After the long spring and early summer of rain showers and chilly temperatures, we were ready to hit the road going south for some sunshine and wine. Our two day jaunt took us to Hood River, Oregon and the Salem, Oregon area – to find some interesting wines for our wine club members.
What a treat the Columbia Gorge area was. We have spent some time in the past near Hood River, taking in windsurfers and enjoying resorts and a restaurant or two, tasting sumptuous steelhead trout. But we have never taken the time to enjoy the wineries. Our focus on Saturday was to stay within the Hood River area and focus on only estate wines from the Columbia Gorge AVA. This small wine trail in Hood River, Oregon is part of what Oregon calls the “Fruit Loop Trail.” The entire trail is approximately 35 miles long, taking tourists and locals on beautiful winding roads leading to some large fruit orchards and wineries with incredible views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams. Although we didn’t have the time to take in the entire Loop, we did experience a small portion of it in Hood River. This area has dozens of wineries to visit within a stone’s throw of each other.
I’m sure that Lewis and Clark had no idea when they blazed the trail through this territory in 1805, that in about 200 years vineyards and wineries would be in abundance and the Gorge area would be recognized for its world-class grapes. This fairly new AVA, (established in 2004) produces some rich and full bodied wines. We were not disappointed with any wine that we tried. We did however find one common thread in all wines produced in this area. No matter if it was a full bodied red wine or a light, crisp white wine they all had a hint of minerality to their taste. It reminded me of the taste I get when I take a cold drink from a garden hose and I get that small mineral bite in my mouth. It’s a pleasant feeling and having that familiar taste in the wine was quite pleasing. Many winemakers attribute this mineral taste to the fact that the climate in this area is well defined and its soils have accumulated from floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides.
First stop, Pheasant Valley Winery.
This is a beautiful winery with spectacular views. The grounds are laced with vineyards, organic pear and apple orchards, lavender fields and beautiful flowers. The large veranda with ceiling fans and comfortable chairs, draw you in and encourage you to take a wine glass in hand, kick back and let the day slowly slip away. Once you enter the large spacious tasting room you will immediately be drawn to the large antique historic bar that made its way around Cape Horn in 1905 and became a part of Barclays Pharmacy for over 50 years before its current location at Pheasant Valley Winery. If the weather is too cool for the veranda, then you can enjoy the comfortable seating area in front of the large rock fireplace, where an original oil painting by local artist Dennis Wentworth Porter graces the wall. This painting of Mt Hood, vineyards and flying pheasants grace the bottles of this winery.
This winery has always been known for their off-dry pear wines, which are yummy. However, we really enjoyed their 06’ Chardonnay and the 06’ Syrah, which took Double Gold and Gold in the recent Oregon Wine Awards. The 2007 McDuffee Chardonnay was excellent and is the winner of four awards (3 gold and 1 silver.) Their 07’ Zinfandel and their 05’ Pinot Noir were equally good and took the “Outstanding” award. A few bottles of each went home with us for our own pleasure and they are definite contenders for our wine selection for the month of August.
Second stop, Phelps Creek Winery. 
A tasting room in the middle of Hood River Golf Course? Ingenious! Not sure whose idea this was, but it is definitely a winner. This winery at first glance reminded me of an old general store. But a general store it’s not. The small covered patio with small wood tables is the perfect spot for a light lunch and a glass of wine with a view of the greens and fairway. Its tasting room has a lot of windows for your viewing pleasure and it’s located right next door to the Oak Grove Restaurant if you are in need of a nice meal.
Our picks were the 2008 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, which recently was rated with 92 pts by Wine Enthusiast. Winemaker Rich Cushman made a French style wine with little oak. It was a beautiful chardonnay which was slightly tart and it had definite hints of pear and melon, a perfect wine to pair with salmon. The 2009 “Le Petit” Pinot Noir was just released in June and it is only available in their tasting room during the summer months. It is a nice light pinot for summer. Very fruity with hints of strawberry and low in tannins. We also enjoyed the Fleur d Roy Rose’ of Pinot Noir, which was made by consultant winemaker Alexardine Roy from Burgundy France.
For a very affordable white and red wine blends, we were impressed with Rich Cushman’s Hellfire and Brimstone. These wines are named for the local celebrity, Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday (Nov. 1862-Nov 1935) was a popular outfielder in baseball’s National League during the 1880’s. He became a celebrated influential evangelist in the early 1900’s and he was a strong supporter of Prohibition. In 1909, he bought an apple orchard in Hood River and he and his family vacationed there for many years. Check out the wine label of Hellfire and Brimstone, with its animated picture of Billy Sunday. What a hoot that this supporter of Prohibition graces the bottles of two popular wines.
