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Friday, October 11, 2013
Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime adventure. Only 9 spots left!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
A Visit With Nature
There is something magical about walking through land that is unsullied by pesticides, Monsanto, and all the un-natural concoctions made by man to "tame" nature. It feels light, tingly, clean, and exciting. There is a good article by Brien Cantwell about Oregon's Bio-dynamic "Voodoo Vintners" here.
Recently I was fortunate to visit Keeler Estate Vineyard. Tucked in to the hills of the Eolla Amity AVA just outside of Amity, Oregon it is, like many wineries these days, bio-dynamic, but instead of becoming bio-dynamic, they started that way from day one.
I was warmly greeted by Gabriel and Craig Keeler along with my friend Jennifer Kadell, who works with them to promote their wines. The 200 acre farm has, along with the vineyards, table grapes, fruit trees, gardens, and now, its own mushroom farm!
The soils are Steiwer, Chehulpum, and shallow sedimentary soils over a base of deep ocean floor. (see photo) The range of elevation is from 220 to 500 feet with the higher vineyards being the newer recently planted.
The grapes grown are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and a small amount of Riesling. They also have introduced a newer varietal of Pinot Noir, 943, with a very masculine profile, deep and rich with currents and dark berry. It has been a cause for some excitement in France and California and a few vineyards in Oregon, such as Adelsheim, have had some pleasing results with it.
We tasted the wines in the tasting room and were treated to some delicious snacks prepared by Nicci Stokes. Her restaurant is Cafe Uncorked on Highway 18, McMinnville.
The wines they make from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes planted in '08 are superb in the hands of Darcy Pendergrass, the winemaker
The whites very in style from the '11 Pinot Gris' crisp, refreshing minerality and white peach then a '11 Reserve Pinot Gris with more tropical notes and a wonderful mouth-feel and last (so far) a quite surprising '11 Chardonnay that has the softness of melon yet retains a powerful mineral note, leaving a very pleasant and long lasting finish. The soil play into this wine very deeply. (NPI)
Now on to my favorite, the Pinot Noir. This is also an '11 and is done in 55% neutral oak and 45% new oak that give it a nice rich mouth feel. It has room to grow and all the signs are there that in about 5 rears this will be a real beauty! Spicy and full of red fruit, nice acid balance and a long complex finish. Keep this one down for a few years and you will be rewarded!
After a lull in the rain we walked down through the beautiful gardens and past the ponds to the Pinot Noir block where we sampled fruit from both top and bottom of the vine. The Keelers employ a unique trellising system developed by Scott Henry, that trains the vines to grow in a lower and upper row. I must say I could discern the slightest shift in flavor profile, the top most being lighter. Craig showed us the problem of having bee hives at the end of the rows: Bee holes in a few of the grapes that can encourage Botrytis. The juice is removed and they collapse, inviting mold. Small issue but next year he is moving them further away. We rode around the back side of the vineyards past the compost pile stretching the length of the vineyard where straw and manure plus all the plant debris from the property is added to replenish the soils with what has been removed by the plants.
I smelled coffee grounds and rich clean soil like when I was a
child on the farm after tilling. Worms were hard at work as Craig explained the tubes that allowed for out-gassing and less worry about turning the piles of compost.
As we started up the hill we could see the vineyard workers hand hoeing the rows between the newer plantings and to the left, in the lip of the forested area, we saw the mushroom farm. They have inoculated oak logs with various edibles and had just harvested. There were a few Oyster Mushrooms left.
We got to the top of the hill as the storm sat lurking on the horizon. We stood on the deck and admired the furniture Craig had made for visitors, painted in what Gabriel called Easter Egg.
When we were done watching the storm and were ready for another round of tasting and stuffed mushrooms, we took off down the hill and toured the newly excavated areas up close where Crag had built an earth dam with small culverts for circulation and drainage. We then went to the barn where we saw a most remarkable innovation! The teas that are made for the soils must be stirred a defines number of times in each direction to activate. This is at worst tedious and at best meditative, but
when you are farming a huge area and managing other ventures one must innovate. Behold an automatic stirring device that frees up man power and still does the job. Lots of controversy around having it done by machine but my feeling is, it was invented and built by mind and hand with a deep love for the land and respect for the practices so it should fit in to Rodolph's original ideas.
