry is a serious step up, and from a symbolism standpoint is seen as way to communicate that "you're getting serious." If you wipe your backside with money, perhaps a Lexus, if you're to believe those commercials.

Still nothing says, "we're committed" like a tattoo. Or maybe it's "I should be committed." Still, nothing is as permanent, as permanent ink, except when you have it removed by a laser. Couple tattoos are as old as foolishness perhaps but none of them is as recently well known as the "Billy Bob" followed by what only looks like as the dragon from the NYC hardcore band Sick of it All.

Angelina Jolie has since had the tattoo removed and updated with the most recent name, Brad Pitt. Some people never learn. Pro-tip, anytime you're having the words "Billy Bob" tattoo'd on you, it's a mistake, regardless of context. Perhaps though no one has expressed their love like Gucci Mane has expressed his love of ice cream. I love ice cream too, but tattooing it on your face? That's dedication.

Today's Friday Find is a tattoo that is much easier to remove, you simply finish off the bottle. The TATT, or Tried And True Table wine from Trust Cellars. The 09 TATT is a blend of Syrah and Cabernet from some of Washington's well known and also more obscure vineyards. Each bottling features artwork from a different tattoo artist. The wine is loads of fruit with blueberries and black cherries and a touch of baking spices on the finish, for $17 it's a reliable table wine to compliment both foods and perhaps with enough of it it may inspire you to get a tattoo, hopefully not of your significant other's name, or an ice cream cone on your face.