Accolades For Gathering Oregon Wines

I was honored to be given a award for my involvemnet in our community. I don't feel like I do any more than anyone else but it was very nice to be appriciated.
Here is the video.

Oregon Wines in Washington, DC

Linda and I had the chance to spend a week in DC to help celebrate the Holt International 55th year and we took it! The first night there we had dinner at Sonoma on Capital Hill a few blocks from the Liaison and Hyatt Regency hotels. The only Oregon wine on the menu was Soter's '08 "North Valley" Pinot Noir ($19 a glass, $78 a bottle) in the medium bodied reds. Great big nose full of spice and roses, dark berry, black fruit, and pepper in the mouth with a soft, long finish of spice and sweet berry. It went perfectly with the Duck breast!
Nice to have a glass of Oregon wine in a restaurant that prides itself on California wines.
The food was fantastic and so was the service and we had a nice walk back across the Capital with cherry blossoms floating in the breeze around us.
The next day we started out at the Smithsonian Craft Show and ran in to many old arts and crafts freinds I knew from OPUS6IX and my travels. Peggy Loudon, Martha Fieber, Michael Bauermeister, Akiko Sugiyama, Christina Goodman (I wore the cuff links she made for me at the Black tie dinner on Saturday),and Devin Burgess. This was a great show and we did our best to support as many artists as we could afford to. visited
We took our bounty back to the hotel and headed for museums. For lunch we  found, with the help of my trusted companion Open Table, a place called Proof that is right out the door at the National Portrait Gallery where we worked up an appetite looking at Calder's show, along with so much more! Wow!
The wine list was fun to sort out and look though for Oregon gems.
Chehalem, Inox, Willamette Valley 2008 (that is the wine they gave us the last two years)
Pinot Gris, Van Duzer, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2009
Belle Pente, Estate, 2007 75
J. Christopher, Dundee Hills, 2007
Dusky Goose, Willamette Valley 2006
EIEIO, Cuvée I, Willamette Valley 2006 80
EIEIO, Stermer, Willamette Valley 2006 90
EIEIO, Wind Hill, Willamette Valley 2006 90
Et Fille, Kalita, Willamette Valley 2007 80
Et Fille, Maresh, Willamette Valley 2007 80
Et Fille, Willamette Valley 2007 60
Patricia Green, Balcombe Block 1B, Willamette Valley 2009 100
Lemelson, Jerome Reserve, Willamette Valley 2008 95 Lemelson, Stermer, Willamette Valley, 2008 75
Penner Ash, Willamette Valley 2008 95
Shea Wine Cellars, Shea Vineyards, Willamette Valley 2008 110
Shea Wine Cellars, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley 2007 110
Sinnean, Willamette Valley 2008 70
St. Innocent, Freedom Hill, Willamette Valley 2008 75
St. Innocent, White Rose, Willamette Valley 2008 85
Ken Wright, Abbott Claim, Willamette Valley 2008 90
Ken Wright, Savoya, Willamette Valley 2008 90
(The ones that are linked have given us a bottle in the past.)
That night we had dinner at the Korean Ambassador's house with the Holt delegates and a few noted pols. No Oregon wines were served but the food was out of this world!

We had lunch at Oyamel and it became our go-to place for a quick lunch and a little cocktail! Small plates of interesting combination and lots for Linda to graze on (vegetarian). No Oregon wines but they had a great drink menu!
After seeing so many galleries, museums, walking the mall from the Lincoln Memorial, to the Viet Nam Memorial, to the White House to the Capital, and beyond, we were about worn out and I considered renting a Segway! We spent the last two days seeing the American Indian Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and the Newseum. All these are must see places.

I got a nice surprise at the American Indian Museum. As I walked up on the second floor there was a table with a sheet of paper hung from it that said Bartow and had a big arrow pointing in to a side room. Sure enough, Rick was giving a drawing workshop! Great to see an Oregonian there. His work holds prominent places throughout the Museum.

The Newseum is too much to try to explain, just go and enjoy. It takes at least two days to see everything but you will not regret the time spent.
Last stop before going out to the Reagan was the Capital Grille. It felt a little odd being in such a storied place with lots of interesting people but bless Open Table for finding us a reservation right at noon! The food was good and the service was impeccable. The wine list was carefully selected and included some very good Oregon wines among there 5000 bottle collection.
Great flight home to happy cats, a nice soft bed, and back on the diet, though with all the walking I only gained one pound!

