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Wine Travel Takes Us to Southern Oregon

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

It’s been a long time since we have traveled to Southern Oregon. Our last trip was about 15 years ago and it was a trip for the purpose of camping and fly- fishing.  Having a young son at home at that time, we were not really interested in looking for good wine – we were merely trying to have a family vacation on a tight budget.  Hence, lots of camping and lots of fishing.   Now, 15 years later, our trip down South took on a whole new meaning.  I must admit that I enjoyed our trip so much more this time because our lodging was a comfortable bed and not a sleeping bag, and my husband decided to leave his fly rod at home for a change.  The weather was sunny and warm and it was the perfect time of year to visit wineries and to see what all the hoopla is about regarding Southern Oregon wines.

Our first stop during our travel was to Abacela Vineyards and Winery.  We researched this winery and we were very excited to try their wines because many of them are from Spanish varietals. We have never featured a Spanish varietal for our wine club, so we were determined to find the perfect wines. We were not disappointed. We arrived late in the day, after driving seven hours and we were in need of a glass of our favorite elixir.  We were immediately taken with Abacela’s beautiful piece of property, the gazebo that overlooks the vineyards and the Mediterranean style tasting room and winery.  Linda Kistner, the tasting room manager, was a true delight and she was extremely knowledgeable about this winery.  Abacela is owned by Earl and Hilda Jones and their love of Tempranillo is what sparked their interest in growing this grape. Their piece of property on Looking-glass Road outside Roseburg, Oregon, has the perfect conditions for growing this black grape which is widely grown to make rich, full-bodied wines in Spain. Since this vineyard is at the same latitude as Spain’s Ribera de Duero and Rioja regions, it’s no wonder Tempranillo thrives here. We fell in love with their Tempranillo Umpqua Cuvee, their 2007 Garnacha, and of course their Albarino.  Our last taste of the day was their port-style wines from Portuguese grapes that they fortify with brandy that is distilled at their own winery.  It was difficult to pick our favorites, but we went with their Tempranillo because this is their flagship wine.  As early as 2001, they were awarded a double gold for their 1998 Tempranillo at the San Francisco International Wine Competition and this wine has received accolades ever since. We also decided to feature their Albarino, because it is a unique white to the Northwest and it is the perfect, crisp white wine to accompany seafood.  I know our wine club members are going to be excited about our new find.  Of course I didn’t leave this winery until I had a bottle of their port in my hands. (I had visions of a hot bubble bath at our Marriott Hotel, a good book in one hand and a glass of port in the other. What a perfect way to end our first day of travels.) We want to extend a big thank you to Linda Kistner, who provided us with a couple of great recipes to pair with our wine selections.  We will feature these recipes in July, when we feature this winery for our July wine club members.

Day Two – Applegate AVA

Our day began with a drive through the country side of Medford and on into Jacksonville. What a beautiful drive this was.  The town of Jacksonville is full of unique shops and boutiques, along with a few wine tasting rooms. I was eager to stop and do a little shopping, but we had a full day planned and shopping really wasn’t on our list. Following the winding roads outside of Jacksonville on Highway 238, we wanted to stop in at LongSword Vineyard. Linda Kistner suggested that we stop at this small winery because they make a wonderful sparkling Chardonnay as well as Dolcetto and Syrah.  We arrived a little bit before 11 a.m., but it took us some time to work our way up their lane.  We were greeted, or I should say, “challenged,” by a couple of geese who took on our van, without ruffling a feather. We slowly moved our way toward the tasting room, but not without honking our horn, waving our arms and having a good laugh. We parked our van and we were greeted by owner and wine maker Matthew Sorensen, who was out in the vineyard, pruning his vines. He informed us that our greeters were Lewey and Dewey, two of the seven geese that serve as guards over the vineyard.  Before our visit was over, we enjoyed watching all seven of his pet geese follow Matt around like he was the Pied Piper.  His whimsical feathered friends are Hewey, Lewey and Dewey, Boras, Natasha, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb.

The new tasting room at LongSword was opened in 2009. Before that time, Matt said that they literally sold their wines from a road side stand.  During the summer months, a typical visit to this winery might include music, food, wine and a spectacular viewing of paragliders coming off nearby Woodrat Mountain and landing in the open fields of LongSword. 

Matt is proud of his wine and he believes strongly that the wine is made in the vineyard.  Matt and his wife, Maria Largaespada, moved to Oregon in 1999 to pursue their dream of growing grapes and making good wine.  I believe that they have full-filled that dream.  We learned from Matt that the name of their winery is actually the Spanish translation of his wife’s last name, “Largaespada.” Larga is Spanish for “long” and espada is Spanish for “sword.” Hence, LongSword. Their winery is a family affair and a proud one too.  Although we didn’t get to meet his wife, Maria, we did get the opportunity to meet and visit with his daughter, Melinda.  She and her father are personable and share a true love for their family business.   We really enjoyed visiting with Matt and we thoroughly enjoyed his Sparkling Chardonnay and his Touche Rose. We quickly purchased a case of the Sparkling Chardonnay because this happens to be one of my favorite white wines when I can find it.

As we continued on Highway 238, we spotted many signs for wineries – some that we weren’t aware of. Immediately we knew that we had to narrow our search, or else our 2 day tasting trip would soon turn into a week- long trip.  Our next stop at Troon Vineyard was a must.   We featured Troon back in October 2009 when we visited their tasting room in Carlton, Oregon. Their wines were so popular with our club members and our website, that we needed to pick up more to replace what had already been sold.  We thought, “we’ll  just pop in and pick up what we need and leave.”  Well, a quick trip to Troon is impossible.  This is one winery that just pulls you in the minute you pull into their drive.  As soon as you drive up to the parking area, you are wowed by the French style winery that sits among the 90 plus acres of vineyard. It has copper gutters that shine in the sun and it draws your attention to the large picture window that provides everyone who visits and incredible panoramic view of Applegate Valley. The large tasting room with its hardwood floors, granite tasting bars and personable staff, make you want to stay and linger.  Our experience lasted well over an hour. We enjoyed meeting fellow wine lovers from Napa Valley, who are also members of Troon’s wine club and they were very interested in learning about our unique club.  Corey, the tasting room expert, was so friendly and personable as she poured us many fine wines from their extensive collection.  Sensing that we all were really enjoying ourselves, Corey decided to give us all a complete tour of the winery.  Taking a stroll around the grounds, we found a picnic area with beautiful lawn furniture and a fountain that sets the stage for the outdoor winery experience. Their winery is continuing to evolve and they recently put in a bocce ball court and they eventually want to tear down an older building and put in a new building for all of their catering and dinner events.

Next we made our way to the crush pad and the building where all of their wine is made and stored. This building is kept at a constant temperature of about 58 degrees.  I loved the feel of the old world heavy doors as we made our way into their storage rooms. The aroma of French Oak and wine filled our senses and our taste buds were treated to a taste of their cab, which was still in need of cellaring; but a quick taste pulled from the barrel was a real treat. Winemaker Herb Quady creates superb Old World wines.  Our favorites continue to be the Meritage,  Druid’s Fluid Red,  River Guide White  and their Vermentino.  (Apparently we are the only wine business that still have a few bottles left of the Vermentino. Last years production was small, and what they did have went to several local restaurants. Now I will treat those few bottles I have left, like they are made of gold.)

Our wine tasting adventure continued as we left Troon and headed to Wooldridge Creek Winery.  This winery is a bit rustic and elegant at the same time.  Adirondack chairs grace the lawn and gardens in front of the tasting room.   On a sunny afternoon, it is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of 2008 Warrick White while sitting in a comfortable chair and taking in the rolling hillside overlooking the Applegate River Valley.  Wooldridge Creek has been outsourcing its fruit to other wineries for many years.  From great fruit, comes great wine. Wooldridge is no exception.  Winemakers Greg Paneitz and Kara Olmo, have a true talent for making wine from the vineyards warm-weather grapes.  We especially enjoyed their Warrick White, the 2007 Merlot and their 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Port.

On our way back to Medford, we stopped at Truim.  We had heard about this small winery and we were really interested in experiencing their flight of wines.  We were not disappointed.  The tasting room is small, but it resembles an ivy-covered English cottage with its front door nestled with ivy and a welcome sign to greet you.  Outside, there is an amazing view of Bear Creek Valley and its rich agricultural land.  When we entered, we were greeted by Laura Lotspeich, co-owner and the manager of Pheasant Hill Vineyard.  Her quick smile and friendly nature, made us feel right at home. We learned a little about the history of Truim which began making wine under their own label in 2003; but they have been selling fruit to others for many years.  Their wine is made from the fruit of three vineyards, Pheasant Hill, Gold Vineyard and Evans Creek Vineyard, all of which are certified as LIVE and Salmon Safe.  The name Trium is Latin for “of the three.”   We started with their white wines, the pinot gris and their viognier.  Both were superb.  But we immediately got the “wow effect,” when we tasted their 2005 Growers’ Cuv’ee. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  This wine’s flavors continued to develop in our mouth, long after the first sip.  It is one of those wines that you continue to talk about long after you have finished your first glass. This was a definite selection for our wine club members.  Their superb wines are made by veteran winemaker Peter Rosback of Sineann Cellars.  He has been making wine for over 20 years here in the U.S. as well as in New Zealand.  He has quite the reputation in Oregon.

The end of day two was spent touring Ashland, Oregon.  We had hoped to be able to take in a Shakespeare Play, but the season was a bit early, so enjoying the outdoor theater in April was out. But we did enjoy the shops and the town was busy because the Independent Film Festival was taking place.  We were a bit tired of wine tasting, so we thought we might enjoy a pint of beer at a local Irish Pub called Paddy Brannan’s.  All I can say is the beer was excellent, the food was poor and the music was average.  After one beer, we called it a day and headed back to our room, where we went over our notes for the day and made a decision on which wines we would be featuring soon.

Day Three

What better way to begin your day than with cheese and chocolate.  We wanted to experience Rogue Valley Creamery, because their production of blue cheese is legendary.  At 9 a.m. in the morning, the small cheese store was packed with visitors. The scent of over powering blue cheese greets you as you enter the store. Awards, too many to count, line their walls and shelves. Their Rogue Valley Creamy Blue Cheese took first place several years ago at an international competition. It beat out 1,400 other blue cheese entries. They have several styles of blue cheese, all of which are good; but the Rogue Valley Creamy Blue is perfection! They can’t keep it in their store for long.  We purchased a small wedge of this creamy delight in spite of its high price ($43 a pound).  I have never spent that much for a wedge of cheese before but it was worth the price and the experience.

Across the parking lot is a quaint building, where Lillie Belle Farms Artisan Chocolates is located. Their award winning artisan chocolates are completely hand-made using time-honored European techniques, but with a true American twist. The artistry involved in their chocolates is amazing. In the center of this cute shop is a chocolate sculpture of a pear tree in full bloom with eggs and bunnies nestled beneath it. You feel the need to touch, but that’s a big “no-no.”  We tasted many fine chocolates such as the Lavender Chocolate Caramel with Fleur du sel salt (featured on Oprah’s favorite list), the Smokey Blue Cheese Ganache and chocolate covered bacon bits. No need to twist my arm when asked if I wanted to purchase a few pieces. I wanted one of each, but I managed to leave with only four pieces. (I was looking forward to our afternoon picnic – wine, chocolate and cheese – need I say more?)

