'10 May be the Best Yet!

I have had a few opportunities to tast the '10 Pinot Noirs ove rthe last few months and I must say that they are just about perfect.
The other night we (Travel Lane County) had a celibratin at our one year old Adventure Center and King Estate was thee pouring the Signature Pinot Noir from '10. I was blown away! Complex, black fruit with hints of clove, honeysuckle and island spice layered with smokey peat and jam.
Loved it! And it will lay in wait for many years as the acid and body are both present and pleasant.

Great News!

I just received this letter from Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards and went to the Wine and Spirits web site for a look at who else I know who hit the Top 100. Tonight, our winery will be honored as one of the "Top 100 Wineries in the World" by Wine & Spirits magazine in San Francisco.

Editor, Joshua Greene said, "Each year, our panels and critics blind
taste more than 10,000 wines, selecting the best for recommendation
in the magazine. Our "Top 100 Wineries of the Year Award" highlight
brands with a range of wines our critics have scored at the top of
their categories. Willamette Valley Vineyards' performance makes it a
great ambassador for wines of Oregon."

This is wonderful recognition for the vineyard crew and winemaking staff who dedicate their lives to making a delicious, classic representation of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley.

Thank you for the support you have given us over these many years,
 





Jim Bernau,
Founder/Winergrower

Pictures for an Exibition

Today was a day of close by adventure, both visual and gustatory. First stop was at the little market at Baily Hill and Gimple Hill Roads. They make some of the best pulled pork, chicken, and ribs in the state, so I stopped and bought Smart Water and string cheese...
Next was Silvan Ridge and what I hope will be the perfect  shot I use for Salud! this year.

Next stop, King Estate and the ground squirrel stretched out on a vine happily munching on still green grapes.
We walked around the grounds and took shots from different areas of the property till the tasting room opened. We mat a nice couple from Adelaide who were touring the west on their honeymoon. They were very impressed by Oregon, and I gave them the 10 minute "why you should visit Lane County" promo so they decided to change their plans a bit and head for the coast.
We tasted through all the King wines available and I was impressed, but much more so by the '09 Signature Pinot Noir. This is a free run wine with such softness and ease that it really warrants some sort of award.
Next up was a quick stop at Sarver and a taste through their lineup. Impressive. The best of the lot is still a toss up between the Pinot Noir and the Rose. Saga, my studio assistant, who has not had a lot of wine experience sat upright and declared "Passion Fruit!" at the first whiff of the wine. She was so excited to have such a sharp, bold hit of identifiable smell.
This wine is a must have.

Last stop, Domaine Meriwether, where we did a nice slow taste through the various sparklers and the Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and desert wines. Ray Walsh does a fine job with these wines and Buz has created , and is hard at work creating a bold new and important winery for the area. All of his wines are worth checking out and if you like bubbles, the green label is a great place to start!

Salud! Etchings

The Salud! Auction is coming up in November and this year I am donating 10 prints of 10 wineries plus one image printed on wood, like the ones I have up at The Jordan Schnitzer Museum now.
I plan on doing this every year for the next 4 years so that everyone has an image.

 Still deciding which one of these to use...

Here are a few of the images I am developing for etchings. This is the second stage in the process so they will change as they move through the stages of printing. The image size will be 4x5 inches on archival rag paper.
See if you can tell which ones they are from the image so far.
I am also doing King Estate, Silvan Ridge, and Dick Shea's.

"The Art of Wine" Prints

 These are all the prints that are in the Art of Wine show at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum through the 28th of August.