A light picnic was called for before leaving this winery. We enjoyed the patio area, where I enjoyed a chilled glass of Hellfire and my husband enjoyed a glass of the Estate Reserve Chardonnay, with our light lunch of fruit, crackers and cheese. It was tempting to hit a few golf balls off the nearby tee, but we left that for another trip.
Third stop, Cathedral Ridge Winery.
Cathedral Ridge has a full lineup of wines, dominated mostly by Bordeaux and Rhone style reds. But, the whites are equally good and should be tasted and enjoyed. The wines here are made by fourth generation winemaker Michael Sebastiani, using premium grapes that are grown by experts like Lonnie Wright from The Pines. We were very interested in this winery because our good friends and mentors of Pacific Northwest Wine Club introduced us to their wines several years ago. Tasting their wines years ago, we remember well the Chardonnay and the Syrah. We were not disappointed in the flight of wines offered here, but we were disappointed to learn that their wines did not meet our criteria for the Columbia Gorge AVA. The majority of their fruit comes from the Columbia Valley AVA and only a percentage come from the Columbia Gorge AVA. No problem though, because we will definitely feature them in January when we will feature the Columbia Valley AVA. Our club members are in for a real treat when they taste such wines as the silver award winner 2008 Reserve Chardonnay, the 2006 Syrah Reserve which earned 89 pts from the Wine Spectator as well as two gold and one bronze and we can’t leave out the 2007 Rock Star Red, which is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and
50% Syrah which earned two silver medals.
When you visit Cathedral Ridge, you will enjoy a gorgeous tasting room, friendly and knowledgeable staff and beautiful grounds. No wonder it was is the recipient of Wine Press Northwest’s prestigious Oregon Winery of the Year for 2007.
Fourth stop, Marchesi Vineyards.
By far, this was one of our favorite stops in Hood River. Italian wines are some of our favorite wines of all time. A growing group of Oregon winemakers are experimenting with Italian wine grape varieties. Franco Marchesi is one such owner/winemaker. Franco purchased an abandoned apple orchard in 2001 and he planted his favorite Northern Italian grapes in 2003. His Italian style cellar tasting room was once a chicken coop. The transformation is incredibly beautiful and inviting. Inside, you will find a mural from Italy, books on wine and historic wine-making photos. We found his staff warm, friendly and welcoming; but, it was Franco himself who warmed our heart. With his Italian accent, his warm smile, firm handshake and a gleam in his eye, he told us 
about himself, his vision and his wines. Guests are encouraged to relax on the outdoor patio that is flanked by Frantoio olive trees and spectacular views of hills reminiscent of Italy. It is there that they can enjoy the sun, the vineyards and the peacefulness. The wines for tasting are brought out to you, along with crusty bread, creamy cheese and freshly sliced salami from California. 
Now the wines….superb!! We started with the 2009 Pinot Grigio, Anjola. Franco’s 07’ Pinot Grigio took Bronze in the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. I’m sure this one is equally as good. It is a crisp, white wine with hints of pear and lemon. Next, we tasted the 08’Dolcetto, Natal, which happens to be one of my favorite varietals. Only a few winemakers in Oregon produce Dolcetto. Franco does a beautiful job with it. This was his first production and it took a silver medal at the Oregon State Fair. The 2008 Barbera, Achille, was named after his grandfather/winemaker Achille, who lived his entire life in Piemonte, Italy and had a passion for Barbera. It is a wonderful red wine with ripe cherry fruit. I can’t wait to pair my bottle with my favorite pasta dish. One of my favorite tastings was the 08’ Dry Red, Cereja. The word cereja means “greetings.” This is an incredible blend of Sangiovese, Dolcetta, Syrah with just a touch of Malbec.
We were so impressed with Franco’s wines that we plan to honor his wines at one of our upcoming wine tasting events this fall. Those of you who are Northwest Wine Quest members are in for a real treat. Those of you who are in our Meet Up Group will be encouraged to join us for this tasting as well. We will come up with a fun afternoon “touring Italy” with Franco’s wines.
Fifth stop, Wy’East Winery Vineyards. 