Our first winery stop for the day was RoxyAnn Winery, just outside Medford.  If you can only visit one winery in the Rogue Valley Area, this one would be a good stop. Their list of varietals is extensive, from pinot gris, viognier, merlot, syrah, tempranillo and dessert wines as well. They also have a number of other Oregon wines for sale that are custom-crushed at their winemaking facility.  Gus Janeway has been their winemaker for a number of years and a fine winemaker he is. He is now producing wines under his own label, Velocity, which is also sold at RoxyAnn. Replacing Gus Janeway is renowned winemaker from Napa Valley, John Quinones whose credentials for making wine are very impressive. (Check out RoxyAnn Winery website for his story.)  I’m sure many more years of incredible, award winning wines will be coming their way.

RoxyAnn has a wonderful winery with a tasting room located inside the beautifully restored Hillcrest barn. This white barn, with its green trim, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside you will find a large, bright colorful space with an impressive wine bar and gift store. Their staff is generous with the line of flights that they serve and their willingness to share their knowledge of RoxyAnn’s wine history.  This is the perfect place to bring a picnic and enjoy a glass of wine in their picnic area overlooking the fruit orchards and vineyards.  During the summer, they host a Farmer’s Market each Saturday.  They support local growers of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. People can pick up their fresh produce and at the same time, pick up their wine. According to Ned Armstrong (wine specialist and sales person for RoxyAnn) this venture has tripled their wine sales on Saturday.

Ned Armstrong was kind enough to give us a complete tour of this winery.  The orchards on this property date back 100 years, when two families came together and purchased the 250 acres.  During earlier times, the fruit from this orchard provided fruit for the up and coming Harry and David’s.  A smart move for a small farm many years ago….and the rest is history. This farm still produces fruit from its orchards as well as wine grapes which were planted in 1997. Although the farm has been around for 100 years, the winery began in 2002. At its beginning, it produced approximately 300 cases of wine and now it produces over 11,000.  Our recommendations for this winery are many; but our top picks are the 2007 Estate Claret, and the 2008 Pinot Gris, both of which took a silver medal at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

After our visit to RoxyAnn, we decided to head back to Jacksonville, tour some of the shops and have a picnic at their state park.  Jacksonville is a quaint town that was founded after gold was discovered in 1851-1852. It was the county seat until 1927, when the county seat was moved to Medford. It was home to the first Chinatown in Oregon, founded by immigrants from San Francisco, CA. Jacksonville has been designated as a National Historic District, and over 100 buildings have been preserved. The shops are quaint, but I enjoyed the architecture of the old brick buildings and their battered wood floors, more.  We enjoyed our light lunch of crackers and creamy blue cheese, some hard salami and of course a bottle of Pinot Gris from Troon Winery and our yummy Lillie Belle chocolates, before heading to the next winery on our list.

Schmidt Family Vineyards

This beautiful winery and its grounds will leave you breathless. When we arrived the large gravel parking lot was filled to the max.  We were hesitant to go further, because big crowds do not make a wine tasting experience great. But the beautiful grounds, large pond and the huge veranda with great views of this former 12 acre abandoned ranch land, were too good to pass up.

This first class winery is owned by Cal and Judy Schmidt. The property was once ranch land, but after purchasing it in 2000, they began the process of turning it into a productive winery.  In 2001 they planted merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. Not long after that, they decided to plant the Spanish varietal, Albarino because it does so well in this AVA. Their first vintage in 2004 produced on 300 cases. Today, they produce upwards of 1700 cases and they continue to grow.

The tasting room is very open, large and inviting with its craftsman style and soaring ceilings. The tasting bar is large and accommodates many people at once. The barrel room is spectacular and the visiting area with its comfortable furniture and homey atmosphere, sits between the tasting bar and the barrel room. It is so inviting that you feel like you are visiting family and not a business.  I’m sure former cabinetmaker, Cal Schmidt, was instrumental in its design. The large picture window overlooks the large veranda and the incredible views. The beautiful gardens, pond, walking paths and its overall landscaping were the design and input of Judy Schmidt, who happens to be a Master Gardener.

The tasting area was very crowded because our visit happened to be the one day that their wine club members were there for a winery event and wine pick up.  But we managed to meet grandson, Duncan, who was pleased to share their wine flight. We enjoyed their 2008 Gewurztraminer, which is a very dry wine yet well balanced. Our favorite wine, which wasn’t opened for tasting that day, but Duncan was kind enough to share, was their 2007 Soulea. Soulea is an acronym of their family names: Schmidt/Ohls/Uhruh/Lond/Elizabeth/Arelene. This is a beautiful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Merlot (50%) and Syrah (30%). It is rich with aromas of black fruit and it has a long finish. 

Valley View Winery

I believe we may have saved the best winery for last. Like Troon Vineyards, this winery has a long history in Applegate Valley.  The original Valley View Winery was founded in the mid-1800’s by Peter Britt. In 1972, the Wisnovsky family carried on the tradition of Valley View Winery when they purchased the property and planted 12 acres of premium wine grapes. This was one of the earliest vineyards in Oregon. In 1978 they opened their first tasting room. Since then, the tasting room as been remodeled and it offers a beautiful gift shop, a large tasting bar and a beautiful patio area overlooking some of the oldest vineyards around and incredible mountain views.  

Valley View Winery has employed the same winemaker for 25 years. This is rare to find in the wine world. John Guerrero is a remarkable winemaker. No wonder their wines have been at the White House. (Make sure and take in their gallery area, where pictures of President Regan and the Wisnovskys’ grace the walls.) John Guerrero produces 7000 cases of wine each year.  In 2000, he produced 14,000 cases but he soon realized that consumers prefer finer wines and 7000 cases seemed to be the best way to meet those demands. Their wines carry the name Anna Maria Wines, named after the Wisnovskys’ mother.

 We were wowed immediately with our first sip of 2007 Anna Maria Viognier. Viognier is fast becoming one of my favorite white wines of all time. This particular vintage is right up there on my list as one of the best Viogniers I have ever tasted. No wonder this one took two gold medals.  Their entire flight of red wines were incredible but the one that stood out the most for us was the 2006 Anna Maria Cabernet Franc. It was such a treat, that we not only bought several bottles but we purchased a glass and enjoyed the end of our day sitting out on their patio, taking in the spectacular views and imagining the history and stories that this place could tell.

I must mention the tasting room staff. Sarah was our host that day and we were immediately drawn to her warm smile and her knowledge of this winery. We arrived at this winery 30 minutes before closing. We were never rushed and we enjoyed visiting with her and four other visitors. Well after 5 p.m., we had our class of Cabernet Franc in our hand and we wanted to enjoy the sunny weather and take in the views. All other visitors had left and Sarah allowed us to remain on the property for as long as we wanted and told us to just pull the front gate closed when we left. It was the most relaxing experience at a winery that we have had in a long time. Her trust in us, that we would respect the property and take care to secure it upon leaving, was greatly appreciated.

This winery is definitely one everyone must experience during their travels to Southern Oregon. There is something to be said about the history of a place. You will be able to experience this when you visit Valley View Vineyards and Winery.

The End of a Long Two Days

Visiting wineries for the purpose of research as well as pleasure can be exhausting believe it or not. A lot of tasting, taking notes and making decisions, occurs during our short visits. We make sure to only take in 3-4 wineries a day, so we are not rushed and we can enjoy the overall experience. The one thing that I find the hardest to do is to taste and spit – when all I really want to do is swallow every drop. But to avoid what I like to call palate fatigue, it is important to take small sips and to spit often. By the end of each day, I am thankful that I remembered to spit.

My husband and I always like to make sure and take in one, expensive and fabulous meal during our travels. We will often research what the area has to offer; but most of the time we let the locals tell us where to go.  Sarah, at Valley View Winery, strongly recommended the restaurant called “38 Central” in Medford. The restaurant is named after their address.  How clever is that? This restaurant is elegant yet casual and the perfect place to enjoy a fine meal and a great bottle of wine without breaking the bank.

 Sarah did not steer us wrong.  Their menu has a nice variety of American dishes; but made with a twist.  We enjoyed an appetizer of their “all grown up – Mac and Cheese.” This was true comfort food to the max.  Made with our favorite Rogue Creamery Aged Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Hardwood Smoked Bacon – my husband and I were fighting over the last morsel. My husband enjoyed an entrée of sole, steamed with roasted red peppers and onions served with gingered rice. I enjoyed a rich and creamy dish of asparagus and chicken served over pasta with loads of garlic flavor.  We paired our dinner with one of our favorite wines which is currently hard to find, the 2008 Troon Vermentino. What a perfect match.  We also managed to find room to share a beautiful light dessert of puffed pastry, stuffed with strawberries and rich cream, dusted with powdered sugar and a touch of chocolate. What a way to end a perfect meal.  Our hats are off to Chef de Cuisine, Matthew Griffin, for preparing a wonderful and memorable dinner.  We also want to thank owners David and Michael who opened this elegant yet casual restaurant in 2008. We plan to return again when our travels take us to Medford, Oregon and we encourage others to do the same.  You won’t be disappointed!

So, our trek to Southern Oregon has come to an end. It was everything that we had hoped for and more. With the economic down turn, and the stresses of life in general, it was wonderful to find a place, not far away, where we could relax, enjoy the country side, its people and of course the abundance of what the “vines have to offer.”  Southern Oregon can be proud of its wine region and its wine industry. We plan to visit again soon, but next time, I’m sure we will have a fly-rod in hand. This is the perfect place where my husband can enjoy fly-fishing, while I enjoy a glass of wine, a novel and wait for him to catch the perfect dinner.

Cheers!

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WillaKenzie Estate – Yamhill-Carlton AVA

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

We visited this winery in October and immediately we new that we had to feature their wines. This winery seems to have it all. Its location is set in the beautiful Chehalem Mountains. Its setting is rolling hills and acres of north-south running vineyards. Its not uncommon to  spot a soaring hawk in the blue sky. The views from their terrace and parking area are breathtaking. During our visit, many artists were attempting to capture the view on canvas. Some of them were able to multi-task, with a wine glass in one hand and a paint brush in the other. 

The tasting room is spacious with sweeping views of the mountains. We were enthralled by the wonderful varieties of wine and by the beautiful mural that is painted above the tasting bar. As you roam the tasting room with a fine glass of wine in your hand, you can see first-hand the equipment used to produce their wine. The large window overlooks this room where “gravity flow” is the process they use to make wine. In a gravity flow winery, the grapes fall naturally into the fermenting tanks and wine moves gently from the fermenters to the aging barrels. The gravity flow concept is simple and elegant and its worthiness has been validated by over 500 years of wine making in Burgundy. 

As a native Burguadian, Bernard Lacroute naturally wanted to grow Pinot Noir. He quickly realized that Oregon offered great prospects. In 1991, he gave up his high tech job and purchased  a 420 acre cattle ranch in Yamhill, after seeing an ad for the property in Wine Spectator. They planted their first vines in 1992, primarily planting pinot noir and other Burgundian and Alsatian grapes. They are committed to the environment and have preserved as much of the land as possible. 