A few years ago I embarked on a journey that has been life changing. There was an  opportunity to visit as many Oregon Wineries as possible and to ask for one bottle of wine for Oregon Mozart Players auction and I took it. From over 150 to over 270 bottles the second  year.
During these visits I have learned more about wines and wine making, been afforded the opportunity to take part in all aspects of the industry from planting to harvest to bottling. Along the way I have sat quietly in a vineyard as the sun cam up waiting for bud break, listened to the murmur of activity as the grapes are picked and sorted, and sat down satisfied with a hard day of labor stacking cases, with a glass of freshly bottle Pinot Noir.
Giving something back for all this has become very important for me and a few months ago I came upon the idea of creating photographic etchings to show, sell, or give away to help promote the wineries here in Oregon. I started with Saginaw Vineyards and a picture of their big Birch tree. After turning it in to an etching I became obsessed with getting an image of a tree somehow related to the different wineries here in Lane County. The culmination of this, after a chance conversation with Jill Hartz the Director of the JSMA, was a show of the works printed on wood, a series of wine tastings at the museum, an edition of 30 etchings of 17 wineries, some very happy studio assistants, and a dinner on the 27th of August to celebrate our bounty.
The next project for me is a set of ten etchings of ten Salud! wineries each year for the next 4 years to be auctioned off at the November Salud! Auction.

The program follows below:

Passports are $75 and are your ticket to the exclusive Winemakers dinner at the Museum on August 27th where you will enjoy a pre-event wine tasting and sit with one of our winemakers at their table. You will enjoy a 20% discount at all the participating winery tasting rooms between August 2nd and August 27th. Get your passport stamped and you will qualify for incredible wine gift baskets and more!

Event Dates:

August 2nd – Kick-off wine tasting at the Eugene Cascades and Coast Adventure Center

August 13th – Wineries without walls tasting at the museum (joined by other local favorite wineries)

August 20th – Wineries without walls tasting at the museum (joined by other local favorite wineries)

August 27th – Winemakers Dinner at the Museum.

Price: $75.00

Questions? Call 541-221-8592 or 541-346-3027

The Passport to Culture is supported in part by an award from the Oregon Arts Commission and a Lane County Tourism Special Projects Grant.

In order from the top: Territorial, Benton Lane, Brigadoon, Chateau Lorane, High Pass, Iris Hill,King Estate, LaVelle, Meriwether, Noble, Pfeiffer, Rain Song, Saginaw, Sarver, Shadow Mountain.
All the prints are on acid free white paper that is torn to 8X11 inches and the images are 5X6 inches done with Burnt Sienna Charbonnel etching ink. The edition size is 30 and all are numbered and signed.
The set of 17 prints sells for $25 or individually for $35. Set numbers 1, 7,19, 11, and  29 are already sold.

Close to Home

Today I decided to stay close to home and do a little catch up with the Lane County Wineries.
As I drove out to Territorial Road from Hwy99, past  Fern Ridge Reservoir and the horse ranches, past the Alvadore Market, the open fields of grass, and the old farm houses, I thought of how much things had changed since I was a boy driving my old '51 Vicky around here, picking up farm girls for a swim out at the falls west of Monroe, or a swim in the lake. Man, I am old! Now I feeble along in my fancy Subaru and visit wineries. I guess that is not too bad. Great car, great wines, great people! Yeah, I can live with this.
First stop was at Shadow Mountain. I came in unannounced and handed them the print I had made of their tree and fence. I had to lay down and shoot the photograph to get the effect I wanted, and I think they liked it!
We talked about the blog entry I had made about their amazing '08 Pinot Noir (click here) and about their vineyards. The print, along with the others I am doing of all the wineries in Lane County, will be up at The Jordan Schnitzer Museum for a dinner in August promoting wine and culture.
After our brief visit I took off south down Territorial Road through Elmira and Venita to King Estate. On the way up the long drive I passed the sheep grazing in the vineyards and watched as a hawk made his rounds looking for something small and furry to have for lunch.
  I found the boss, Ed King, at his desk and handed him his print, chatted for a bit about this land use issue some folks are stirring up about his having a full service restaurant at the winery. Here are the details about what Ed is doing to help change Oregon's laws to help us compete with California and Washington as a tourism draw.
I have yet to understand what their problem with it is but I am sure money or ego is somehow involved.
To lend a little support I had the Mesclun Salad with salmon, a glass of Acrobat Pinot Noir, and a Chocolate Marquise.
They lose money on the resturant but it is a draw for wine sales and the food is spectacular. All local and organic.
I tasted some of the wonderful Pinot Gris they are famous for and even got to taste a special one, the '09 Tower Club Limited Edition Pinot Gris from blocks 12 and 15, made from clone 152. Wow! This is one of the best. Lots of flowery fruit and spice with a warm smooth mouthfeel.Josh and Quinten were there running the tasting room and were busy with lots of customers.
I love to see people enjoying great wines in such a classic environment
They will probably really freak out when we put up Territorial Wine Trail signs on the Freeway and start directing the thousands of people that travel through Oregon off the freeway and up to the wineries to spend money and boost the local economy. They seem to be very concerned about the future and about oil, climate, and all the other things effecting us and I applaud them for that. However, the NOW consists of a viable economic platform that supports the local farmers, grape growers, and all the businesses that depend on them.