One last note: The dog is worth the visit just to see an animal that is in a constant state of pure joy! He ran in front of the vehicles waiting for a ball, a stick, anything! Here he is waiting patiently for us to get going.
The family is so nice and the feel of the land so vibrant that it is hard to leave. Gabriel and Craig's son Nick also has a bit of an arm in the wine industry, he owns Nicholas Keeler International and supply's barrels all over the world as well as making his own wines!
I hated to leave and would much rather have stayed the rest of the day.
Recently I was fortunate to visit Keeler Estate Vineyard. Tucked in to the hills of the Eolla Amity AVA just outside of Amity, Oregon it is, like many wineries these days, bio-dynamic, but instead of becoming bio-dynamic, they started that way from day one.I was warmly greeted by Gabriel and Craig Keeler along with my friend Jennifer Kadell, who works with them to promote their wines. The 200 acre farm has, along with the vineyards, table grapes, fruit trees, gardens, and now, its own mushroom farm!
The soils are Steiwer, Chehulpum, and shallow sedimentary soils over a base of deep ocean floor. (see photo) The range of elevation is from 220 to 500 feet with the higher vineyards being the newer recently planted.
We tasted the wines in the tasting room and were treated to some delicious snacks prepared by Nicci Stokes. Her restaurant is Cafe Uncorked on Highway 18, McMinnville.
The wines they make from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes planted in '08 are superb in the hands of Darcy Pendergrass, the winemaker
The whites very in style from the '11 Pinot Gris' crisp, refreshing minerality and white peach then a '11 Reserve Pinot Gris with more tropical notes and a wonderful mouth-feel and last (so far) a quite surprising '11 Chardonnay that has the softness of melon yet retains a powerful mineral note, leaving a very pleasant and long lasting finish. The soil play into this wine very deeply. (NPI)Now on to my favorite, the Pinot Noir. This is also an '11 and is done in 55% neutral oak and 45% new oak that give it a nice rich mouth feel. It has room to grow and all the signs are there that in about 5 rears this will be a real beauty! Spicy and full of red fruit, nice acid balance and a long complex finish. Keep this one down for a few years and you will be rewarded!
After a lull in the rain we walked down through the beautiful gardens and past the ponds to the Pinot Noir block where we sampled fruit from both top and bottom of the vine. The Keelers employ a unique trellising system developed by Scott Henry, that trains the vines to grow in a lower and upper row. I must say I could discern the slightest shift in flavor profile, the top most being lighter. Craig showed us the problem of having bee hives at the end of the rows: Bee holes in a few of the grapes that can encourage Botrytis. The juice is removed and they collapse, inviting mold. Small issue but next year he is moving them further away. We rode around the back side of the vineyards past the compost pile stretching the length of the vineyard where straw and manure plus all the plant debris from the property is added to replenish the soils with what has been removed by the plants.
I smelled coffee grounds and rich clean soil like when I was a
child on the farm after tilling. Worms were hard at work as Craig explained the tubes that allowed for out-gassing and less worry about turning the piles of compost.
Heading up the hill we past some recent excavations where they were creating Insectariums: ponds, along with flowered and grassy areas meant to encourage native insects and encourage the control of invasive and harmful insects.
As we started up the hill we could see the vineyard workers hand hoeing the rows between the newer plantings and to the left, in the lip of the forested area, we saw the mushroom farm. They have inoculated oak logs with various edibles and had just harvested. There were a few Oyster Mushrooms left.