You will not be able to “pop the cork,” on the wines from WillaKenzie. Winemaker, Thibaud Mandet uses twist-offs instead of corks. His reason was very simple—less cork taint. Although I love the romance of “popping the cork,” I don’t mind a twist off when the wine is as incredible as WillaKenzie.

WillaKenzie 2006 Gamay Noir

An estate wine from the same grapes found in Beaujolais. This wine was vinified in the tradition of the Crus of Beaujolais and aged in French oak barrels for 10 months. It displays great concentration and color and can be enjoyed immediately or after cellaring. It shows deep garnet color and striking clarity in the glass. Aromas of fresh raspberry, strawberry, and red cherry are followed by attractive hints of confectionary sweetness and white pepper. The lifted flavors follow the aromas to create a luscious, mouthwatering palate impression with bright acidity balancing the rich fruit and supple tannins framing the smooth finish. The wine will benefit from 1 or 2 years in the cellar and age well for at least 5 years. It will pair beautifully with a wide range of dishes including barbecued chicken or ribs, roast turkey, peppercorn crusted T-bone, Creole or Cajun fare. Serve slightly chilled if desired.

 WillaKenzie 2007 Pinot Meunier

This wine is best enjoyed young, but it can be cellared for 1-2 years. The aromas are subtle and complex with initial red fruit tones complemented by cola, anise and caramel. A medley of fresh red fruit flavors, including raspberry, strawberry and cranberry create a lifted palate impression framed by smooth, well-resolved tannins. This elegant, medium-bodied wine will pair well with lighter fare like poached salmon, souffles, and even some desserts such as a rhubarb tart.

Sautéed Chicken with Herbs and Vermouth—Pair with 2006 Gamay Noir  (Recipe provided by WillaKenzie Estate Winery) 

Ingredients: 

  • 2 tbsp butter                                  
  • 2 tbsp olive oil                   
  • 8 chicken breasts (8 oz each)
  • Salt                                               
  • Fresh ground pepper          
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp sage                         
  • 1 tsp rosemary                   
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 cup vermouth               
  • 1 cup chicken stock           
  • 3 tbsp fresh chopped chives                                              
  • 3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped 

Preparation: 

In a large skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, turning once, until almost done, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a covered dish and put in the oven on warm while preparing the sauce. 

In a skillet, add the garlic, shallot and herbs to the sauté juices from the chicken and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the vermouth and boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and reducing to a thick glaze. Add the rest of the stock and reduce again. Stir in the fresh chives and parsley, season with salt and pepper, spoon over the chicken and serve.

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A Rose’ Is A Rose’….Is A Rose’?

Monday, January 18th, 2010

This unique wine is often misunderstood. Many think that it is made from “pink grapes,” because of its pale red/pink color. You need to understand that you need red grapes to make rose’. Any red grape varietal will do. Although its color is made from red grape skins, it is still considered a white wine.

There are two ways that the red grapes make pink wine. First is when the winemaker lets the skin of the red grape come into contact with the wine for a short period of time. The skin and juice is what gives the wine its pale color. The second method of making a rose’ is to add white wine to the red wine.

Many think that all rose’s are sweet. That is incorrect. A rose’ is designed to have less sugar and very little tannin. Rose’ is considered a white wine; but they have more body than most whites. Rose’ is often enjoyed on a hot summer day, or as a light vibrant aperitif any time of year.

We recently visited the tasting room of Coyote Canyon Winery which is located in Prosser, WA. This is a little piece of Heaven. We were fortunate to visit this tasting room on two different occasions and both times the place was packed. Feel free to step right up to the bar (if there is room) and enhance your wine experience as their gracious staff take you through a journey of “life in wine” with their selection of handcrafted, 100% estate grown wines. 

The Coyote Canyon Vineyard was founded in 1994 and is owned by Bob Andrews, Mike Andrews and Jeff Andrews. Mike Andrews is also the winemaker, officially starting the winery in 2006, using fruit from their 2004 harvest. Coyote Canyon is one of those rare wineries using 100% estate grown grapes from a single AVA (Horse Heaven Hills). 

Mike is a third generation owner of the land on which his vineyards grow. For 40 years, the Andrews’ Horse Heaven Hereford Ranch raised premier Hereford cattle. The land has also grown sugar beets, asparagus, apples and now grapes. They own 1,125 acres on which are planted some of the most coveted grapes in all of Washington State.

Mike has a gift for making wine and it really shows in the wines he is now releasing. He recently took a total of 7 awards at the 2009 Seattle Wine Awards.

During our visit we discover two beautiful wines which are available on our retail site at

http://www.northwestwinequest.com/page/coyote-canyon-winery

2006 H/H Estates Reserve Big John Cab. (Bronze winner of the 2009 Seattle Wine Awards)

Big John Cab Reserve is named for Horse Heaven Hereford Ranch’s bull, Big John. The bull was the John J. Ascuaga’s Golden Nugget Auction sale topper in 1974. This Cabernet Sauvignon’s dark ruby color is as rich and intense as its namesake. Layers of dark melted chocolate, blackberries, leather and French vanilla create a wine easily paired with red meats, mushroom sauce or a rich dark chocolate dessert.  It’s a boldly structured wine, as one would expect from Horse Heaven Hills Cab. (103 cases made) note the H/H label on the bottle. This is the official registered brand for Horse Heaven Herefords.

Food Paring for 2006 H/H Big John Cab: Filet Mignon with Fingerling Potato Gratin and Syrah Glaze 

Fingerling Potato Gratin

  • 8 ounces bacon, cut into thin strips                                     
  • 8 ounces pearl onions                                                                    
  • 1.5 lbs fingerling potatoes, cooked                                     
  • 4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

 Filet Mignon

  • 6 (6 oz) filet mignons
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil                                          
  • Syrah Glaze (below)

 For the gratin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon in a hot skillet until crisp and brown. Remove the bacon and add the pearl onions to the pan drippings. Reduce the heat and cook until the onions are caramelized. Combine the bacon, pearl onions, potatoes and Gorgonzola cheese in a bowl and mix gently. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Do not over salt because the bacon and cheese are already salty. Spoon into a buttered baking dish and bake until the cheese melts and the potatoes are heated through. Keep warm.

 For the filets, preheat a grill to medium heat. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until done to your taste.

 To serve, spoon the gratin onto serving plates and top with a filet mignon. Ladle the Syrah Glaze around and on the filet.

 Syrah Glaze

  • 2 cups minced shallots                               
  • 1/4 cup minced garlic                     
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves                                              
  • olive oil                                          
  • 1 bottle Syrah
  • 2 cups beef broth                           
  • 2 Tbsp butter                                 
  • salt and pepper to taste

Saute the shallots, garlic, thyme and bay leaves lightly in a small amount of olive oil in a heated sauce pan. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half. Add the beef broth and cook until reduced to 2 cups. Strain the mixture, discarding the solids. Return to the heat and add the butter gradually. Season with salt and pepper.

2008 “Life Is a Rose” (Bronze winner in the 2009 Seattle Wine Awards)

 This is bound to be a favorite. It is a unique Rose’ that is made from Barbera Grapes, leaving the skins on for less than 24 hours, which gives this wine its beautiful ruby red color. Aromas of rose petal, caramel and green apple greet you in the glass. This has a nice fruity finish that lingers. “Life is a Rose” is a perfect wine for sipping or as an aperitif.

Serve as an aperitif to a winter or Holiday meal. Using a plastic cocktail skewer, thread cranberries and blueberries until the skewer is full. Freeze these skewers until completely frozen. Drop each skewer into a wine glass and pour the Rose’ over them. This makes a pretty drink as well as a tasty surprise as the berries slowly thaw.

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A Weekend Wine Jaunt to Carlton, Oregon

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Many of you have experienced tasting rooms that are located in the concrete business park of cities such as Woodinville, Washington. You simply park your car and follow the signs to the numerous tasting rooms which are boutique wineries that transform the grapes from Eastern Washington into some amazing and many of them award-winning wines. I too have experienced these wineries and although I enjoy tasting their wines, the experience leaves me a little cold. I much prefer driving through the countryside, experiencing the scenery, taking in the smells of the earth and occasionally meeting the winemaker /wine grower whom has just come in from the vineyard with mud on his/her boots and dirt on his/her hands.  But as a compromise, I must say that I truly enjoyed our recent trip to Carlton, Oregon, where we enjoyed many boutique wineries in what is known as the Carlton Wine District.

 Just park your car in this quaint town and walk to most of the wineries that are located in some of the oldest buildings in town. You will experience wines from the cool climate of the Willamette Valley as well as wines from the hotter areas of the Rogue Valley/Applegate Valley AVA and the Columbia Valley AVA. Although Oregon is known for their Pinot Noir, you will experience more than just Pinot Noir in this town. There are approximately 14 wineries to experience. Since we narrowed our search to only the Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley AVA, we concentrated on Troon Vineyard, Cliff Creek Cellars and Folin Cellars.  We recommend that you take two days to enjoy this town if you plan to visit each winery. They have plenty of restaurants for your dining pleasure and many interesting shops and art galleries to browse through. Carlton’s motto is “Where Farm, Industry, and Town Unite for Pleasant Living.” What can I say but, “mission accomplished.”

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Good Friends, Picnics and a Weekend of Wine Tasting in Gaston, Carlton and Salem

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

What a weekend my husband and I had. Our friends and wine club mentors, Dan and Paula, invited us to join them for a weekend of picnics and wine tasting. After a busy, hot summer and an upcoming busy fall and winter, we decided to take them up on their offer.  We did not regret our weekend in Oregon, because it is one of our favorite places to visit. It seems that at every turn there are wonderful wineries to visit and explore.

We started our Saturday at a church picnic at the famous Roloff Farm in Helvetia, Oregon. Although there was no wine to drink at this event (and rightfully so), we enjoyed a wonderful picnic among a great group of people and we got a brief glimpse of Matt and Amy’s home and farm, which is only open to the public during pumpkin season. Amy and Matt are wonderful people and enjoyable to visit with. We really appreciated their hospitality and their willingness to open their farm to so many. From the good food, to the potato sack races and three legged races, fun was had by all.

After the picnic, we decided to drop in at Elk Cove Vineyards because it has been years since my husband and I have enjoyed their selection of wines and tasting room. Our stop did not disappoint. I remember that this was one of my favorite tasting rooms in all of Oregon and now I remember why.  The breathtaking views are too gorgeous to even put into words.  Pictures anyone? With my new Nikon D40 in hand, I took some incredible pictures of the sweeping views.  

Entering the tasting room we immediately noticed the elk head mounted on the wall above the tasting bar.  Staring into those big, black eyes did not intimidate me.  It just made me wonder what this beautiful property must have been like years ago when Roosevelt Elk roamed its hills.