When I left I made a stop at Silvan Ridge for a taste of the new '09 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a huge wine made from Del Rio fruit and has all the hot weather characteristics that come with the Rouge Valley Cabs. However, it is some full of hot August blackberry that you can almost close your eyes and feel the heat! This is a great Cab and should last for years but is very drinkable right now.Marisa let me taste a bit of the Ruby Port that they make and it was the perfect lid to put on the tasting.
Up the hill to Sweet Cheeks for a quick hello as I watched them get ready for an event. They do so many things for our community and make a big difference. I always enjoy supporting them in any way I can. That goes for all of our wineries. Each has a roll in boosting the economy and creating jobs for local and regional people.
Here is Lorrie with her usual smile and grace.
On last stop to drop off a print at Noble. No one around so I put the print on the counter with a note and headed for home.

Counoise and King

When was the last time you had a nice chilled glass of Counoise? Unless you have traveled a lot and happen to be barrel tasting at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, probably not recently.
This is a spicy, peppery, high acid grape used mainly in blending and is one of the few gr apes allowed in the making of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.
Our local wine adventurer, Lindy at Chateau Lorane has made a bottle some of this wine for your pleasure. I am sipping a chilled glass as I write this. Let me take you along on the trip:Beautiful ruby red in the glass with very thin rimming of clear. Chilled as it is I still get some tropical hints on the nose Banana(?) now deep dark cherry and hard candy.
Oh! Nice! Soft mouth-filling, clean taste. My teeth feel VERY clean,. No tannin feel. Kind of a pleasant bite on the side of the tongue and a hint of Bing cherry AFTER you swallow it and have to pit in your mouth. Lovely after taste of plume flesh.
I like this one and bet it will be very good with spicy foods.
Dave, the winemaker, was kind enough to hand over a bottle of the '09 Counoise for the collection and I bought a bottle to taste.
Chateau Loraine has this one on sale at the winery for $18 so I suggest a quick trip or a phone call.

Back toward town I stopped up at King Estate for a moment with Jennifer. She is in charge of donations and I ask her for a red and a white to go in the auction. This year they gifted us with two of my all time favorites. They make a lot of wines and these two are at the top of the list.
The '08 Domaine Pinot Gris  is just too good. Close your eyes and imagine biting in to a really ripe yellow pear and having the juice run down your chin. That is this wine. Organically grown grapes from a single vineyard are turned in to a lush mouthful of pears, ginger, and vanilla that lasts all the way through to glass. this one of Oregon's best Pinot Gris and they have all the awards and accolades to prove it. Please do yourself a big favor and try this one.
The other wine they gave is a '09 Signature Pinot Noir. This is a very different wine than the '08 and I think it has huge potential for aging but it is really good right now.
Smells of dark over ripe cherry, blueberry, wild rosevanilla, fresh cut red ceder with a hint of musty humid forest floor. Tastes of Marion Berry, blueberry, chocolate powder, toasted sugars, and a finish of soft red fruit. So good!