Quick Update

I went to the Travel Lane County Adventure Center Tuesday night and tasted High Pass' '09 Pinot Noir and the rest of their wines, including a wonderful '09 Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot has a really unusual nose and it took me a while to nail it: BACON! Just a hint, but really smokey and meaty. The taste is mellow and rich with good tannins and acid balance and has a very pleasant finish. This one will be very good in a couple of years. They gave us a bottle of the Pinot Noir for the auction, the first '09 Pinot Noir we have revived.

Yesterday a ran up to Noble to take a picture for the collection of etchings I am making of all the Lane County Wineries and had an chance to taste one of the best '09's yet and though  I have not tasted very many, I am betting on this one. Free run from new vines that were under a lot of stress. Mild, soft and wonderful! We were tasting it cold and it still showed great character and balance. No vegital aftertaste, just velvet on the tongue. Can't wait to taste it again today at Sip!

On the Road to Carlton

Carlton, Oregon has become a center for wine and has as many tasting rooms, wineries, and eateries as any small town I have ever been to. Today I plan to visit a few that are open this time of year and take some tasting notes. Seven of Hearts, Luminous Hills, and Alexana have already donated a bottle each but I may just pop in for a taste anyway.
My main targets today will be Carlton Cellars, Ghost Hill, Solena, and a couple of others that I hope are open, like the Carlton Winemakers Studio, Cana's Feast, and Cliff Creek.

First stop, Cana's Feast for a visit with my face-book buddy Jason, winemaker, tasting room dude, and soon to be Australian traveler and wine maker. He served up a tasting of all the wines that were out and one that was not. First in line was a new Pinot Noir. An 08, from the Gran Moraine vineyard due east of Carlton up high with sedimentary soils. This wine shows lots of red fruit in the nose with earthy tones. Dry mouth feel and a hint of chocolate and toast over red berry. Nice $20 Pinot Noir, and it will age well, say 5-7 years.
Watch this space for notes tonight.
Next came one of my old favorites, the '07 Barbera. This wine is all blackberry nose with a hint of blackberry layered over more blackberry. Taste? Guess. Love this one and it is not as simple as I might let on. It is a deep dark wine with layer after layer of infused dark fruit, spice and wood. 
 I then tasted the surprise wine, an '09 Counoise , a blending grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley,
used in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
It was light, low tannin, subtle, and a surprise. 

As we were chatting a couple came in and started their round of tastes. They were from North Carolina and were both retired school teachers from New York.Mel and Moreen Hauser. Very nice to talk opera with them as we are both going to Portland Opera Thursday night to see Turandot. Small world indeed!
They had been driving upp the west coast stopping in various wineries along the way and had come to Carlton for much the same reason had I.
The '07 Sangiovasi was next and was also the wine Cana's feast donated this year. A full bodied, raspberry taste with rich ripe notes of soft black fruits and a long pleasant finish of spice at the back of the tongue.
We tasted the '07 and '06 Syrahs back to back and as neither was even a little spineless, it was quite a match up;,the '06 leather and wood with black raspberry fruit, long soft tones of spice and earth. The '07 was blended with a bit of Viognier to mellow it and give it polish. It was a much more formal Syrah with hibiscus on the nose and a blueberry and plum taste. Lovely wine!

When I left I told the Hausers to make sure they stopped at Alexana for a taste and I headed there for my next adventure. Christie had given me a bottle of the '08 Shea vineyard Pinot Noir on my last trip through but I had no time to taste so today was all about taking time.
The two whites, a '09 Pinot Gris from the Revana vineyard and a  Riesling from  the same vineyard were a nice change from all the big heavy reds I had been sipping. The pinot Gris fills the nose with light dry straw and bright fruits followed by semi-sweet tastes of pear, spiced tea, and green apple. Soft mouth feel with a lingering spice finish. Lovely wine.
The '09 Riesling was a bit of a surprise! I lived in Germany and was used to that diesel or kerosene smell when I first opened a bottle of really fine Riesling. This one has just a hint of that smell followed by burnt sugar, apricot, and gives way to soft peach and white peach. I bought a bottle to take home and hide from myself for a few years.
All these wines are made by Lynn Penner-Ash and show her skill, especially the '08 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. There is little I can say about this wine that would do it justice, high score from the wine mags, smokey black ripe fruit with chocolate and earth and spiced coffee finish. I could taste this for days and get a new hit every time. Truly an Oregon Pinot Noir!

A Long Way From Michigan

Sarver Winery sits high up on the side of a hill overlooking the southern Willamette Valley and the Cascades. The view is nearly as good as the wine.