Our stop at Elk Cove easily lasted for over an hour. Our friends know Elk Cove’s Tasting Room Coordinator, Kari Murphy, and they had made arrangements for us to taste some wines not typically opened for public tastings. Did we feel special or what!  We tasted the 2003 Pinot Noir – Francis, the 2008 Late Harvest Riesling, and the 2007 Viognier – Del Rio, all of which are Tasting Room Exclusives. What wonderful wines they are.  But even more special was the 2006 Roosevelt Pinot Noir, which Kari held back for us because they are now sold out.  No wonder it won 91 pts to 92 pts from Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and the International Wine Cellar. I was so thankful to get my hands on this lush Pinot with its sweet, long finish.  After a generous pour from Kari, I took my sweet time to finish this yummy treat. The finish just lingered in my mouth and I really wasn’t in any hurry to taste anything different. But, another tasting I managed. Kari opened the $100.00 bottle of the 2006 Pinot Noir – Reserve – 30th Anniversary Cuvee. This label is held in the highest regard at Elk Cove. The unique vintage of 2006 truly made this a unique wine. What a wonderful experience it was to taste this outstanding wine.  It is definitely worthy of the 93 pts given to it by the International Wine Cellar in May/June 2009.  The fruit from 2006 was rare and was described as a “warm, fully ripe vintage.” That is what makes wine so different year after year. Sometimes the season is just perfect for producing incredible, full-flavored fruit.  I was so pleased to taste the Roosevelt and the 30th Vintage Cuvee side by side. I am also pleased that I was able to take a bottle of the now sold out Roosevelt, home with me.  I may be stingy with this bottle.  Our thanks go to Kari at Elk Cove, who took the time to share some wonderful wines with us.

Still having some time to wine taste, we headed to Carlton. My husband and I have driven through Carlton many times; but we have never had the opportunity to stop. I typically enjoy going from winery to winery by car and experiencing the scenery. But I must admit that I really enjoyed Carlton, where we parked our car and walked to several wineries. We didn’t get to experience all of them because the day was coming to an end; but we stopped at several and enjoyed it immensely.

Our first stop was Terra Vina Wines.  I really wanted to stop here because we first met Carole and Karl Dinger, owners of Terra Vina, back in January 2009, when our friends Dan and Paula introduced us to them.  Dan and Paula thought we might enjoy featuring Karl and his wines when we started our wine club in April. Did, we ever! We fell in love with “Crazy Karl,” immediately. He is flamboyant, with a bold personality and his ideas for good wine and good food are addictive. He has a true passion for wine and his intense focus and attention to detail is why his wine making skills have produced award winning wines each year.  I couldn’t wait to stop in, in hopes of seeing Karl again. Neither Karl or Carole were there; but their line-up of Burgundian, Italian, Bordeaux and Rhone style wines were available to taste.  What I love about Karl’s Old World classic wines, is that they are ready to enjoy today, but they  can be cellared for many years and enjoyed later.  My absolute favorites of Terra Vina are the 2007 Silo Vino – Riesling, which is a Gold Medal winner and the 2007 Sangiovese, which took both Gold and Silver. His Malbec and 2007 Cabernet Franc, are both equally good and have won awards as well. My hat goes off to “Crazy Karl!” Maybe we will be fortunate enough to see him again one day and share a glass of wine.

After our stop at Terra Vina, we decided to stay focused because we really wanted to taste some wines from the Rogue Valley AVA and the Applegate Valley AVA of Oregon.  We plan to feature one of these AVA’s later this fall for our wine club members.  Since we probably won’t be able to take a trip to these AVA’s any time soon, it was nice to see several wineries in Carlton that featured wines with this AVA status on their labels.  We stopped in at Cliff Cellars and also Folin Cellars. Both were equally enjoyable. I really enjoyed the Cliff Cellars Claret but I must say that I took a real liking to the Viognier and Tempranillo that was offered at Folin Cellars.  The Viognier has a long finish with a wonderful combination of citrus and floral notes. I have become a huge Viognier lover! It has become one of my all time favorite whites. I must say that Folin Cellars has an incredible one.  My husband really enjoyed the Reserve Tempranillo, which has already spent 34 months in the barrel and should only benefit from extended aging in our cellar.

So many wineries left in Carlton, but we only had about an hour left before they were all going to close. We decided to stop in at Troon Vineyard, because the Jazz music coming from their patio area was very inviting. I am so glad that we did. The music was wonderful; but the wine was superb!!! Where to start? The Troon’s signature wine, Druid’s Fluid is wonderful. The 2007 vintage apparently is the winemakers favorite Druid’s ever. There are definitely notes of chocolate and raspberry with a sweet finish.   I understand that they also have a 2008 Druid’s Fluid White, which is completely sold out.  Described as the “nectar of the gods,” I wish I could have tasted this one. The 2005 Old Vine Meritage is the perfect red choice for our wine club members when we feature the Applegate Valley Ava this fall.  This wine had great depth and complexity and they are right when they say that it is very reminiscent of the wines of Bordeaux.  We also decided to purchase a bottle of the 2008 Vermentino, which is only sold in the tasting room.  This rare variety hails from the island of Corsica and Northwestern Italy and Troon Vineyard is the first in Oregon to grow it. This is a very crisp white wine and I found it very refreshing with hints of citrus. They recommend pairing it with shellfish and hors d’oeuvres. Immediately I knew what I wanted to pair it with. I make a Marinated Shrimp in Lemon-Dill Sauce and a Spinach Orange Salad. Both are going to go wonderfully with this wine. Yummy, I can’t wait!

Before leaving Troon, we tasted their Insomnia Port, also from the Applegate Valley AVA. I love a good Port and this one is so good.  It is rich and smooth and not too sweet.  Since it can be cellared for up to 25 years, I made sure to purchase a few. One bottle I will make sure and drink soon, in the evening with a good piece of chocolate and the rest I will save for that special occasion with friends. We are also going to feature it for our Port Club Members because it is too good to keep for ourselves!

 Our afternoon in Carlton came to an end too quickly.  We do plan to return soon because I find it really enjoyable to taste wines that are grown in the hot climates of the Rogue Valley and Columbia Valley and at the same find wines that are grown in the cooler climates of the Willamette Valley.  I will never be bored when tasting wines in Carlton.  There are some wonderful wineries and some wonderful restaurants to choose from.

Our Sunday in Oregon was spent at only one winery near Salem. Our friends host an annual picnic for their wine club members. This year the event was held at Trinity Vineyards near Salem, Oregon. We arrived early to help set up for this event.  After setting up tables for the dinner, we had a chance to meet owner Steve Parker.  His beautiful vineyard and home are tucked away in the hills south of Salem and they have a perfect view of the Cascade Mountains. Steve allowed me to sit on his deck with a glass of wine, where I took in the wonderful views and imagined myself staying there for many hours with a good book and a bottle of wine.  His home, tasting room and vineyards are very inviting and well manicured.

Folin Cellarsis a small, family-owned boutique winery.  Their wine is made by winemaker, Joe Dobbes.  Their estate Pinot Noirs have won awards, including a Silver at the 2008 Newport Wine and Seafood Festival  and a Gold and Best of Show in 2007.  We tasted several wines and enjoyed them all. During the course of this event, we were fortunate to meet two other couples from Portland who have been wine club members with Dan and Paula for many years. We hit it off beautifully and all of us purchased a variety of wines and we shared them with each other over a period of several hours with some wonderful food and music.   I enjoyed the 2008 Viognier which paired well with some of the Middle Eastern foods I ate. Everyone at our table agreed that the 2005 and 2006 Pinot Noir were some of the best.  

We enjoyed our relaxing afternoon at Trinity Vineyards and we feel fortunate that we met Steve Parker.  We have found another incredible boutique winery that we hope to share with our own club members very soon.  Steve recently opened up his new tasting room on his property.  It is on the second story of his large detached garage building. His wife has designed and decorated a very inviting space.  The bottom level is where Steve stores several barrels of wine as well as a few antique cars that he has beautifully restored.  Hum….I can easily imagine a wine event at Trinity where everyone dresses in classic 1922, Great Gatsby attire, sipping wine, enjoying old cars and listening to some amazing Jazz. Too bad I live so far away. I would gladly plan such an event.

Our weekend came to an end too quickly. If only I were retired, I would gladly roam the hills of Oregon and Washington, looking for those amazing wines that aren’t found in the average day to day market place.  Oh well, I am very thankful to live in an area where wineries are in abundance. Who needs Europe when I have great wineries within driving distance of my home. 

***An additional note.  Since writing this blog, I have made both recipes of my Marinated Shrimp in Lemon –dill sauce and the Spinach Orange Salad.  Both paired beautifully with the 2008 Vermentino from Troon.  I have found another new white to add to my favorites!

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Red Mountain Wine Jaunt

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

red-mountain-ava-signI like to think that wine goes with all things good in life. What better way to spend a sunny Memorial weekend, but by sipping wines from wonderful wineries in the Red Mountain AVA. As usual, we had a mission in mind, so we narrowed our search for only Red Mountain AVA reds and whites and if lucky, an AVA port, that we will feature for our wine club members and an upcoming wine tasting party for members. We also needed to find a reasonable red table wine for our son’s upcoming wedding. So the search was on. With open minds and wine glasses in hand, we checked out all the tasting rooms lying between Prosser and Richland which are just off I-82. It was fun not only to check out the tasting rooms, but to drive through some of the state’s best known vineyards such as Klipsun, Hedges, Kiona and Ciel du Cheval.

Our first stop was Terra Blanca Winery and Estate Vineyard. What an impressive winery. The landscaping and view alone were breathtaking. This winery has views of the Red Mountains and Horse Heaven Hills. It is so enchanting, that you just don’t want to leave. It took me quite some time before I was ready to even enter the tasting room. The cobble stone path with an arbor just waiting to bloom, lead us to the tasting room. This building has a Tuscan -inspired architecture and the interior has soaring 15 foot ceilings. This tasting room is complete with a large tasting bar, a baby grand piano, a wine library, several banquet rooms and a gourmet style kitchen. This winery has two extensive cave systems, which store rows and rows of French oak barrels. We wanted to see this cave system that we had heard so much about, but we needed to make an appointment to do so ahead of time – so we will save that adventure for another time. (You won’t need to twist my arm to return to this winery).

We tasted only the Reserve wines and fell in love with the 2005 Estate Block 5 Chardonnay. It is very fruit forward and the oak is subtle and did not over power the hint of apples, pear and lemon. (After our two day trip, we decided this was the white for our club members. It was fun to return to the winery the very next day, to pick up our cases of this amazing white. Like I said, you won’t need to twist my arm to return to this winery).

We also enjoyed the 2002 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2005 Onyx, which is their red blend. The Onyx is a top contender for our son’s upcoming wedding. Since we are supplying the wine, it will be up to us to select the perfect red for a big event. The Onyx is right up there with some of the best table reds I have ever put in my mouth.

We found our AVA port for wine members. The Reserve 2005 Forte-Cabernet Sauvignon Port is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a juicy, luxurious port. It has the nose of cherries and spice with the lingering flavors of plum, blackberries and cassis. I look forward to pairing this with some bittersweet truffles like they suggest; but I am also very interested in pairing it with bleu cheese, which I hear is a wonderful experience I won’t forget.