When we were done watching the storm and were ready for another round of tasting and stuffed mushrooms, we took off down the hill and toured the newly excavated areas up close where Crag had built an earth dam with small culverts for circulation and drainage. We then went to the barn where we saw a most remarkable innovation! The teas that are made for the soils must be stirred a defines number of times in each direction to activate. This is at worst tedious and at best meditative, but 
One last note: The dog is worth the visit just to see an animal that is in a constant state of pure joy! He ran in front of the vehicles waiting for a ball, a stick, anything! Here he is waiting patiently for us to get going. The family is so nice and the feel of the land so vibrant that it is hard to leave. Gabriel and Craig's son Nick also has a bit of an arm in the wine industry, he owns Nicholas Keeler International and supply's barrels all over the world as well as making his own wines!
I hated to leave and would much rather have stayed the rest of the day.
Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour Expands to Oakridge/Westfir
###
|
754 Olive Street | Eugene, OR | 97401
P: 800.547.5445 | www.eugenecascadescoast.org
Friday, October 4, 2013
This Saturday--Pianist Anton Nell Plays Mozart with OMP!
Join the celebration as Oregon Mozart Players returns for its second season in Beall Concert Hall under the inspired leadership of Artistic Director Kelly Kuo. If you're an OMP regular, we look forward to welcoming you back—and if you're new to OMP, you owe it to yourself to see first-hand how our special blend of intimacy and excitement make us one of the preeminent professional chamber orchestras in the Northwest.
We are thrilled to introduce South Africa-born pianist Anton Nel to Eugene music lovers. Mr. Nel enjoys a remarkable and multifaceted career that has taken him to five continents. Today, in addition to a busy schedule as a concert artist, Mr. Nel heads the Division of Keyboard Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. (This is the same university where Maestro Kuo serves as Music Director of the opera program.) Mr. Nel will perform Mozart's "Coronation" Piano Concerto,
whose nickname originates from its second performance, when Mozart
played it for the coronation of Leopold II as Holy Roman Emperor. We're
sure you will agree that Anton Nel's reputation as a superlative interpreter of Mozart is well-deserved.
Also on the program is Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet, Op. 73 (later transcribed for chamber orchestra by his student, Rudolph Barschai). Composed in the aftermath of World War II, the events of the preceding years were surely on Shostakovich's mind as he wrote this moving and powerful work. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear it performed live.
Mozart's Overture to La clemenza di Tito completes the program. (Concert order is Mozart Overture – Shostakovich –
The concert takes place this Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 PM. You can still get tickets at the UO Box Office in person or by phone (541) 346-4363, online , or, if not sold out in advance, at the door in the hour before the downbeat. The cost of admission varies from $45 to $15 for adults; K-12 and college-age students can sit in any seat in the house for just $10!
Why not make a full evening of it? We'd love to include you in two free events that take place before and after the concert:
Pre-Concert Talk by Maestro Kuo—Saturday, October 5, 6:45 PM, Thelma Schnitzer Hall (north of Beall lobby)
Post-concert Reception—Foo Family Lounge (hosted by the Taiwanese Women of Eugene)
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!
Special Thanks to our Sponsors
Season Sponsor
The Rosaria P. Haugland Foundation
Concert Sponsors
Anonymous Individual
Soloist Sponsors
Charles and Leslie Wright
If you'd like to learn more about OMP, order season tickets, make a contribution,
sponsor a concert or a soloist, volunteer, or just have a chat, here's how to reach us:
Website: www.oregonmozartplayers.org
Executive Director: jeff@oregonmozartplayers.org
Telephone: (541) 345-6648
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Amazing New Work by L. Almeida and Randell Ortiz "Nearer Pollock than Close"
7:30 pm The Gallery at the Watershed (321 Mill
St #6)
The Gallery at the
Watershed presents “Figure and Form: Nearer Pollack than Close, New Works
by Lillian Almeida and Randy Ortiz.” This exhibit showcases abstract
figurative paintings by Lillian
Almeida and sculptures by Randy Ortiz and continues through November 9th.
After nearly a decade of
dripping, flinging and pouring paint, local artist Lillian Almeida goes back to
the brush in a new series that explores the figure as form and character. This
boldly executed work expands on her interest in our experience of the duality of
paint: as a physical presence while defining conceptual, visual space.