I was greeted by Baby, a wild beast, who's forelegs lifted off the ground when he barked. He kept looking back over his shoulder making sure I was following, and when I turned to get something out ofmy new Subaru he became VERY upset and had to start leading me all over again.
Erin Sarver was the host  at the tasting room today where I finally got to spend some quality time with their wines. My mission was two fold, I ask for, and was given a bottle of their fine, and very under-priced '08 Estate Pinot Noir, and I took a few pictures, one of which will become an etching to add to the growing collection of Lane County winery prints.
Erin poured a clean toned, steel aged '09 Pinot Gris that had a almost smoky nose, with hints of sugar and warm fruit. The taste was pear and green apple with a touch of hibiscus and minerals. Each taste brought forward a new twist.
Next was an '09 Pinot Gris from the estate  that was finished on the lees . Not oaky at all, just tropical, warm, and soft. Lots of passion fruit hidden among the green grapes and white fruits. Lovely finish.
The Pinot Noir, an '08 estate grown beauty, was remarkable. This is one of the most pleasing wines I have tasted this year. A nose of chocolate, coffee, and creme caramel. This gives way to tastes of plums and dried figs, laced with soft chocolate. The finish is long and there is no after bite at all. At $20 it is almost a sin! Great now but really nice in about 3-5 years.
The people in the tasting room laughed at my take on the '05 Cabernet Sauvignon but when you go and taste it, think of a hot, dry field of ripe watermelons, the vines drying in the sun, and smell that off sweet, dusty, almost over ripe odder. THAT is what came to mind when I stuck my nose in the glass! The taste is of prunes, dark berry, hints of dark chocolate and a faint hint of alfalfa. This is from Rouge Valley fruit and it has a lot of body, a nice finish, and will last for many more years.
erin poured an '08 Yakima Syrah that was  hot, with black fruit and bold forward taste, pleasant pepper finish, all in all a very good wine and the price is very reasonable $22.
The wine I liked least was a '07 Napa Petite Syrah. Green nose, green in the mouth, and a vegital finish. Erin says it is usually round and big fruited but she could not get this one to open. I will try it again.Don't know enough about it to comment farther but others in the tasting room seemed to like it so"each to his own".
The tasting room is roomy and they have a lovely patio overlooking the valley. they also serve a variety of foods such as old-world salamis, patés, and freshly baked baguettes.
Visit soon! You will not be disappointed. And check out their events.
Oh, and I got the tree that I will use in their etching. Watch this space;)

Wine Spectator' List of Oregon Wines With Scores

This is Wine Spectator's alphabetical list of Oregon wines with the score included. Some surprises and some disagreements. Some of the wines need more time laying down and are now coming in to their own, such as Ghost Hill's '08 Pinot Noir, and Brandborg's Bench lands '08 Pinot Noir.

Wine	Score	Price
A TO Z WINEWORKS
Chardonnay Oregon 2008	87	$14
Night & Day Southern Crossing Rogue Valley 2007	87	$15
Pinot Gris Oregon 2009	88	$12
Pinot Noir Oregon 2008	90	$20
ABACELA
Albariño Umpqua Valley 2009	88	$18
Tempranillo Southern Oregon 2008	87	$20
ACROBAT
Pinot Gris Oregon 2009	87	$12
Pinot Noir Oregon 2009	88	$18	MORE

OK, Last Trip

This morning after a pleasant drive past Fern Ridge reservoir to LaVelle Vineyards I got to taste one of the most promising wines yet for the '08 vintage. Mathew LaVelle let me sample his '08 Reserve Pinot Noir($40) and I am impressed. This is realy his first attempt at making the wine himself and he picked a good year to start.
The wine was of course not ready to drink as it has only been in the bottle for a short time but it has so much character already that I can only imagine what it will be like in 2 or three years.Mostly made with 777 and Pommard with a little estate grown 115, it has great combination of dark aromas and delicate flavors.
The nose right now is filled with chocolate, earth, and warm fruit. Very aromatic and lush. The taste goes quickly from a tart cherry to a sweet berry. Delicate and long lasting with hints of sweet strawberry on the back of the tognue. The finish satys with you for a very long time and each sip brings up a new layer of flavors and complexity.
This wine has that rare quality of strength and delicacy and is, as Mathew put it, "...so much going on yet still is very feminine"
After leaving LaVelle I made a quick trip around the corner to see Buzz at Domaine Meriwether and pick up his wonderful donation of a magnum of '99 Captain Clark Vintage Cuvee'($75).
His new building is coming along fast and the epoxy is on the floor of the winery. As soon as that is all done they start on the front, which will be a large and modern tasting room with office space and storage. It has been designed by a friend who also does some architectural work in Las Vegas.
I can't wait to see waht it looks like when finished.
Wee, That about does it for the year. I have driven more miles and visited more wineries than I ever could have imagined.
Starting soon I will be doing more in depth interviews and will be filming some of the winemakers as the year progresses.
Hope you enjoyed this year as much as I did!