Our next stop was going to be Seth Ryan Winery, but it was not open at that time, so we drove up the road a bit and came across Buckmaster Cellars. It was just off the beaten path, so we decided to give it a shot. The tasting room is in an older double wide trailer, which sits close to the road and in front of the small vineyard. Owner and winemaker, Mark Buckmaster, greeted us with a big smile and some plastic wine cups. Mark explained that he has been making his wine for 10 years in Richland and he only opens the tasting room at this location periodically. Since this facility has no running water piped in to the tasting room, he was not able to serve his wine in the customary wine glasses. No worry there, we had our own if needed; but we decided to go with the experience of using his small plastic communion style serving cups. We enjoyed three of his wines, the 2004 Cabernet Franc, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon and our favorite was his 2002 Merlot, which won a bronze medal in a Tri-Cities wine competition. Mark is just a small time winemaker, only making 500 cases a year. He makes wine because he likes being creative and this is a creative outlet. His wines are not high priced, they average $20 and under. A good bargain for some good wine.

We headed back to Seth Ryan Winery and enjoyed this small, cozy tasting room, which opened its doors in 1992. This winery is owned and operated by the Brodzinski family. Since Ron’s death, son Kirk is now the winemaker and this winery is owned by Jo and her two children, Kirk and Belinda. During our tasting, son and winemaker, Kirk, greeted us and took us back to the barrel area where he wanted us to taste some of his upcoming 2008 Gewurztraminer, which will be ready for release in August and his new style red, which will probably be called “Sunset Surprise,” which will be bottled in mid-June. We tasted these good wines straight from the tank. I really enjoyed the Gewurztraminer, (only 200 cases will be made from this). I’m sure it is going to be a great seller, just like his 2004 Gewurztraminer, in which he only had 6 bottles left. He bottled the remaining sample of the 2008 for us and we enjoyed this special wine later at the end of our day. We also really enjoyed the new wine “Sunset Surprise.” It is made of two Mediterranean varietals, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo and the Rhone varietal, Syrah. He will only produce 200 cases of this. (This is another contender for our son’s wedding). Next to the boutique winery is a beautiful garden area called Ryan Park. It is a gorgeous sight for picnicking or parties. Too bad our son is getting married in January, this would have been a great location for a small, destination wedding.

We were very excited about our next stop because we heard that Oakwood Cellars is a comfortable winery which is located right in the middle of the Red Mountains and next to the Yakima River. We planned our own small picnic to enjoy at this winery, and enjoy we did. Before our picnic, we stepped into this homey tasting room and gift shop. It has been described by some as “small in size but large on charm.” We found this to be very true! With the low ceilings of the tasting room, we felt like we were in a wine cellar. Owner and winemaker, Evelyn, (also best known as Eppie), has been making wine for 24 years. She said that she and her late husband learned their skills at U.C. Davis. Her late husband was a chemist and one day they made a decision to pick up and move to Washington to open a winery. Twenty-four years later, Eppie is still making some remarkable wines. She can be described as a patient winemaker, because she believes strongly that the longer a wine ages, the better it is. Many of her wines are aged 36 months. We were very interested in her Lemberger white. We have never heard of a Lemberger white and I doubt we will find one anywhere else. It was indeed scrumptious! Our only disappointment , was that it was a Yakima Valley AVA white and not a Red Mountain AVA. So we won’t be featuring it in August as planned; but we will be featuring it at later date when we decide to feature the larger, Yakima Valley AVA. But this did not stop us from buying our fair share. We also enjoyed her cabernet sauvignon and the Riesling. We purchased some of that as well.

Before leaving, we enjoyed our picnic on her patio area, under an arbor overlooking her beautiful gardens and listening to the Yakima River nearby. It was like enjoying a lunch in our own private back yard. Eppie didn’t join us, but she went about her day puttering around the gardens and visited with us off and on as we enjoyed our break with fine cheese, fruit and a full glass of Eppie’s Riesling.

Another remarkable winery was Kiona Vineyards Winery. This winery has been around since 1972 but it opened its slick, new, contemporary tasting room in 2007. No wonder it was given the 2009 Washington Wine Award for the best tasting room. This 20,000 sq. ft. tasting room and banquet facility has some incredible scenic views and friendly staff at the tasting bar. The Williams and Holmes families saw something in this land back in the early 70′s that others apparently did not see until sometime later. They pioneered the Red Mountain area, which is now considered one of the prime growing regions in Washington State. This winery, too, has an underground barrel room, where wine is aged in oak at a consistent temperature. We really enjoyed their estate bottled Sangiovese , which has been awarded a Silver and a Bronze and we liked the Big Kiona Zinfandel, which is a bold late harvest port style red wine.

Sandhill Winery was our next stop of the day. This is a family friendly winery, where adults can enjoy their wine experience and the children have a place to play. This winery is known for its cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot gris made from some of the best grapes in the state. However, its number one seller is the Cinnamon Teal, which is their red table wine. Winemaker, Pete Hedges (brother of Tom Hedges, owner of Hedges Family Estate Winery), makes about 7,000-8,000 cases of this wine each year. The 2005 Ridgefield Cinnamon Teal is made of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc. It was a Bronze medal winner in the 2009 Grand harvest (Vineyard & Winery Mgmt Magazine). It is a very enjoyable wine, which I think would be enjoyed by a variety of people, even if they are not red wine enthusiasts (I’m thinking of possible guests at the upcoming wedding). So this is yet another contender….How am I ever going to pick???? We really enjoyed the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It had a rich, dark black color with a concentration of black cherries and black currants. I loved the fruit forward finish of this wine. It’s no wonder it has received two Silver Medals and one Bronze.

As we headed toward Hedges Family Estate Winery, we saw a small sign that said “Goedhart Family Winery now open”. We took a turn into the drive of this winery, and came to a beautiful building, which seemed very similar to the Hedges chateau style home/winery we had yet to see, but have seen pictures of. We were greeted by Tucker, the Goedhart’s wine dog, who really took a shine to my husband and wanted nothing more than to play fetch during our entire visit. We met Brent and Sarah Goedhart, who were holding a tasting in what appeared to be the homes garage. Sarah said that she is related to the Hedge family and she and her husband rent this home and use the fruit off of 35 acres of the family estate. Their first vintage was in 2006, when they made 103 cases of Syrah. They only make Syrah and they also now have a Syrah Rose’. They produced 203 cases of the 2007 Syrah. Now I am not a big Syrah fan; but my husband is. I have yet to find a Syrah that I can truly say I like. I can honestly say that this Syrah is the closest I have come so far to enjoying. My husband really enjoyed this wine and he feels that Brent and Sarah have a true skill in making Syrah, which will more than likely only get better over time. I’m sure with some of the finest fruit available to them and mentors nearby, they are going to do just fine and they will make a name for themselves soon in the wine world.

Before we were ready to end our first day, we decided to take in Hedges Estate Winery. The grounds are simply magnificent. I could easily imagine that I was walking the grounds of a French Chateau estate with its flowers in bloom in the courtyard garden, which has stunning views of the Red Mountains and Yakima Valley, the quiet sound of the large fountain not far from the grand entry, and vineyards surrounding it all. On a beautiful sunny afternoon, who could ask for more?

What’s not to like about Hedges wines? All of them are incredible – we really enjoyed the Three Vineyards 2005 red blend. No wonder it consistently receives high praise. I think I will enjoy it even more when I let it age a bit longer.

It was the end of our first day jaunt and we were looking forward to heading back to Richland, having a nice dinner with some of the wine we purchased and discussing the fine wines we found that day. This was not to be…..at least not for some time. We took a bit of a detour when we saw a hand written sign that said, “Old School wines…Blackwood Canyon Vineyards. I told my husband…”let’s stop….I have heard of this winery and its eccentric winemaker…it’s supposed to be a real trip!” A trip it was and a wine experience not for the faint of heart.

We turned down the dusty road, moving slowly over the bumps and ruts, taking in signs that said, “keep going, you’re almost there,” “only 250 more feet to go!” At first I thought, are we even on the right road? As we got closer to the “tasting room” (and I use that word loosely), we noticed wine barrels scattered throughout the landscape and old machinery. I was thinking, “is this a junk yard for old wine barrels?”

We parked the car and at first we were a bit reluctant to even get out. Where were we? This winery is in a secluded spot and at first sight you might think you are at the wrong place. This can’t be a winery! What winery has an assortment of farming equipment and other items strewn around the outside, with wine barrels in rows among the weeds? What winery is in a building that looks like it might fall down at any time? We decided to give it a try, because we love an adventure and we enjoy finding things off the beaten trail.

When we approached the tasting room, a group of people were just leaving and they told us that we would more than likely be staying for several hours. I thought, “no way, we have plans, we’ll make this short and sweet.” We entered the tasting room and found it disheveled with a tasting bar immediately at the entry of the room. The bar is literally covered with 50 or so half-empty dusty bottles of wine. Dusty bottles? Yes!!!! It’s like finding a connoisseurs cellar of fine old wine. There is a $10 tasting fee for the “overview” experience and a $25 tasting fee for the more in-depth experience. You might think that this fee is outrageous; but let me tell you, Mike (winemaker) is very generous with his pours and you will be there at least a couple of hours drinking his wine…so the fee I think is very reasonable.

Mike Moore (owner and winemaker, not to be confused with the movie producer), took an immediate interest in my husband and I and we took an immediate interest in him. Mike sports an old dirty ball cap that covers his crop of grey hair. He has a long grey beard that he strokes often when he speaks. In spite of Mike’s unkempt, shabby appearance, and evidence that he had been drinking for better part of the day, we enjoyed spending time with him. Mike told us immediately that he is a “mad, eccentric scientist of wine.” He has a reputation of being over the top and misunderstood by most. We walked to the back of the building and Mike drew some Chardonnay out of a steel tank that was 20 years old. I was so fearful of drinking a wine this old. Most Chardonnay’s that I have enjoyed are at least 5-6 years old, 10 at the most. However, after my first taste, my mind was changed. I have never tasted anything like it. The rich color and the rich taste were incredible. Pair it with some of Mike’s unique cheeses, and it is a match made in heaven. Mike explained that he graduated from U.C. Davis’s famed oenology program and he makes wines reminiscent of the great Burgundian wines of 50-150 years ago. He uses a technique known as “sur lies aging”. This technique is really no longer practiced except for Mike and a few European vintners, because the process takes longer to employ than most modern wineries are willing to endure. Instead of the usual 5-10 years aging wine, Mike takes 30 to 40 years. Some of Mike’s first vintages were harvested 20 years ago and they are just now being released. Even though some are being released now, Mike feels that they are still far from their peak.

Mike took us outside and using a plastic tube, he drew wine out of several barrels that were scattered throughout his place. All were different white wines that he plans to bottle within the next couple of months. Although there are hundreds of old French barrels scattered throughout his property, he knows what is in each barrel and he can tell you when he thinks that they will be ready for the public. Many are still several years away from being ready.

We looked at our watches and realized that we had already been with Mike for almost two hours. Time went by quickly and we hadn’t even had any of his reds yet. Mike asked us to stay with him for dinner. Some of his friends were already outside the tasting room, making Paella, with shrimp and sausage and he really wanted us to join them, pairing his wine with dinner. “What the heck,” we thought. So we stayed and we were so glad that we did. The dinner was wonderful and the wine superb. (Later we learned that Mike is an incredible chef and he would like to open a bistro one day.) Mike continued to share with us his knowledge of making wine. It is very clear that Mike can come across as arrogant and he strongly thinks that his way is the only way to make great wine. He takes great pride in his skill to make wine. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind his arrogance. I realized that what he had to say in many cases was exactly true. Too many wineries turn out their wines quickly to the public because they have to pay for those fancy tasting rooms they have built. Mike only wants to make incredible wine. He doesn’t care what others think of him, because he will stay true to himself. This is a vintner who knows exactly what he is doing. I saw him as a “Renaissance man of wine.” Someone who can make wine like Mike, should be admired not scoffed at.