I went to the tasting room to pick up the goods and ran in to the crew: Josh, Kevin, and Shannon, entertaining visitors at the tasting bar. Two of the folks were from way out of town: Spring Branch, Texas. Jef is in land and there is lots of that in Texas! Here is his site, take a look. I love the photos!
I only know one winery down there and they are pretty close. A friend brought us a bottle of an '08 Petit Verdot from Dry Comal Vineyards. It was very good for a wine not from Oregon...Had great time talking about wines and travel, and of course all that Oregon has to offer. Jef and Lori were heading for the coast to get some pictures then heading back to Eugene for dinner. Hope they had a great time and enjoyed their stay.
Off to have a quick snack at the little country store at the junction of Gimple Hill and Baily Hill Road. They have the best pulled pork sandwiched in town, or out as the case may be.
Just heard from Lori and Jef and they got some great shots of the coast and enjoyed their visit.

Cool New Eugene Restaurant

Sabai just opened the doors last Wednesday and already the buzz has started! I dropped by after book shopping at Borders and met Jake the barman. Always a good person to know after a long day of meetings and driving. First taste was my favorite Martiniesque concoction, the Lafayette (named after me). Coat the martini glass with Grand Mariner, toss it out, then add Sapphire Gin (shaken) and a crushed mint leaf. He did a great job on it and then tempted me with a as yet un-named drink made with Old Overholt and  Bonal Gentiane with a twist of orange. Great drink! Made me think of sitting on the patio of the Galle Face Hotel with an old Englishman.
The food menu look great as does the wine list. Though it is still small they attend to the local wines well. Benton Lane, King, Erath, and a couple more. No doubt the list will expand as their audience grows.  They are located just inside the entrance to the courtyard across from Chapala in the Oakway Mall.

Driving Teroirtorial Road

Few days work out just the way you want. This day was an exception.
I was on my way out to LaVelle Vineyards to take a picture of one of their trees for my etching project when my blue-tooth interrupted Mozart and my friend Rebecca's voice floated out and informed me that she was on her way to Eugene, bringing her son for a concert .

It was about 11:00 and she was arriving at 1:00 so I continued out to the winery to visit and enjoy a taste of their wine. I had planed on taking a shot of the big Madron up on the hill but when I got there, after a meet with Doug, I was directed to a view from down by the recycling center of a big mossy oak. I think I prefer the oak.
Doug ask Sunset, the tasting room manager, to give me a bottle of Mathew's Reserve'08 Pinot noir from the Library. This is a great wine with lots of character and complexity. I have a bottle that I am saving for 10 years.

When I was done tasting I headed back to Eugene along the north side of Fern Ridge Reservoir an enjoyed a magnificent view out over the lake in the rain.Next time I goo our that way , hopefully on a dry day, I will take some shots to share.
I picked Rebecca up at the Hilton and we drove out to King Estate for a full taste of all their wines, and because she is a winemaker, we got to taste a few off the usual menu.
For those who have not had the chance to eat at the restaurant, please do yourself a favor and make the trip. The food is superb! They serve probably the best hamburger I have ever had; gruyère cheese, slab bacon, on house bun
with pommes frites and house ketchup.
 Josh and Kevin were happy to see us as we were the only ones out driving around in the bad weather.   There were  few folks in the restaurant but not much of the usual crowd that keeps them jumping.
More time for us to taste and talk. Of all the wonderful wines we tried, the '08 Domaine Pinot and the '07 Syrah were the ones that stood out. There were really no clinkers and when you taste the whites you get to see the many ways pinot gris can change with ageing, barreling, and finish. The "Club only" Paradox Pinot Gris is sooo smooth and rich that I for a moment thought it was a Chardonnay!!!
Another couple, Cindy and Matt (shown here with Josh), came in to taste and we compared notes.
We ended up following each other to two more wineries.
I took a couple of shots of the trees around King's buildings and will try to choose one for an etching..
Next stop was Sweet Cheeks where I gave Lorie my prints of their tree outside the tasting room..
When we got to Sweet Cheeks we was welcomed with open arms and a taste of the newest wines. The winemaker Mark, hails from Australia and goes there now to make wine for them in the off season here. The first of the Australian wines was a very tasty Viognier: All the character of the grape you usually get but with a bit more backbone and not much acid. Very prominent white peach, fresh cut pear, and apple.
The Shiraz is equally interesting in a big, bold, meaty way. Love both of the new wines but still love the Riesling and the Pinot noir they produce.They donated a bottle of the '08 Reserve Pinot noir. This is one of my favorites from them and is getting better every time I get a taste! And as you can see, it is sold out so this bottle will be even better to bid for!
I took Rebecca across the road to Silvan Ridge and we had a great time tasting the range of wines there.
They have a wonderful selection of reds and my all time favorite summer wine, Early Muscat!
Silvan Ridge gave a bottle of a very special wine, their 2006 Elizabeth's Reserve,  blend of Cab and Malbec with lots of black fruit, chocolate and warm earth. Love this one with roasted meat and vegetables.
I will publish the etchings when they are done.