When you pull up to this tasting room, your first impression is that this was once a road side fruit stand. It is more than that. The tasting room is nothing fancy, but it is inviting and the wines, especially the reds are luscious. The name Wy’East, is the Native American word for Mt. Hood. Owners Dick and Christie Reed, former Chicago floor traders moved to Oregon in 1992 and began their wine business in 1996. In 2001 they joined Steve Bickford and launched Mt. Hood Winery. In 2007, the Reeds made a decision to split from Mt. hood Winery and started their own label using the vineyard’s name. They used to work with winemaker Alexis Pouillon and focused on pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. 
Now their winemaker is Peter Rosback, owner and winemaker of Sineann in Newberg, Oregon and winemaker for The Pines 1852. Dick and Christie handle most aspects of the business at Wy’East. In fact, we met Christie during our tasting. She is very proud of their winery and the wines that they produce. She likes the fact that they produce small-lot batches of premium wine. She feels that by keeping the business small, they are able to have fun doing it. We enjoy their 2008 Pinot Gris which was awarded a Platinum Medal at the 2009 Northwest Food and Wine Festival in Portland. It was the only white wine out of 500 that took home this award. It was very impressive. This is a very fruit forward Pinot Gris and Christie recommends that you pair with pears and cream cheese. Our favorite wine by far was their 2008 Pinot Noir, Blue Chip, which took a gold medal and Top Pinot Noir at the 2009 Tri-Cities Wine Festival in Kennewick, WA. It also took a silver medal at the 2009 NW Food and Wine Festival, where over 4200 wines were judged. I think Dick and Christie did the right thing when they traded their careers as floor traders at the Chicago Board Options Exchange and established Wy’East Vineyards.
Sixth stop, The Pines 1852.
Why the 1852 in its name? Could be that their vineyards feature an old zinfandel vine that was originally planted by an Italian stone mason in…that’s right, 1852! This winery was a must see. If you only have the time to visit one winery (which I feel is impossible to do), then you must stop in at The Pines 1852. It is here that you can sample a lineup of regionally grown varietals, many of which sell out quickly. According to Gretchen, the tasting-room pourer, owner Lonnie Wright is the “grape guru of the Gorge.” Lonnie has been taking care of the Pines Vineyard since 1982, when he revived the century old zinfandel vine. Over the years he added additional varietals and sold his grapes to winemakers such as Peter Rosback and other wineries in the region. In 2001, Lonnie decided to create his own label, using some of his own fruit and with the help of Peter Rosback, The Pines 1852 was created.
The tasting room is located in the downtown area of Hood River and is on the corner of 2nd and State. The tasting room is contemporary in style, showcasing many photographers and artists from the area in their art gallery. I love the idea of sipping wine while looking at art. But, this is a big “no, no.” No wine in the gallery area. Oh well, I admired the art work from afar and enjoyed what I came for…the wines. The tasting room may be contemporary, but the tasting bar is warm, and rich in feel. It’s a great place to taste their flight of wines and visit with other wine lovers or the friendly staff. Remember I mentioned that some of their wines sell out quickly? This is especially true of the Old Vine Zinfandel. We were able to taste this wine and compare it with their 2007 Zinfandel. The Old Vine Zinfandel was so delicious!!!! Gretchen was kind enough to let us have one more taste of it at the end of our visit, just to entice us to return in late September when the next vintage of Old Vine Zinfandel will be released. Believe me, I will be calling ahead to reserve some bottles (or cases) and I will be making the trip to Hood River as soon as it becomes available. I must admit that we did really enjoy the 2007 Zinfandel, which is made from plants taken from the old vine. This wine was almost sold out too, so we were excited to snag a few bottles for our own collection. Both Zinfandels are good, but the Old Vine is what I like to call “exceptional.” We also really enjoyed their white blend called Satin, which is a 50/50 blend of pinot gris and gewürztraminer. I have never tasted a blend such as this.
It is truly the best of both varietals. I’m saving my bottle for the perfect Thai dinner.
This was the end of our Saturday visit to Hood River. As we made our way back to Portland, we enjoyed stopping at a road side burger joint in Cascade Locks, Oregon. With a big burger in hand, we walked down to the bridge which crosses over to Thunder Island. In the distance we saw the Bridge of the Gods and wind surfers who were taking advantage of the warm summer breeze and the high winds off of the Columbia River. It was a nice way to end the day, even though I did not have a glass of wine in my hand. I have yet to find the perfect wine that pairs with an old fashioned burger. Sometimes, the perfect pairing is just a nice strawberry shake.