We left Blackwood Canyon, 3 hours later from when we arrived. It took us most of the evening to come to grips with what we had just experienced. We never got around to tasting Mike’s reds. He asked us to stay longer, but another 3 hours was pushing it. We found ourselves thinking that Mike really understands winemaking. His wines are different from anything we have ever tasted and we will probably never taste anything like it again, unless we go back to Blackwood Canyon. (Which we plan to do, because I want to taste those reds!) This was an adventure, and a tasting experience that we will never forget. I would encourage everyone to find their way to Blackwood Canyon. Be willing to go past your comfort zone, keep an open mind and you will not be disappointed. You will find that his wines are world-class. His rich white wines are every bit as rich and bold as most modern day red wines. No wonder he has been highly rated by Robert Parker and many European critics. Some of his wines have even made top wine lists in the world.

Our second day at Red Mountain wasn’t as adventurous as our first; but equally enjoyable. We stopped at Fidelitas Wines because I have followed Hoppes skills as a winemaker for some time. Since about 2001, he has been producing wines under his Fidelitas label but I have enjoyed his winemaking skills when he was making wine for Canon De Sol, Goose Ridge, Ryan Patarick Winery, Three Rivers and others. I have followed him almost from the beginning, when he was learning his skills by working with Mike Januik at Chateau Ste. Michelle Estates. His new tasting room is very modern, contemporary with wine bottles flanking the walls on all sides. The windows and openness of the structure give you an incredible view of Red Mountains and Horse Heaven Hills in the distance. I enjoyed many of his wines. Disappointed only by the fact that his wines are from the Columbia Valley AVA and not the Red Mountain AVA, therefore I can’t feature them in August. However, I did enjoy his wines for my own pleasure. I love his Bordeaux style red blends, especially the 2007 Optu. The 2006 Cdiel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon was luscious! I love his wine label too. The circle is reminiscent of a wedding ring and I do believe that I have found the red for our son’s wedding. The 2007 m100 red is going to be perfect. The wine should please the masses and with the wine label reflecting commitment to a long-lasting marriage and Fidelitas tagline, “Faithful, Loyal, and True,” we can’t go wrong.

Our next stop was Tapteil Vineyard and Winery. Winemaker, Larry Pearson, produces an intense, full-flavored cabernet sauvignon that has pretty much defined the Red Mountains. Larry enjoys wine, especially, cabernet sauvignon. He planted his vineyard in 1985 on 3.5 acres and now it encompasses 25 acres. We enjoyed many of his wines, especially the 2003 Merlot, in which he only made 100 cases. We picked this one out for our club members because it is a strong merlot with hints of oak and black cherries. I loved the rich tannins of this wine. Before leaving, we enjoyed Tapteil’s hilltop terrace and our small picnic with their wine and some bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar that is sold in their tasting room. It’s easy to let time pass by while you enjoy their wines and the wonderful, sweeping views of the Red Mountains and Horse Heaven Hills.

Hightower Cellars is a wonderful winery. I first fell in love with their wine label with their previous dog, “Murray” on the label. To my disappointment, Murray was not there to greet us at the winery. Owners and winemakers, Tim and Kelly Hightower, explained that Murray passed away last year but the adorable dog that did greet us was Riley, the half-brother of Murray. Tim, Kelly and their dog, Riley, are the nicest people you will ever want to meet. Very friendly, and their true passion for being in the wine business is very evident from everything they do. For a small winery, they do it all and they are wonderful hosts to boot! I truly enjoyed their 2007 Syrah. Again, I am not a big fan of Syrah, but with a Syrah like theirs, I may change my mind. What made it more enjoyable for me was the 5% Viognier that is in the wine. It seemed to make the wine a little more subtle and the dark red raspberry taste with a bit of chocolate at the finish was very evident. This particular wine is their first estate bottled wine. This has got to be exciting for them. The grapes were also handpicked and hard-sorted to ensure that only the best grapes were used.

Our final stop before heading back over the mountain was Chandler Reach Vineyard. Since I love anything Tuscan, I was excited to see this beautiful Tuscan inspired tasting room which sits right off I-82 between Richland and Prosser. Owner and winemaker, Len Parris, is seeing a dream come to fruition. His tasting room is more than just a tasting room. It has a banquet facility that comfortably holds 60 people, where they have Italian wine dinners the third Thursday of every month and they have culinary classes too. They even have two villa suites for their Chandler Club advantage pkg. Their estate red wines are definitely intense and full-flavored. My first selection of choice is their 2004 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and then I really enjoyed the 2006 Corella. We are considering a wine club trip back to Chandler, where we can all enjoy a culinary class and maybe a special dinner. We’ll work out those details later.

It was time to leave the Red Mountain area. I find it harder and harder to leave every time I visit the wineries of Eastern Washington, especially in the Yakima Valley area. I love their fields of grapes and the large number of wineries that dot the land. A beautiful area, fine people, great wineries and fabulous wine! I was able to narrow my search for the perfect red wine for my son’s wedding. However, just when I thought I found the perfect red at a perfect price, I would find another one of equal quality and value. Who knows, I may have to select a few different reds and let my guests enjoy the labors of my search. If any of you have a suggestion for the perfect wine for a wedding, just let me know. I have until late December to make up my mind. Plenty of time to sip, savor and enjoy!

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The Hills of Dundee

Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Dundee Hills Seen From White Rose Winery

Dundee Hills Seen From White Rose Winery

The Hills of Dundee, otherwise known as Dundee Hills, is at the heart of Oregon wine. I have researched this area in the past and found that some people actually feel that it is the center of all Oregon for Pinot Noir. The unique relationship between volcanic Jory soils, elevation and protective microclimates has proven ideal for vineyards, and the Hills of Dundee have produced Oregon’s top Pinot Noirs for decades.

Now I love a good glass of Pinot Noir, but not as much as my dear friend, Paula, who lives not far from Dundee Hills and is known to friends and wine lovers as “the Pinot Noir girl.” My husband and I wanted to visit a few wineries in the Dundee area and who better to show us around, but our dear friends Dan and Paula, who own a wonderful wine club of 16 years and know Oregon wineries, better than anyone else I know. There are many wonderful wineries in this AVA (American Viticultural Area); but we only had time for a few and once again, we had to pick some quality wines from small wineries for our own wine club. Dan and Paula were our tour guides and we left it up to them to show us a few of the best.

We drove through the quaint town of Dundee (home of one traffic light) and we were amazed at the bumper to bumper traffic. The day was sunny and bright and it was Passport Weekend, so it was more crowded than we anticipated. We were taken out into the country and up to the top of a fabulous hill which is known as “Hilltop Lane,” where we visited our first winery, Winter’s Hill Vineyard.

Winter’s Hill is currently building a very large tasting room and winery, which should be completed soon. The old tasting room is in a single story building, which looks almost like a large two car garage. It by no means feels like a garage. They have a wonderful tasting bar and I really enjoyed all the family photos on the wall, which shows their land and history dating back to 1961, when Emily’s family settled in the area.

The view from this winery is spectacular. To reach this winery, you drive up Breyman Orchards road, which is beautiful in itself. This is true Oregon country at its finest. As you get to the top of the hill, you will find their winery which is built between a hazelnut grove and Vista Hills vineyard.

We were greeted by Peter and Emily Gladhart and their son Russell. Being friends of Dan and Paula, we were able to meet with them and hear a bit of their story regarding their winery. We found them all to be very personable and knowledgeable about wine in this area. Peter and Emily and their son, Russell planted the first 19 acres of grapes in 1990, 12 acres of Pinot Gris. It was managed for low, intensely flavored yields. In 1997 they began planting the second phase of their vineyard which is both Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Their entire vineyard is certified by LIVE of Oregon as Sustainable and Salmon Safe. This family has roots that date back to 1961, when Emily’s parents, John and Lena Winter resettled from Illinois bringing the wrought iron hinges that now grace their cellar door. Peter and Emily are the wine growers and their son, Russell is the winemaker. Russell went to France to learn his skill and it was there than he met his future wife, Delphine, who is an established winemaker herself. Both Russell and Delphine create the wines for Winter’s Hill. At Winter’s Hill they pride themselves on growing the finest grapes, harvesting them at optimum ripeness and crafting the best wines possible.

Our favorites at this winery are the 2005 Pinot Noir, which they are almost sold out of and their 2007 Early Muscat New Release, which was paired with Emily’s own “Braided Cheese Bread,” (which I was able to get a recipe for and I will feature on our website in the near future).

Now as much as I enjoyed this winery, I really enjoyed what I found outside their tasting room doors much more. Outside near their picnic area, overlooking an incredible view, I found four beautiful Tennessee Walking Horses tethered to a rail. Being a true horse lover (more than a wine lover), I immediately strolled over to them and enjoyed getting up close and personal with these beautiful creatures. As I invaded their space and imagined myself going for a ride, I was surprised to meet Jake Price, owner of Jake Price Stables in Carlton, Oregon.

What a character Jake is. I immediately fell in love with his outgoing, jovial and quick witted personality. His love for these horses was very evident and he truly enjoyed sharing his passion for horses and the wine country with those he came in contact with. I learned very quickly that Jake has been training, showing and breeding horses for 38 years. It was only 2 years ago that he decided that an Equestrian Wine Tour was the perfect addition to Dundee Hills. Now Jake and his son, Don, enjoy providing outstanding equestrian tours to those who want to take in the Dundee Hills wineries on horseback. For $50 an hour, you can take a custom tour with Jake, going through the famous Red Hills of Dundee, stopping in for wine tastings and then enjoying a European vineyard style lunch. I continued to meet Jake, his customers and his Tennessee Walking Horses as we headed to other wineries in this beautiful countryside. His customers appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely and my husband and I have booked our own tour with Jake for this fall. I haven’t been on a horse in a long time, but I am sure that it is like riding a bike – it will come back to me. Now I just have to remember to stay sober enough to enjoy the ride, while enjoying my wine. (I want to mention that Jake’s new venture is so popular, that he is booked frequently and Wine Enthusiast Magazine will feature his new business in their May issue).

Around the bend from Winter’s Hill is Vista Hills Vineyard. This tasting room just opened its doors in November 2007 and it already is so popular that it is booked all summer for weddings. I can see why. What a fun tasting room! You actually feel like you are standing in your very own tree house. In fact, the name of their tasting room is Treehouse Tasting Room and Winery. I loved sampling their wine, while sitting outside on their deck which is nestled high among Douglas Fir and White Oak treetops. As an Interior Designer, I truly appreciated the architecture of this 6,000 sq ft hideout. It is definitely built in the classic Northwest style. It has an open concept and as I meandered around I came across a small dining area that was laid out with the best looking food. Just as I was admiring the pretty tables and assortment of food, who should approached me…none other than Jake Price. He told me to look below and when I did, I saw his horses tethered, enjoying their own lunch. Jake said that this was one stop where his clients enjoy having a picnic among the treetops. I was envious and wanted to join their fun.

