Memorial Day Weekend and Wine

We seldom venture out on Memorial Day for tastings as it is too crowded and too many people forget to spit, or at least that was how it has been. But now there seems to have been a shift in culture. There seam to be a more studied and serious climate around our fine wineries. Are the wineries taking themselves a bit more serious? Are people becoming a bit more finely tuned to the tastes of wine?
There is a lot more well written, knowledgeable and valid writing appearing about farm to table, about wines and beers, and about how important Oregon is in the mix. A great example is Wednesday's Register Guard"Tastings" section. I usually glance through and glen what I can from a few so so articles they pull from the AP or other publications but this one impressed the hell out of me! The editor, Joel Gorthy, has nailed the local feel and covered wine, food, beer, mead, and everything related and he chose good writers to do it.
There are a range of articles, a crafted placement of related issues, and it feels like a big city publication. Read about Ray Walsh and his adventures in wine, Mouthfuls and Misconceptions by Paul Omundson made me laugh, and the piece on Truffles made me hungry.
Take a look and give them some positive feedback!