Day Two: Eola Amity Hills AVA
This AVA is quite large, and we only had time to visit three wineries before heading back home to Washington. We did our homework before leaving and we knew which wineries we wanted to visit. Our first stop was Cristom Vineyards. We had visited this tasting room about eight years ago and we purchased an expensive bottle of Pinot that we cellared for 5 years. We opened it two years ago during an intimate dinner with friends and we were blown away by the flavors of this wine. We were excited to visit this tasting room again to see what might pique our interest. Well, visiting this gorgeous tasting room was not meant to be. The tasting room was crowded with visitors who had just arrived on a large tour bus. There was no room at the bar, and it was impossible to hear ourselves much less visit with the tasting room staff. We decided to move on and we will visit Cristom in the future when we are back in the Salem area.
For those of you who have never visited Cristom Vineyards, it is well worth the stop. They pour their “smooth, elegant wines” in large wine glasses and their tasting room offers views of Mt Jefferson, the Eola Hills, and beautiful flower beds grace their property. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic and a glass of fine wine.
Our next stop St. Innocent Winery.
We have heard many wonderful things about winemaker Mark Vlossak. He and other investors started St. Innocent Winery in 1988. This winery is named after Mark’s father, John Innocent Vlossak, who was a wine importer and shared his knowledge and passion for the business when Mark was a young man. Mark was initially known for his sparkling wines which were made in the method champenoise style beginning in 1988 through 2000. I would like to have tried his sparkling creations, but I will have to wait until late 2013 when his 2006 vintage of Blanc de blanc will be released.
Mark is widely known for his Pinot. I love Mark’s philosophy behind his winemaking. He believes that the “function of wine is to complement and extend the pleasure of a meal. The characteristics of a wine should enhance different food and flavor combinations – this interaction amplifies the pleasure of a meal.” I couldn’t agree more! Mark must know what he is talking about because he has received glowing reviews over the years from the likes of Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.
We enjoyed many of Mark’s Pinots but our focus was solely on the Pinot from the Eola Amity AVA. Our picks were the 2008 Village Cuvee Pinot Noir, and the 2008 Temperance Pinot Noir. The 2008 Village Cuvee was bottled in 11/09 and according to Mark, this is a “beautiful bottle from one of the greatest Oregon vintages in the past 30 years. “ We enjoyed the layered structure that this wine had. From the first sip to the finish, it continued to develop in my mouth. It took me a moment or two before I was ready to move on to the next wine.
The 2008 Temperance Hill Pinot noir has a definite hint of smoke and earthiness. This is how I like my Pinot! Mark thinks that this is the perfect Pinot for summer barbecue. I couldn’t agree more. Since my husband and I have a side business called Brothers BBQ, we know a lot about BBQ (not grilling folks). This would pair beautifully with his smoked sweet chicken or pulled pork. Needless to say a bottle of this one went home with me….”Honey, let’s fire up the ole’ smoker!”
Now I need to mention Mark’s 2008 Zenith Vineyard Estate Tempranillo which he makes for Tim and Kari Ramey, who are the proud owners of Zenith Vineyards. This vineyard was formerly known as the O’Connor Vineyard, which was at one time a major supplier of grapes to St. Innocent Winery. Purchased in 2002 by Tim and Kari Ramey, they renamed it Zenith Vineyard and they supply grapes to such wineries as A to Z Wineworks, Seufert Winery, Adelsheim Vineyard, St. Innocent and others. As I tasted the wines in St. Innocent’s beautiful tasting room, I noticed an article that was written about Mark’s amazing Tempranillo. I had no idea that Mark made Tempranillo. I was informed that he makes it for the Zenith label and most of it is sold or accounted for. It was not available for tasting. This really piqued my interest. After reading the article I became aware that the 2008 vintage was Mark’s 3rd vintage and this classic Spanish varietal takes on new qualities, since it is grown in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Without tasting it, I asked if I could purchase a bottle. Michelle Mitchell (sales manager for St. Innocent) was kind enough to locate a bottle for me. It took some effort on her part to find this wine and I am grateful for her endeavor. I am anxious to compare it with the Tempranillo that is grown in the Southern Oregon AVA. We will be featuring the Southern Oregon Tempranillo from Abacela this month for our wine club members. I always like to do a side by side comparison when I find the same style wine but from different AVA’s. It’s always an interesting study.
Before moving on, I must tell you about the gorgeous new St. Innocent Winery. It is located on the beautiful 133-acre estate of Zenith Vineyards. This facility is 17,500 sq. ft, which has underground barrel rooms, a temperature controlled crush floor and a 900 sq. ft. tasting room. This tasting room opened for the first time in February 2008. Quite an accomplishment after initially having a tasting room in the industrial area of Salem. This facility was built to be the finest wedding and events facility in Oregon. I believe that this is one of the finest facilities in the Northwest, not just Oregon. It’s as beautiful as any five star –hotel. In fact, at first glance, you might think you are approaching a grand hotel. It’s well worth a visit.