The wines at Vistal Hills were superb! They self-distribute, so we will be going back soon to pick up an order for our wine club and our website http://www.Northwestwinequest.com very soon. We enjoyed all of their wines but our favorite was the 2006 Survivor Reserve Pinot Noir. The Survivor Reserve was exceptional and only 45 cases were made. This wine was made by Jesus Guillen of White Rose Wines. He is an incredible young winemaker, with his own unique story (which I will tell you about next).

Our next stop was even more breathtaking. Near the top of Hilltop Lane in Dayton, Oregon, is White Rose Wines. The tasting room is in the back of the winery among the wine barrels. It is nothing fancy, just a small table with some amazing Pinot Noir to sample. The founder of this winery is Greg Sanders, whom I understand still lives in California but he has a trusting staff that manage this operation and make some wonderful wines. They only make 100 % estate grown Pinot Noir from vines planted in 1980. Their first vintage was in 2001. Most of their wines have the label name of “Dragon’s Bluff”, which are named after the founders sons who happen to love dragons. The wines here are worth mentioning, especially Dragon’s Bluff – White Rose Whole Cluster 2006. This wine was given 91 pts by Burghound.com. They described it best by saying it has “pure red berry fruit aromas that merge in to rich, full and detailed flavors….it has a nice finishing structure as well. ”

The wines as I mentioned are truly amazing at White Rose, but I must tell you about the winemaker, Jesus Guillen. This young man I found to be the true spirit of following ones passion and reaching for the American dream. Jesus decided to study computer science in Mexico in 1999, because he wanted to learn a trade and he wanted to learn English. In 2001, he decided to visit his father who was working in the vineyards at Patricia Green Cellars. Enjoying his visit and working side by side with his father, Jesus realized immediately that his future was not in computer science, but it was in wine. The wine bug bit him so to speak. Not having enough money to go to school to learn about wine making, Jesus latched on to as many books as he could get and studied on his own. He had a dream and he wanted to make wine, not only for a winery; but for his own label one day. It wasn’t long before Greg Sanders saw his talent and asked him to make wine for White Rose. This was a huge step for Jesus. A bigger challenge was in 2006, when some of the fruit from the vines from nearby Vista Hills had been ruined by Voles and a very hot summer. Several tons of fruit were going to be thrown away. Jesus inquired about this and Vista Hills gave him the “ruined fruit” to do what he wanted with it. Jesus used his knowledge and skills and turned this fruit into some great wine. It not only was great, but it was amazing! The owners of Vista Hills tasted his wine, and they were so impressed with what he could do with this “ruined fruit”, that they bought it back from Jesus and it was labeled “2006 Survivor Reserve Pinot Noir – New Release.” Does this sound familiar? It was our favorite wine when we visited Vista Hills only hours before! Jesus was given full credit for making this fine wine and he only made 45 cases. I’m glad that we picked up our fair share.

Jesus is now on his way as a winemaker as he continues to make some wonderful Pinot Noir. At the tasting room, he was very excited to have us taste his first release of Pinot Noir under his own label, called “Dream Catcher.” We immediately were blown away by this wine and we found it to be one of the best Pinot Noir’s that we have ever tried. I don’t have the knowledge to give this wine any “points”, but I did give it 5 stars! Jesus was so appreciative of our true interest in his wine. He took us back to the barrel room where he has more wine that he will release under his own label soon. We tasted some from the barrel and for a wine that is not quite ready, it was still very enjoyable. Jesus allowed us to take his picture and he gave us permission to use his story and his picture when we feature his label for our wine club and website in the near future. He does not have a distributor and he will only make 45 cases that will only be available at the tasting room. We asked if we could reserve several bottles for the near future. Jesus has never been asked this before and it took him by surprise. We haven’t worked out the details of this yet, but we have found an amazing young winemaker who has the true American spirit and he is fulfilling his American Dream. I think “Dream Catcher” is the perfect wine label for a man with the perfect dream. My hat goes off to Greg Sanders, who saw this young winemaker’s talent and has given him every opportunity to reach for his dream.

Our next stop was De Ponte Cellars. They are known for having some of the oldest vineyards in the entire Willamette Valley. This winery sits on scenic property that is also very breathtaking. The views from one winery to the next in this area of Dundee Hills just kept getting better. The landscaping at this winery was impeccable and their tasting room has a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. I had heard that this winery has Pinot Noir that was featured in the 2007 International Pinot Noir Celebration and the 2007 Portland Indi Wine Festival. However, I also heard about their Melon, which is made from 100% old-vine melon de Bourgogne grapes. I love Melon and I haven’t enjoyed a true Melon in some time. I was anxious to pass up all the Pinot Noir and go straight for the Melon. A big thumbs-up for this wine. I have found the white wine for our Dundee Hills AVA selection. The 2008 Melon has aromas of apple, pears and grapefruit. This will be a very enjoyable wine this summer. They recommend pairing it with Oysters, but I think I can really enjoy this one without any food. This wine will age for about 2-3 years, so I have plenty of time to pair with or without Oysters.

Our final stop for this weekend event was Wine Country Farm Cellars. This winery is also a bed and breakfast which is located on a 13 acre estate surrounded by miles and miles of vineyards and magnificent 180 degree views of the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Mountain Range. Once again, I was drawn to the stables before I was drawn to the tasting room. This historic barn was built in 1870 and it connects to a pasture for the owners Arabian horses. They too, offer an Equestrian Wine Tour. I might have to check this one out as well in the near future.

We eventually made our way into the tasting room. The winery and cellar were built in 2006, adjacent to the historic barn. They hand pick the grapes, crush, process and bottle their wines in their own facility. The estate grown fruit never leaves the farm. In fact the hand harvested grapes are brought from the fields to the winery by horse drawn carts. We really enjoyed their 2006 Muller-Thurgau, which I gave 4 stars and it will be the second AVA white from Dundee Hills that we will feature on our website. What I loved about this wine was its crisp sweetness, fresh cider-apple flavor with mineral overtones. It’s going to be a great wine to sip during summer picnics. We enjoyed this wine so much, that they encouraged us to go outside to the barrel room to meet their new wine maker, Alberto Alcazar, who would love to let us taste the upcoming 2007 Muller-Thurgau. We enjoyed meeting Alberto. He is another fine winemaker, who truly understands the Dundee Hill area and keeps a watchful eye on the wine process. I believe the 2007 vintage Muller-Thurgau will be even better than the 2006.

During our visit to this winery, we were also able to taste a few of the wines from Eyrie Vineyards. What yummy wines they were. It was almost closing time and we really didn’t get to enjoy the full samplings of this fine winery. I did pick up a brochure and was instantly intrigued about the history of this winery and found it absolutely fascinating. I look forward to researching this winery further and learning more about the true Oregon wine pioneer, David Lett, also known as Papa Pinot. This winery will be my first stop when I return to Dundee Hills, in the not so distant future.

As they say, “all good things must come to an end.” Our day in Dundee Hills was over. There are still more wineries to check out in this preeminent winegrowing region in Oregon. The history of Pinot in this region is rich, dating back to the mid 1960′s, but I feel that history continues to be made with each new vintage that comes from this amazing AVA. There is no better place to look for good Pinot Noir, than the area I like to call, “The Hills of Dundee.”

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Where Oh Where are the Walla Walla Whites

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

“Time for another adventure,” my husband said.  I am always up for an adventure or a new challenge. This past weekend we decided that the new AVA (American Viticultural Area) to be featured on our website, in June was going to be the wines from the Walla Walla Valley AVA. It has been a few years since we have made our jaunt to Walla Walla and our wine cellar was in short supply of Walla Walla reds. I knew it was going to be easy to select reds for our wine club members and to restock our wine cellar, but what about true Walla Walla Valley whites? That was the challenge that we faced.

Again, our time over the weekend was limited and with a five hour drive one-way, we had to stay focused and we had to have a plan. We decided that we only had time to take in two Walla Walla Valley Wine Trails. We decided on the South Wine Trail and the Airport Wine Trail. We typically only visit the smaller boutique wineries and we tried to stay true to this. So let the challenge begin…..

Our first winery stop was Tertulia Cellars. Tertulia means “a social gathering of friends.” This rang true from the moment we entered the door of their beautiful contemporary tasting room, greeted by Jordan and it held true as we were granted permission to watch the bottling process take place by Ryan Raber, winemaker. Ryan is one of the youngest winemakers in the Walla Walla Valley. He may be a young winemaker, but his passion and talent for making unique and distinctive wines is one of experience and dedication. No wonder his wines have received many accolades and many buy up his wines before they ever get reviewed.  The 2007 Tempranillo is superb, as well as the 2006 Walla Walla Valley, Les Collines Vineyard Syrah. These two reds will be an easy red selection for our wine club members and website. The 2007 Viognier was simply yummy!  The nose delivered a nice bouquet of lavender and a hint of mandarin and pears. The acid was well balanced. Although I wanted to feature this white in June, it was made with fruit from the Columbia Valley AVA and not the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Jordan informed us that the estate fruit will be ready for the first time in one year. In about 2 years, they will have a Walla Walla AVA Viognier. I’m looking forward to that!

Our next stop was Basel Cellars Estate Winery. I know that this is not a small boutique winery but we always love stopping in at this winery, and have done so since it opened in 2002. Every time we drive through the gated entrance and wind our way up to the top of the bluff, it is like our very first time. The estate is grand, the views of the valley and the Blue Mountains always take my breath away. This morning visit was no different. The snow was still visible on the Blue Mountains and the sun was bright and the air was crisp. Excitement surged through me because I knew I was about to taste some great premium wines. Never disappointed, I loved their 2004 “Ode to Merriment”, their Walla Walla Valley Proprietary Blend. I loved the flavors of cherries and plums with just a hint of espresso. Since it will last a good 8-10 years – we found room in our van and made room in our cellar, for several bottles. We tasted their 100% Carmenere, which will be available in June and only through the tasting room. It was well worth the taste and the trip to Walla Walla. We are going to try and get some of this for ourselves as well as our customers when it is available in June. Though Basel Cellars never disappoints, we were disappointed that we weren’t able to feature their tasty white wines. All of them are made from fruits outside Walla Walla. Again we were told from the staff (who made a quick phone call to the winemaker), that estate whites will be available soon but not this year.  So we packed up our reds and moved on in search for the great Walla Walla white.

Across the freeway and around the bend, we came to Beresan Winery.  Again, I fell in love with the ambiance of a small winery. The tasting room is located in a two story barn that was built in 1926 on the Thomas Homestead.  This barn once housed horses and dairy cows used on the farm and I guess some of the locals still comment about how their ancestors broke horses on this homestead. It was remodeled in 2003 to accommodate the winery and the owners, Tom and Debbie Waliser, have put their own personal touch on the place. In fact, before entering, we looked up and saw what looked like a real white owl perched on a post. It took me a minute to realize that this wasn’t the real deal. The barn’s high ceilings, rustic colors and woodwork and the turn-of-the century furnishings give the tasting room a unique ambiance and a real feel for wine.