Bend to Bonanza to Ashland to Cave Junction, then Home

Got a late start on Tuesday but made good time with a stop in Blue River for a burger. Arrived in  Bend about 2:00 and headed straight for Volcano Vineyards new tasting room where Scott greeted me with a glass of Viognier. Very nice, unfined and unfiltered and in a box no less. Tasty, so much so that I ended the evening much later with (?) glasses. Lots of white peach, pear and floral nose. Soft  and pleasant on the pallet with an appealing aftertaste. 15 months in neutral French oak, finished on the leas.
Tasted the '06 Syrah ($29) also. Liked the smell of hard sweet plums, nice and spicy with a black cherry, plum, and coco taste and a long complex finish. This is the wine I selected for the auction.
The blend of '06 and '07 Merlot was really interesting. Lots of black fig in the nose and a soft plum and fig taste with a spicy finish. Great food wine.
They have been looking at a new space for both the winery and tasting room and should have some progress to report soon.

I was impressed by what Bend has become even as the economic downturn has hit very hard there. The industry in Bend and the surrounding areas has been, as far as I can ever recall, housing. The growth they experienced in the 70's through the 2000's had been remarkable, but now that the market has slowed, there are signs of distress everywhere. Galleries seem to be the first to go and I saw some empty spaces. But, I also saw hope and there was an element of hope in the air. The new hotel, The Oxford, makes quite an impression indeed. Located in the heart of downtown it fills the need for a truly upscale venue, lacking in Bend proper, and it is much nicer than any of the outlying "resort" hotels.

The lobby is modern yet warm, with nice use of color and shape, cool and calm says it all. The rooms are perfectly appointed and have a stately feel, akin to some of the more elegant Swedish or Danish upscale hotels. They have a beautiful workout room overlooking the town from the top floor, and a restaurant, Ten Under, that looked as if it were a well kept secret for those in the know.The concierge, Julie, is knowledgeable and friendly, with suggestions for places to visit and places to eat. She is a native so she knows all the best places, and is very smart, so she can glean for your manner and demeanor what you might like, a very handy but usually lacking quality in a concierge.
I have not had as pleasant a nights sleep in a hotel in years. Highly recommend a visit!

After getting settled, I strolled through downtown and enjoyed a relaxing visit with the owner of Mockingbird gallery, Jim Peterson. One of my all time favorite artists,  Ed Koch, formally of Eugene, shows his work there (over Jim's shoulder) and is worth the trip over just to see his work.Beautiful gallery! Lots of bronze and many good northwest painters.
I walked out and ran in to two young girls who were doing a street art project for school, randomly photographing people on the street in front of a sheet pinned to the wall. I turned the tables on them.

Next was a stop at a cute little wine shop called  The Good Drop. Well stocked with Northwest wines and a collection of rarities in the basement.
Back to the Hotel and then back to Volcano for a few sips.
Fish and chips at some bar next door to the hotel, then off to a night of bad TV and a good rest.
Morning came with a soft gray sky and I thought I was in for a dank day. After checking out and stopping for breakfast down the block, I headed south to Klamath Falls, then to Bonanza.
There is good reception down there so I was able to get good directions and get to the winery without much trouble.
This is really not where you would exspect to find a winery, but boy do I like the wine!

12 Ranch was at the Newport show and I was told that if I came down to visit and I think they were a bit surprised that I did.
Ken and Connie use Hungarian oak and it imparts a very unusual nose and richness to the pallet.
If you have ever been on a farm and smelled the wonderfully rich and pleasant aroma of freshly opened bale of straw hay, you know the smell I am referring to. That is a close as I can come to describing the first notes I got on the nose along with a deep rich dried fruit and a soft, elegant mouthfeel of the '05 Syrah ($25).
I also tasted the Merlot and was equally impressed: Same nose with more plum and spice. So good!
They are building their tasting room and winery and looking at the progress, I bet they will be done by the end of Summer. Landscaping is lovely also.