A Rich Rewarding Day

After sleeping late and dreaming about broken wine glasses, I roused myself and drove out to King Estate Winery do do something I seldom have time to do: just taste the wines.
Josh ( shown here looking a bit fearful) took me through all the whites and reds while helping others on their exploration. The newest offering from King is a restaurant, on premise wine called Acrobat ($12). I was very impressed with its full flavor: lots of pear, green apple, in the nose and tropical fruits on the palate. Full mouth feel and a bit of a tang on the finish. Very enjoyable. I took two home and we had one with lemon, basil paste and it was perfect. My wife was surprised by the flavor as it is very pale in the glass.My favorite among the many whites was the '07 Domaine Pinot Gris: ($25) Lively and fresh with lots of peach and citrus, nice finish with a clean mineral taste.
The reds were all the North by Northwest brand, (yes, that is what NxNW means) and were all really good entry level wines for those whose palettes have not been honed to a sharp point by tasting hundreds of wines...or who just like a good, simple, drinkable wine. My favorite was the Cabernet Sauvignon- Walla Walla ($35). Deep rich red with strong ceder, berry, and earth. Soft finish and drinkable now.

 A very nice family from Taiwan, Katrina, Li-Hsiang, Tsung-min, and Jessie, was there enjoying their first tastes of Oregon wines and seemed very impressed by the wines and the place.I offered some tickets to our concert for them to enjoy while in Eugene so they will get a bit of "South of the Border next weekend.

As I left there were two cars at the bottom of the hill with the people out looking up at one of the trees. As I got closer I saw what was so interesting. He was balancing atop a spruce and his weight was bending it over. As I took the second picture, he sprang up and took flight down through the vineyards. Stunning!

Angela at Silvan Ridge had promised me a bottle so I showed up as she was still opening. As she turned around I realized how long it had been since I had seen her as she is "with child" and due in February! Very happy and radiant!She presented me with a bottle of their wonderful '06 Cabernet ($24). From their tasting notes:
The rich, velvety wine has quickly become a staff favorite! Smooth blackberry and raspberry flavors melt in your mouth upon entry, with well-balanced tannins lingering on a smoky oak finish. Truly an amazing example of Oregon Cabernet.

After I had tasted  through the wines that she had out she opened a bottle of the Cab and let me sample. Smooth, soft, and rich with great finish. Should be very drinkable in about 4-5 years.

Next stop, Sweet Cheeks Winery nestled atop the hill across the road. As I drove in I saw something that I have become so used to seeing that now I don't notice. The very well done murals on the end of the building as you drive in are worth a second look.
 Next time you are out there, take a close look.
I hang the paintings there in the tasting room and wanted to try some new ones out so after a taste of their many great wines I put up two paintings by Barry Geller.
My favorite wine there was the '08 semi-sweet Reisling. Tropical flowers, peach, and a hint of spice make this a perfect sipping wine.

The drive north on Terroirtorial Highway led me to Pfeiffer Vineyards and a visit with one of my favorite winery owners, Robin Pfeiffer. He took me in to the Pinot tasting room, separate from the regular tasting bar and very cave like. He let me taste an very lightly oaked blue line Pinot Noir from '08, then we got busy with a '06 Blue Dot Pinot Noir($60). He donated to the OMP "South of the Border" outreach fund so I get to talk about them from the stage on the 9th and 10th before the concert.