Several of the new paintings introduce characters inspired by a conversation
between the artist and U of O professor of opera, Laura Wayte, about a future
collaboration. Lillian Almeida won Best of Show at the 2012 Mayor’s Art Show and
has also shown in Eugene at Maude Kerns Art Center and
Opus6ix.
In his first ever gallery
exhibit, UO Alum Randolph Scott Ortiz brings his expanding vision for the world
of sculpture. With the intention to challenge preconceived notions of what
"Modern Art" is or should be, Randy integrates timeless patterns with original
design to give us a portal with which to view design through time. He states, "Once I became familiar with
the world and its people through the history of art, I promptly set off to help
create what would eventually be the next impression for future generations to
own..." The current exhibit gives a rare view into the fruits of a nine-month
endeavor that has brought together the strengths of an innocent optimist with
those of some of the "battle hardened," matured artisans of his West Eugene
shop. Randy's work is featured in numerous local restaurants and private
residences throughout Eugene.
|
| "Figure From the Opera 5" , 36 x 24 in.Latex on panel $2,000 |
 |
| Figures from the Opera 48x48 $4000 |
 |
| Observation of Paper Horses 48x48 $4000 |
 |
| "#27" 48x48 $4000 |
 |
| "#32" 48x48 $4000 |
"Nearer Pollock than Close". Randell's steel sculptures are astounding!
 | |
| "#30" 36x36 $2400 |
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Terrific Idea for Wineries
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Thursday, September 19, 2013
Call to Artists
The Gallery at the Watershed’s Annual *Regional Micro-Miniature Show
Call to Artists in painting, printmaking and photography
Show Dates: December 17, 2013 - January 11, 2014
Formal Show Opening/Reception: Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 pm - 8 pm
Image: no larger than 6" x 6"
Framed size: no larger than 12" x 12"
Entry for three pieces is $30; please add $5 for each piece beyond 3.
NOTE: jpgs may be submitted NO LATER than November 11 online (see entry form.)
NOTE: Artwork may be presented in-person on Monday, November 18, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
or sent to gallery with return shipping included by the 18th of November.
Juror Robert Canaga, artist and curator for The Gallery at the Watershed, will notify artists promptly upon review of the work.
Unaccepted work may be picked up on November 21, between 11 am and 5 pm at the Gallery.
Unsold work may be picked up on Sunday, January 19, 2014, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or will be shipped back to artist on Jan.20th’
ALL WORK MUST BE FOR SALE. Standard TGATWS contract split applies; 50/50.
All excepted work must have 1/2" d-rings properly positioned at top corners and ready for wire hanging. We will not accept work without those d-rings!
*Oregon, Idaho, Washington,
and Northern California
Gallery Information:
The Gallery at the Watershed
321 Mill St., Suite 6
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone during business hours only: w:541-844-1669, c:541-729-0551
Email for this show: rcanaga@gmail.com
ENTRY INFORMATION:entry form at The Gallery at the Watershed
Please submit your jpgs to rcanaga@gmail.com (note deadline above.)
Please submit your payment by check in advance to address above, or by credit card during business hours by phone (make sure you do not leave this in a message but that you talk to one of us! Payment subject to same deadlines; work will not be accepted without it.)
Please make sure that whatever way you enter you give us the following information:
Your name, land address, email, phone.
Titles of each piece, including materials used, size, and retail price.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Eugene Symphony Goes National
Listen to YOUR Eugene Symphony on NATIONAL RADIO!
Tune into KWAX 91.1 FM at approximately 8:40 a.m. on Friday, September 13! | ||||
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Don't miss it:
YOUR Eugene Symphony on NATIONAL RADIO! Tune in to KWAX 91.1FM at 8:40 a.m. Friday, September 13 |
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Rap, Muses, Robin Hood, and an Old Geezer King Named Lear
We saw King Lear first and thought it the best both of us had seen. The staging was perfect as were the costumes. Set in current times and with a few audio gags placed well, it give us lots of "types" to deal with and brings us to a deeper understanding of the play. I have had many people over the years tell me they had avoided Lear because it is so depressing. This one is indeed depressing but when the audience stands and cheers at the end it may be worth seeing.