They gave me directions on how to get to Ashland the best way. To bad I did not listen... I ended up on the curviest road in Oregon! I would not advise anyone who gets car sick to even look at on a map!
When I got to Ashland and Weisingers of Ashland winery it was 4:30 and I needed a glass of wine!
I got in just as they were beginning to close up and so did a few other folks so they staid open till 6:00. I tasted all the wines and was especially taken with the Mescolare Lot 17 '05 ($26).
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Nebbiolo and has a deep purple color that speaks of things to come. Rich dark berry with hints of spice and anise. Long finish with a sweet note on the sides of the tongue. Robert gave me this one for the collection.
I also had to agree with Katie and Stephen Wagner that the '05 Cabernet was outstanding; Lots of Chocolate, coco, leather, black cherry and soft spice. really  nice wine.
Hope they make it to the auction.
I drove north to Medford and to my go to hotel there, Red Lion. Cheap, clean, quiet, and most of all, close to 38 Central.
I walked over and had a great hamburger with a perfectly dressed salad paired with Pebblestone's '07 Merlot. Perfect!
Sad news in the morning. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Charles Dowd, passed away. My wife gave me the news and I had a somber drive in the pouring rain out to Cave Junction.
First stop was Bridgewiew Winery for a six pack of thier Blue Moon wines:
1 bottle each
'06 “Blue Moon” Chardonnay, '08 “Blue Moon” Pinot Gris, '08 “Blue Moon” Riesling, '07 “Blue Moon” Merlot       '06 “Blue Moon” Cabernet/Merlot'06 “Blue Moon” Cabernet Sauvignon ($60)
Here is Lelo posing with a bottle of the Blue Moon Riesling.
I stopped to visit with the swans that live in the pond outside.
Last stop:

Foris Vineyards and Winery for a bottle of perfectly developing '06 Pinot Noir($30) from .
Forest floor, maple, sweet spice, and black cherry on the nose with lots of dark fruit with notes of fresh strawberry. Lush mouthfeel with a shorter but very pleasant finish. This wine has change over the last year in the bottle in to an even more complex and interesting, food friendly (roast pork?) wine. Dena said that the '07 is going like mad in Manhattan, where they sell a lot of their wines. If you have not been to the Oregon Caves, make the trip and make the stop at Foris.
I only have a few more stops to make for the rest of wines. but I plan to keep the blog going with video interviews with the winemakers and owners as well as the folks who work the tasting rooms.

Wine Sorting: Almost Done!

Delivering one more case to the collection building at The Abbey was very satisfying. Rebecca and I uncased over two hundred wines and sorted them by varietal. We ended up with almost 100 Pinot Noirs, lots of Gris, Cabs, and assorted reds and whites.Exciting to see them all laid out! Thibaud Mandet, the winemaker at Willakenzie Estates, gave a Magnum of Alliette and a mixed case of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris for the tables at the auction.
I still have about a case of Willamette Valley wines to gather, and a trip to Hood River, Bend, Lakeview, and Cave Junction the I think I am done for this year!

After sorting, Thibaud and Rebecca took me to Cuvee in Carlton for a wonderful meal and a bottle of  great red, then a bottle of Gamay Noir made by Thibaud at Willakenzie. The food was superb. I started with a liver pate' with bread crisps, hot mustard, and home made humus, followed by pork loin. Gilbert Henry outdid himself on this one!
This morning I drove through to mountains to Hebo and then back on 22 to Dundee just to find out where the road went. Its a guy thing... Back to the Abbey and listing wines for the table, the "wall of wines" and the Mystery wines that will be the center pieces on the tables. Rebecca decided what wines would fit best together in the case lots and put some very special cases together. One lot of two cases consists of 12 wines made by women, and twelve made by men. Another is just signed bottles, 4 regular, four Magnums.

A quick lunch at Farm to Fork: Duck Confit Salad. Presentation was 4 stars. Blue cheese, black figs, crumbled hazelnuts, greens, and cooked table grapes, Duck leg done to perfection for a mid day repast! The wine I chose was more out of curiosity. It was the "Open Book"  and it was a little to big and fruity for what I had. I should have ordered a great '07 that had more complexitty and grace.
The "Open Book" was good alone and also would have worked with a darker meal.
Two days off to go to a play in Portland and the Daffodil Festival in Junction City, then back on the road!

202 Bottles of Wine for the Ball

Morgan Broadly was pleased to hear how well his Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir had done  last year in combination with Bergstrom Shea, and Shea's own wine, $300 each for the bottles. This time he gave us an '08 Shea Vineyard($50) and says that it tasted out very well at a gathering of winemakers recently. Very exciting to have another, and this year we have Alaxana's Shea, Bergstrom's, and I hope soon, Dick Shea's also. Morgan said that he had been at a tasting of some of the top wineries and that the '08s were showing well but most were not as "big" as the '06. I have tasted a few and have been impressed.
I headed north to Corvallis for a visit with my friend Jerry at Wineopolis but he was out so I stopped by the Pioneer Hopyard Vineyards tasting room located at

255 SW Madison Ave, and was given the '03 Pinot Noir ($19). This wine won a Bronze Medal at the 2005 Oregon State Fair and  is ripe with  huckleberry, blackberries, and currant. Long sweet finish with loads of acid and tannins. Drinkable now but you can keep it another 5-8 years. They keep the wine back for a number of years before releasing them. They are worth a stop, and yes, they are in a jewelry store but they have a wide selection of wines for sale including many Oregon wines.
Next stop was the Spring Hill Country Club to pick up a round for the 18@18 part of the auction. You can see how far I have to go at Oregon Golf and Music Project.