Witness Tree Vineyard:
Our final stop was Witness Tree Vineyard. This is also our pick for our wine club members when we feature the Eola-Amity AVA in September. We selected this winery for several reasons. First, we love the fact that owners Dennis and Carolyn Devine take great pride in the fact that 100% of their wines are estate produced. Not many wineries can say that. Care and devotion to each grape is given by winemaker and vineyard manager Steven Westby. He has been with Witness Tree Vineyard for the last 11 vintages and he has an intimate knowledge about the grapes grown on this 51.5 acre estate. His skill as a wine-maker is note worthy.
We also love the history of this vineyard. Not every vineyard has an ancient oak tree on it, which towers over the 100-acre estate. This tree was used as a surveyor’s landmark in 1854, bearing witness to the northwest corner of Donation Land Claim No. 51. This parcel was originally granted to Claiborne C. Walker and his wife, who were early pioneers who arrived in covered wagons via the Oregon Trail. On July 8th, 2004, Witness Tree Vineyard celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the marking of the tree.
Now I must talk about the wines that we truly enjoyed. There really wasn’t one wine that we didn’t like. Many of their wines bear the name of the Devines’ grandchildren. Since we wanted to feature something unique and different from the typical Oregon Pinot, we were excited to try their 2008 Dolcetto “Remari”. All I can say is WOW! Only 91 cases of this wine were produced and apparently it is a cult following favorite and they sell out of it quickly. Since it is only available through their tasting room, our unique wine club is in for a real treat come September. This fruit driven wine can be enjoyed as a cocktail wine but it will also pair beautifully with all kinds of food.
We also enjoyed their Estate Pinot Blanc. This grape is grown in very small quantities. They have only 2.5 acres in production. This is a limited bottling and we were fortunate to snag several bottles. It is a very crisp wine with apple and pear flavors. The perfect summer wine with shellfish.
Last but not least, we selected the 2007 Vintage Select Pinot Noir. It wouldn’t be an Oregon winery if they didn’t have a Pinot. They have five different and equally good Pinot’s but we chose their reserve tier Pinot. This might just be one of my favorite Pinot’s ever! I love a rich Pinot with many textures and incredible depth. This one fits the bill. They believe that this particular Pinot expresses the terroir that is unique of the Witness Tree Vineyard.
I must also mention their Sweet Signe which was named for the owner’s granddaughter. This sweet wine is made in the style of an ice wine. It was created by freezing the grapes and then pressing the frozen fruit. It is truly the “elixir of the gods!” Aroma’s of white peaches, apricots and hints of spice. This wine was voted “Best Sweet Wine” by Bite of Oregon October 2009. Way to go!!!! I make a sinful dessert out of fresh white peaches and blackberries. This wine will be perfect with it!
Before I forget, I have to mention their unique marketing idea called the “Witness Protection Program.” I love the name and I love the concept. Their two Vintage Select wines (Pinot and Chardonnay) are offered on a futures basis on Memorial Day weekend. This means that on that weekend you can taste the wines from the barrel. If you like a particular wine, you can buy it at a discount when it is bottled. You will then be invited to a special party around Thanksgiving, when you can pick up your wine. I love this idea. What fun this must be for all involved and what a great marketing idea.
This brings our wine travel for the weekend to an end. It’s always fun to get away from it all and travel through wine country in the Northwest. There is always beautiful scenery to enjoy, wonderful people to meet and stories to share. The slower pace is relaxing and a great way to unwind after a hectic week.
Until our next adventure…..Cheers!
It’s not often that a winery is inspired by a rock….but it’s true if you are speaking about Coeur de Terre. Coeur de Terre, is French for “Heart of the Earth.” While establishing their vineyard in 1998, Scott and Lisa Neal found a massive heart shaped rock on their property and this rock symbolizes their dedication to working with nature. Like many pioneers before them, they wanted to create the perfect Pinot Noir but with one important difference….they wanted to utilize only organic farming techniques. It continues to be important to them that they work sustainably with nature to create a healthy environment for their vines as well as for their family. 
winery dog taking charge and welcoming its guests. On a warmer day, their deck with Adirondack chairs would be the perfect place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine while taking in the view. 
Coeur de Terre Vineyard 2008 Estate Pinot Noir (2010 Outstanding Wine—Oregon Wine Awards)