Next we saw "The Tenth Muse", a fascinating tale of Spanish Catholics during the 18th-century convent in colonial Mexico, young nuns and servants find plays written by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a nun and famous intellectual who died 20 years earlier after falling out of favor with the church.They act out the plays and play cat and mouse with the Mother Superior. A chilling tale of suppression and human nature worth seeing!
and learn more about why we eat so much in Ashland. A new shirt was on the list of things to get while down there. There is one of the best men's stores around on Main Street, Nimbus.
After a visit to Illahe Gallery and Studio where we saw a piece worth owning by the owner,Susan Springer.
We have a 24 hour rule when purchasing art so we called her the next day and made arrangements to pick it up. While waiting for the play we went by one of our favorite watering holes, Liquid Assets.
a Slagle Creek '09 Merlot (this one was a surprise! Peppery, currents, olives and spice on the nose and a rich taste with smooth mouthfeel and sweetish finish! Still available from the winery so GET SOME!)
we saw them in the window the night before on our way to sip at
We then saw Robin Hood...I shall leave judgement of that one to the gods.
Sunday morning we stopped by Manzanita on Main and bought two concrete sheep, yes, I said concrete sheep. Linda likes sheep and we just could not resist.
After parking and having a wonderful brunch at Larks, we walked up the trail an Lithia Park and enjoyed the cool woods. We also discovered a new spice shop, The Spice and Tea Exchange, and I got to taste Ghost Pepper salt! Nearly killed me! But we ended up loading our bag with a great collection of spices and salts.
On the way back down from our walk we stopped at a Sunday market along the creek and bought two handmade brooms from Cheri Hammons.
Then it was off to our final show, The Unfortunates .
This is one of the most compelling and powerful plays I have seen this year. The music, acting, concept, staging, and script all come together for a memorable 90 minutes you shan't soon forget. Then we stopped by and picked up our artwork.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
AN EVENING OF MUSIC FOR FRENH HORN AND PIANO
MARSHANNE LANDING
IS PROUD TO PRESENT
AN EVENING OF MUSIC FOR FRENH HORN AND PIANO
FEATURING
NATHALIE FORTIN-PIANO
SCOTT KING-FRENCH HORN
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 7:00 PM
Please join us for an exciting performance of diverse selections of 20th
Century repertoire for Horn and Piano. The evening will include works
both charming and dramatic from composers that include Alex Wilder,
Leonard Bernstein, Frances Poulenc and Paul Hindemith.
Scott
has performed with many orchestras including the Knoxville Symphony,
Florida Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, Oregon Symphony,
Portland Opera, and the Oregon Bach Festival. He also performs as a
regular member of the Newport Symphony, Eugene Symphony and Eugene
Opera.
Nathalie
is a native of Montreal. Since she moved to Eugene in 2002, she has
worked for Lane Community College, Eugene Opera, the Oregon Bach
Festival, Eugene Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players, the University of
Oregon Community Music Institute, and recently joined Cascadia Concert
Opera.
Due to limited seating, advanced reservations are required. Admission $30 includes abundant appetizers. 541-459-7998
MarshAnne Landing, 175 Hogan Rd, Oakland OR 97462- just 3 miles off I-5 Exit 142Monday, September 2, 2013
My Introduction to German Wines
Do you have a favorite wine? In each category of wines is there at least one the you remember forever, one that has a special meaning attached to it, or just one you always have on hand and open for guests.
A few of mine are '07 Oregon Pinot Noir (stupidly under rated), '76 Rieslings from Germany, '78 Cabs from Southern Oregon
(Valley View Vineyards to be more precise) and Early Muscats from Silvan Ridge and Noble Estate.
These bottles all hold fond memories.
My first real wine tasting was done in my small town of Worms while I was living in Germany.
I lived in an apartment in a new building that was built right next to the Liebfrauenmlich vineyard.