I left there and stopped by Springhill Cellars to pick up a bottle of the '07 Pinot Noir.
This wine needs time in the bottle. It has enough tannins and should mellow after a few more years. Very herbaceous, with sage, fresh cut Chard, dusty leather, black current, and a subtle hint of strawberry jam. A little harsh on first sip but much better on the second. It has lots of room mid-pallet for red sauce or spicy meats or pizza.

Had a nice drive up to Highway 22 on back roads and even the dairy farm that usually smells SOOO bad was calm. When I got to Red Hawk Vineyard and Winery I was treated to a pleasant visit with Betty, the owner, and Brandi who was doing the tasting (seen here) a taste of some very yummy wines, my favorites being the '08 Gamay Noir with tropical notes with red fruit and honey on the nose with a chocolate cherry, anise, and pepper taste. very approachable, good starter wine. The '08 Syrah was delicious! Big black fruit with notes of spice and earth, a little pepper on the back. I picked up a bottle of the '08Grateful Red ($15), also a good drinking wine. Able to stand alone or with food, it has soft black fruit, earth and slight hint of chocolate and strawberry. Long finish with spice.
I love the view from up on the hill. They look down over the Willamette and you can see for miles. Great place for a visit and a taste.
On the way through Dayton I stopped at Joel Palmer House to ask for a donation of a meal for two . Heidi and Chris Czarnecki gave a certificate for dinner for two and Heidi gave an overnight stay at Fox Farm Cottages., 
The Abbey outside of Lafayette is where all the wine for the auction is being kept, along with thousands of of other cases of Oregon wines so I called Rebecca and let her know I was getting close. We unloaded 5 cases of wine from the car and moved it to our assigned space along with all the other cases and magnums. It is getting pretty populated with good wines!

I got to McMinniville about 5:00 and instead of trying to hit any wineries I just went to my friend Thibaud's  house and put my things away. He came home and started marinating steaks and cutting up vegetables, and opening wine.Rebecca showed up with the rest of the fixings and we talked over some of his delicious wines By the time the food was ready we had developed quite an appetite and were ready for something besides great wine. Rebecca sugested the idea of having wineries sponsor tables at the auction for $200 and 6 bottles of their wines, three red, three white for the table.. They would get two seats and be able to talk about their wines, and they would get to stand for acknowledgment when their wines came up for auction.

Great meal, great company, and a much needed nights sleep and I was ready to face the day.

After a Latte' at the Safeway Starbucks I Drove up the hill through the dense fog of the morning to Winderlea Vineyard and Winery, where Donna and the dog gave me a bottle of the '07 Estate Pinot Noir ($50) and a beautiful box for it.From their tasting notes:The 2007 “Estate” pinot noir (formerly Goldschmidt) was picked on Sept 29th and Oct 15th. The core of the wine is two new blocks of Pommard planted in 2005 which we allowed to ferment in our new Taransaud wood fermenters. The remaining fruit was fermented in stainless steel and macro bins. In addition to being fermented in wooden tanks, the Estate was barrel aged in French oak barrels for 9 months prior to being bottled in August. (more) Last year the '06 Estate went for $150 in the silent auction so I look forward to another great sale.
I was sorry to have missed Bill but I will make a trip up just to sit on their deck and watch the vines grow.  I drove over to Four Graces, where as luck would have it, I had won their Facebook friends prize of a very neat zippered vest, a t-shirt, and an insulated wine bag that holds two bottles!
Melanie made sure I had the right size, XXL unfortunately, but I am working on it.
Driving out to Brooks Winery I realized I was almost out of gas so I turned back (that is so hard to do!) and filled up in Lafayette. I caught Heather before she had to leave and we tasted some of their wonderful wines.
The story of this winery is at once tragic and uplifting. The founder passed away at a very early age and his sister took over management, but ownership went to his young son, now 14,. the youngest winery owner in the world. I encourage you to visit and enjoy the wonderful energy coming from the staff and from the winery. I did not get to taste the wines that were selected for the White House State Dinner but you can buy them! I left with a bottle of the '08 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir($25). From their notes: On the nose beautiful primary aromas of minerals,dusty bing cherries, blueberries, beeswax, redcurrants, blackberries, spice, roses and a mouthwatering cornucopia of small red fruits pour from the glass. As the wine sits in the glass more dark and savory aromatics of tobacco, tar, smoke, freshly picked plums, bitter orange peel and grilled bread emerge.(more)
I had fun driving over the top of the hill and down the other side and in to Amity for a quick burger at Ashes Cafe, then a visit to Coelho Winery. They have a wonderful tasting room filled with fine wines and chocolate from the Brigantine monastery so you can indulge at least two vices while you are there.
This year they gave us a bottle of their '06 Divertimento Pinot Noir ($18). I will stop by again and taste it as they have no tasting notes posted as of yet. I am sure that even though it is 4 years in the bottle that is has enough structure to last for a while longer. Listen to Dave talk about his wines here in a video done by VineStories.
They are working on a huge project that will change the face of Amity, a new winery and tasting room with lots of space right on highway 99.
I drove back toward the north to Kristen Hill Winery where I picked up a bottle of an '02 Pinot Noir. This is a really small winery with a tasting room located in an adjacent house surrounded by Daffodils. Rustic and pleasant and they make really good wines. From their notes:

family owed and operated. Produces about 1000 cases per year. Specialty is sparkling wine. Our wines are served with down home friendliness in our German style tasting room next to the vineyards. You'll have such a pleasant experience, you won't want to leave. Great for novice wine tasters as we try to impart some wine education during the tasting. Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Blush, Port are also available as well as our 3 sparkling wines. No tasting fee.
I made a stop at Left Coast Cellars and met a very old dog, and nasty cat ( who has been seen dragging unsuspecting tasters in to the bushes), and a beautiful woman, Devon. The latter helped me through the tasting of their wonderful wines. 
The '07 Rose' of Pinot Noir is a very good afternoon in the sun kind of wine, light, yet rich with melon and soft red berry, and a taste of fruit cocktail and cherry. Not an overly sweet wine and no hint of grapefruit or citrus. Nice finish with just a little bit of sharpness.the most surprising wine was the '08 Left Bank Pinot Blanc. It has qualities that are hard to find in a white. Lots of good fruits like guava, banana, pineapple, kiwi, white grape, and citrus but with a remarkable mouthfeel of softness and body. It has one of the most complex endings I have tasted in a Pinot Blanc. I left with a bottle of the '05 Estate Grown Pinot Noir.
I drove over to Rickreal for a taste and a bottle from Cherry Hill Winery's new tasting room. Linda and I went to the Valentine's Day tasting there so I knew what I wanted. The new '08 Syrah($29), using Del Rio fruit, is a hit. Smokey, earthy, candied fruit, lush, soft mouthfeel, long finish. Like this a lot. Next stop was the Emerson Winery where I met the assistant winemaker and the owner and picked up a bottle of the '07 Avelina Pinot Noir. from Tom. From their tasting notes;
Showing excellent extraction, 2007 Avelina Pinot Noir is a deep ruby-garnet color in the glass. Clean and expressive scents of sweet currant and kirsch immediately greet the senses, followed by hints of spice, subdued oak, and perfumy, blossomy highlights. A taste reveals an intense, round, hedonistic wine built on flavors of black cherry and currant, giving way to exotic spices, vanilla, smoke, and minerality.(more)
Driving back the long way, I hoped to catch Lumos or Harris Bridge wineries open. No such luck.

The gathering will intensify over the next weeks leading up to the auction as I have about 55 more wineries that gave last year that I have not been to yet!

Jacksonville, Medford, and Grass Pants, part two of three

Oh what a beautiful morning! raining in Medford and Jacksonville but as I entered the Applegate Valley, the clouds opened and the sun began to shine.
I had a loose appointment with Bill at Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden and had a really pleasant drive through the southern valley. Cow Horn is a biodynamic vineyard that produces award winning wines. Northwest Palette says: There’s much buzz about biodynamics in the Northwest wine world. A kind of über-organic agriculture discipline, it sees the farm as a holistic energy system, and demands extra time, care, and commitment from the farmer. If you want to know how good biodynamically grown and made wine can taste, seek out this wine from Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. (more) 

Bill offered up a bottle of the Spiral 36($18) a Rhône-style white blend of Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne. 
He also offered a tour and tasting for six as an auction item. He was getting ready to bottle but was happy to show me around and show me the new area of vineyards they are planting. He was also excited about an article about the recycling programs they have for bottles and corks. Watch the video here
They have their own bottling line and they were cleaning it while I was there. There is a LOT of cleaning involved in winemaking, mostly to control unwanted yeasts. I did not want to hold him up so I took off to my next stop, Valley View Winery. They 
don't open until 11:00 so I stopped at the Outpost for some great chili and conversation with Tiffany, the owner the Outpost and the Feed store. She has been working on this project for a year. After the former tenet left she decided to take a chance. While I was there she sold  a fishing license and tag, and got a request for a bunch of washers by a guy working on his boat. Stop by for a visit and say hello.