They had been growing Riesling grapes in the part of the vineyard outside our place for many years. We were on the 7th floor and our balcony gave us a great view of the vines and of the Rhine river.It was also the place where most of our theater/music friends enjoyed popping corks and watching them sail in to the vineyards.
One Saturday morning while Tina (ex) was out of town I heard a knock at the door. I had not heard the elevator so I assumed it was our floor mate. I opened the door to fine a very old man with a bag on his shoulder. It was a box made of leather with four bins filled with a wine bottle each. There was a small pouch on the side and a wood and leather trap for holding to Riesling glasses. I had never seen anything like it and still haven't. In his hands he held a chamois and when he opened it I saw a LOT of corks. He looked up at me and said "Herr Canaga, we can not do this". It was a bag of all the corks we had been shooting in to the vineyard. As I apologized I invited him in and showed him to a seat on the balcony. He handed me the bag of corks and sat down. He then took the two wine glasses from his bag, pulled out a bottle of Riesling, opened it and poured. He sniffed it, smiled and handed it to me. The first sip put me in a new state of mind. It was at once slightly sweet yet effervescent and seemed to evaporate in my mouth, filling it with flavors I had never tasted!
He smiled and took a sip of his glass, leaned back in his chair and smiled. He had brought a 1959 Schloss Johannisberg Goldlack Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese for us to enjoy. I had no idea what I was drinking but I kept the bottle for many years.
WE made a habit of sitting on the balcony once or twice a month and sipping great wines as he told me all about what was going on in the vineyards, appologizing for the shotgun blasts and air cannons that kept the birds at bay, and I even got to help with harvest in '76.
He introduced me to reds from the Alsace and Moselle regions as well as some Dornfelders and Trollingers.
All the time I spent in Europe after that was spent exploring wines. Not a bad place to cut your teeth.
A few of mine are '07 Oregon Pinot Noir (stupidly under rated), '76 Rieslings from Germany, '78 Cabs from Southern Oregon
(Valley View Vineyards to be more precise) and Early Muscats from Silvan Ridge and Noble Estate.
These bottles all hold fond memories.
My first real wine tasting was done in my small town of Worms while I was living in Germany.
I lived in an apartment in a new building that was built right next to the Liebfrauenmlich vineyard.
They had been growing Riesling grapes in the part of the vineyard outside our place for many years. We were on the 7th floor and our balcony gave us a great view of the vines and of the Rhine river.It was also the place where most of our theater/music friends enjoyed popping corks and watching them sail in to the vineyards.
One Saturday morning while Tina (ex) was out of town I heard a knock at the door. I had not heard the elevator so I assumed it was our floor mate. I opened the door to fine a very old man with a bag on his shoulder. It was a box made of leather with four bins filled with a wine bottle each. There was a small pouch on the side and a wood and leather trap for holding to Riesling glasses. I had never seen anything like it and still haven't. In his hands he held a chamois and when he opened it I saw a LOT of corks. He looked up at me and said "Herr Canaga, we can not do this". It was a bag of all the corks we had been shooting in to the vineyard. As I apologized I invited him in and showed him to a seat on the balcony. He handed me the bag of corks and sat down. He then took the two wine glasses from his bag, pulled out a bottle of Riesling, opened it and poured. He sniffed it, smiled and handed it to me. The first sip put me in a new state of mind. It was at once slightly sweet yet effervescent and seemed to evaporate in my mouth, filling it with flavors I had never tasted!
He smiled and took a sip of his glass, leaned back in his chair and smiled. He had brought a 1959 Schloss Johannisberg Goldlack Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese for us to enjoy. I had no idea what I was drinking but I kept the bottle for many years.
WE made a habit of sitting on the balcony once or twice a month and sipping great wines as he told me all about what was going on in the vineyards, appologizing for the shotgun blasts and air cannons that kept the birds at bay, and I even got to help with harvest in '76.
He introduced me to reds from the Alsace and Moselle regions as well as some Dornfelders and Trollingers.
All the time I spent in Europe after that was spent exploring wines. Not a bad place to cut your teeth.
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