 When I got to Valley View Winery I had time to taste while waiting for Mark Wisnovsky the President, to get out of his meeting.  Sarah led me through tastings of:
'08 Viognier: Lower in alcohol, fresh nose of bright fruit and vanilla and peach on the tongue. Nice finish.
Anna Maria Chardonnay 2007: Very nice. After 30 years of winemaking they still have it right! Nose of citrus, pineapple, and with a taste of vanilla, fresh pineapple, and butterscotch. I recommend it with crab cakes.
Anna Maria Syrah Rogue Valley 2006: 2 years in oak give this a slight maple syrup, dark black cherry, and ripe plum, back taste of plum and spice.
 Anna Maria Merlot 2004: 9 months in oak give this a nice sweet butter under taste with black current and a great acid/sugar balance.
Anna Maria Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: This one wins Gold at this weekends Newport Wine and Seafood festival!  Black cherry and ripe plum, overtones of vanilla, and earth with aftertaste of vanilla and plum. Really a great wine!
Mark came out of his meeting and after some consideration, gave a bottle of the '06 Cabernet Sauvignon($24). One of my all time favorite Cabs came from Valley View way back in 1978.I had just returned from Germany for a visit before coming back permanently and drove my little 912 down to Ashland for a play and made a stop at one of the only wineries around. Anne sold me a case of the 1976 Cab and I got stung on the wrist by a hornet and dropped a bottle. What a waste! I wish I still had a bottle of that one.

Next stop, Fiasco. I interrupted Pamela, who was looking for a little solitude and instead, got me. If you have not been to visit them, go soon! The tasting room, their ideas, and the wine, are all worth the trip. They have a dirt floor, wine in barrels, and they sell jugs to the locals just like they do in Europe, where you can refill your jar of house wine. Very clever. Pamela led me though several of the wines from both Fiasco and from Jacksonville Winery which they also own. They donated one bottle from each winery.
From Fiasco, '05 Cabernet Sauvignon($38): Aged 38 months in French oak, this Cabernet is 85% Cab Sauv and 15% Merlot. Straw and earth with berry on the nose, rich plum and cherry with notes of vanilla and sage, cedar and toasted bread.
From Jacksonville Vineyard, '06 Merlot : Aged in oak for 30 months. Annis, clove, and sweet beery nose, lots of dry plum and dark berry flavors. Nice lasting finish.
I also recommend the '06 Super Tuscan, very good lighter red with great acid balance. Try it with Red sauce!  Really, all the wines I tasted were good to great. They are frequent award winners and should be a for sure stop on your trips South.

I did not get to taste at Longsword Vineyard but Tony gave me a bottle of their Accolade, a sparkling wine made originally for a family wedding but continued because of the demand. Love this one. We had some a few years ago when the tasting room was out by the road in a little fruit stand!
 I ask Matthew Sorensen about the rocks I had seen on the way in under the rows and he said "Got lots of rocks and this keeps the weeds down, keeps the vines warm, and collects moisture." It may take him a while to do all the rows but like he said, lots of rocks. Looks cool also!Devitt Winery is lust up the road and has a long history in wine. Brendon gave a gift certificate good foe ANY bottle(up to $35) of their wine. His grandfather, who owned and made wine for Pope Valley Winery in Napa, makes all the wines and they are tasty indeed!
Tasting the wines was a treat.The '07 Precipice: A 50/50 blend of Merlot and Zin, this wine gives up cane berry, chocolate, and spice to the nose,  with pepper front and back, and black current and sweet cherry notes.
Next came a smokey berry filled '07 Syrah with a rich mouthfeel and hints fo burnt sugar on the sides of the tongue.
My favorite is the '05 Cabernet Sauvignon: Black currents over dry blackberry and hint of sweet plum. Very good wine with lots of subtle flavors unfolding as you sip. I did not taste the 2007 Le Petite Oink" Labled and bottled as "WHEN PIGS FLY" but I plan on acquiring a bottle for a very good friend as a gift. He collects pigs and is one of the finest winemakers in Oregon, and he has a sense of humor!