Upon entering the tasting room, we were greeted by Debbie’s warm smile and when we informed her that we were on a mission to find Walla Walla AVA whites, she just smiled and poured us their 2007 Semillion.  This wine not only met our criteria for being an estate grown white, but its luscious and pleasing taste met my picky standards.  I am not a big fan of Semillon, but this one quickly changed my mind. The essence of pear, honey and citrus left my mouth wanting more. I could quickly see that this wine would be enjoyable with food but also alone.  I broke my own personal rule by not sharing this particular tasting with my husband and selfishly kept it to myself. What I also liked about this winery is that a portion of the sale proceeds of the Semillon goes to the “Angel Share project” for cancer research and hospice. The quirky wine label of an Angel on the Semillon wine bottle was designed Amy Glase.

We didn’t get out of this winery before finding a new Port style wine for our business. Debbie poured us the 2004 “Just Candy,” late harvest Syrah.  She apologized for not have a bit of chocolate to go with this yummy Port , which is made from the fruit of Candy Mountain Vineyards, but  she informed us that chocolate really isn’t necessary because the wine itself is like eating candy…hence the name, “Just Candy.” I found this to be very true, but since I happen to always have a bit of chocolate with me for my daily “chocolate attacks,” I was able to enjoy both the wine and the chocolate.  This time I did share with my husband.

As we were ready to leave we met Tom the winemaker. This was not Debbie’s husband, Tom, but another Tom. Tom Glase is responsible for not only making wine for Beresan Winery, but he also makes wine under his own wine label, Balboa. Directly next to the barn is another small building where Tom has his own small tasting room (as well as one in the town of Walla Walla). Although we were on a mission to find whites, we couldn’t help ourselves and decided to taste Tom’s creations. He has three reds that he makes, Mirage Vineyard Merlot, Mirage Vineyard Syrah and Candy Mountain and Mirage Vineyards Columbia Valley Cat’s Meow. His labels are quirky and fun and his wines are very tasty, my favorite being the Cat’s Meow. Tom not only is a gifted winemaker but he must be a good cook as well. We passed through a small kitchen before entering his tasting room and whatever he was making, smelled divine. Before leaving I was very tempted to ask him for a bite as well as a full glass of his Cat’s Meow.

Across the road from Beresan, we spotted Saviah Cellars. My heart immediately warmed because I immediately remembered this fine, family-owned winery from my visit in October 2007. It was during the crush season and this family was so busy. All of the children, friends and family were in the vineyards laughing, listening to music and hand picking the grapes. I remember thinking, “gee I wonder if they would adopt me if I offered to help?” I was not disappointed in my visit this time. Although the vineyard was quiet, no children around, we were greeted by friendly staff and we enjoyed visiting with a couple who drove over from Idaho just to replenish their cellars with Saviah’s famous “The Jack.” We told them as well as the staff about our hunt for Walla Walla white wines. Saviah has a wonderful Star Meadows White Wine, but it too is a Columbia Valley wine and not a Walla Walla.  I have enjoyed this wine in the past, especially when paired with seafood or a salad. The only true Walla Walla AVA wines they produce are the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Syrah.  Both are delicious reds and worth our consideration for our wine club. We also didn’t leave without buying our own share of “The Jack.” This is just a simple red table wine, with a great taste and a great value. The winery may be named after the owner, Anita Funk’s great-grandmother, Saviah, who settled in Montana in the early 1900′s; but “The Jack” is named after the great-grandfather, Jack, who loved to play Poker.  Hence, the name, “The Jack,” and its label, is a picture of a Jack of Clubs from a deck of cards.

Our sixth stop was Waters Winery.  They have a tasting room in an old Depot Building in downtown Walla Walla, but we decided to stop in at their new tasting room that opened in November 2008.  This new $2 million, 5,000 square ft winemaking facility and tasting room, is made of masonry and rusted steel panels.  It is a gorgeous facility, very open and contemporary in design. The grounds are beautiful and we were greeted by an elegant Heron which made its home in the nearby pond. Waters produces Cabernet Sauvignons, Syrahs and a blend called Interlude. All were incredible, but no whites….disappointed, when moved on to VA Piano Vineyards.

I had a feeling as we drove up the lane to the beautiful Tuscan inspired tasting room of VA Piano, that there would be no whites available here. The vineyards were all neatly labeled, “Cabernet Sauvigon, Syrah, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Not a white in the bunch! But the stop was worthwhile anyway. It was our first visit and I’m sure it won’t be our last. The Tuscan style tasting room and studio was warm, inviting and I immediately wanted to sip “Bruno’s Blend” and gaze at the artwork that graces the walls of the tasting room. The warm tones and the staff’s relaxed style made me feel right at home. We were told that this boutique winery is best known for their Syrah. The 2006 release was well worth the taste. We found more Walla Walla reds for our tasting panel but no whites! Where oh where are those Walla Walla Whites?

Close to the Washington, Oregon state line, we visited Gifford Hirlinger Winery (GH for short). This tasting room and winery are located in a beautiful, modern building at the base of the rolling hills of its vineyard. On a warmer day, it would have been enjoyable to open a bottle of wine and sit on the large patio area overlooking Mike’s vineyard.  This stop was a real treat for us. We were initially greeted by Chewy and Charlie, the winery dogs. Playful and friendly, they lead us to the tasting room, but not before we had to give them a good tummy scratch and some praise.  We were the only ones visiting this winery at the time and this gave us the opportunity to meet farmer and winemaker, Mike Berghan’s, who gave us his undivided attention. We were also introduced to his father, Peter, who is his business partner and his biggest fan, praising Mike’s love and skill as a winemaker. Mike and Peter explained that this small winery opened its doors in 2005. Their goal is to eventually make only estate wines featuring fruit from Mike’s vineyard. They get closer to this goal each year. Currently they have two estate wines, their Merlot and their “Stateline Red,” which is a blend of 58% cabernet and 42% merlot…..very tasty!  When we mentioned our desire to find a true estate white, Mike told us about his 2008 Estate Pinot Gris. He will release it in June or July. “It’s not quite ready,” he said. I was so happy to find this estate white that I begged Mike to sell me one bottle before release. He was reluctant, but agreed to let me purchase one bottle if I promised to wait until June to open it. I made this promise and so far, I have honored Mike’s request. I keep this one bottle of Pinot Gris on my office desk, where it tempts me daily. I smile when I look at it because it was the second Walla Walla estate white that we found on our jaunt and I know that when I pop the cork on this one in June, I am going to be in for a real treat. How do I know this? I don’t; but I truly believe that if it is anything like Mike’s reds, then it has to be good. So on June 1st, I will pour a glass of Mike’s Pinot Gris and with a smile on my face, I will give a silent toast and thank him!

If it weren’t for Mike and Peter, we would not have known about Morrison Lane Winery. They were quick to encourage us to visit this tasting room in the town of Walla Walla because the Morrison’s have been growing fruit for wineries since 1994 and they have an excellent estate Viognier.  It was getting late in the afternoon and I was experiencing palate fatigue, but what the heck! We were on a roll and the possibility of finding another Walla Walla white was too tempting to ignore. We were so happy that we heeded Mike and Peter’s advice. What a wonderful way to end our first day in Walla Walla.

The Morrison Lane Winery is located in the historic Dacres Building in downtown Walla Walla. When you enter the building you immediately notice the large tasting bar lined up with many bottles of Morrison labeled wines. Behind the bar you will meet Dean and Verdie Morrison, owners of this family operated winery, both of whom are charming, witty and fun to spend time with. You also will notice a large baby grand piano, a cello, guitar and other musical instruments. Owner, Dean Morrison, with his quick smile and long, gray pony tail, informed us that they host musical evenings with jazz and blues musicians. What better way to enjoy good wine but with good music. No musicians were scheduled to play that evening, but I could easily imagine an enjoyable evening with dim lights, a bottle or two of wine and the sounds of jazz filling the room.

I imagine everyone in Walla Walla have come to love and respect Dean and Verdie. They have been growing fruit and supplying local wineries with their unique varietals since 1997. Dean is proud of his heritage, stating that the Morrison Farm was established in 1918 by his grandparents.  He and Verdie planted the first, four-acre block of Syrah in 1994, and since that time Dean has planted unusual varietals new to the Walla Walla Valley. Dean is proud of Morrison’s growing reputation for the unique varietals. When we told him of our interest in a true Walla Walla Valley white, Dean quickly informed us that he was the first to plant Viognier in Walla Walla thirteen years ago. We were blown away by the Morrison Lane Viognier.  WE FOUND OUR THIRD WALLA WALLA WHITE! We are so excited to share this wine with family, friends and our wine club members.  This wine, with its gold hue; was rich in fruit flavor and aroma. The alcohol was barely noticeable, so the ripe fruit flavor stood up on its own.  I am ready to match this one with a shrimp risotto.

I would recommend all of Morrison Lane wines. There wasn’t one wine that I didn’t enjoy tasting. That is rare for me, because I usually select only two or three wines at the most from each winery that I would highly recommend.  But in this case, I felt differently.  This is an incredible boutique winery that only makes 2,000 cases a year and they plan to keep it that way.  I commend them for their attention to detail, their production of some amazing fruit and their creation of enjoyable wine.  I do, however, want to mention the “33 1/3″ which sells for $33.33. Is this not a hoot? It is musical to say and easy to drink. It is made of 1/3rd Counoise (pronounced koon-WAHZ), 1/3rd Syrah and 1/3rd Viognier. This was so unique that I was anxious to try it. All I can say is “WOW!” The nose is definitely Viognier, but with the taste of Counoise and the peppery finish of a Syrah. Dean mentioned that this was made by accident in 2004, and since its release, it has become one of their most popular wines. In fact, while we sat there tasting it and drooling for more, Dean received a phone call from a gentleman in Florida. This person had just opened his bottle of “33 1/3″ he purchased from Dean while visiting Walla Walla, and he immediately wanted more for his retail store.  It is that good!

We made our selections and purchases for our website and before leaving, Dean made sure that we had a complimentary bottle of his 2004 Nebbiolo. This is one of his favorites and he wanted us to enjoy it as well. When asked what I should pair with it, Dean laughed and said, “Wild Boar of course!”

Our first day in Walla Walla wouldn’t be complete without having dinner at my favorite small restaurant called “Backstage Bistro.” You must have a reservation to get into this place. I have made the mistake in the past thinking that no reservation could possibly be needed for a small place in Walla Walla. Big mistake! I have kicked myself in the past for not calling ahead and will not do that again. This is the kind of restaurant that you enjoy when you first walk in the door. The food selections go from seafood to steak and even barbeque. I love their wine selection, most of which are from local wineries. If you are lucky, you will even enjoy listening to music from live musicians who play there on Friday and Saturday evenings.  It is easy to get lost in the romance of this place.

Our second day in Walla Walla was cut short because we had the five hour drive back home.  We quickly decided to visit Zerba because we have featured them on our site in the past and their wines are a big favorite of ours and our wine club members. So before heading over to the airport wineries, we made a quick drive across the state line to visit Zerba.  I always make the mistake of saying Zebra instead of Zerba. I’m sure I am not the first or the last to do so. I love Zerba’s log house tasting room, which is made of western juniper from Central Oregon. We weren’t able to stay long. Just a quick stop to pick up their one and only Walla Walla white which is the 2007 Semillon.

The Walla Walla Airport Wine Trail was very enjoyable. There were some wineries that we wanted to visit; but for some reason they were closed that day. We did however enjoy a few. What I find amazing is that properties that sat idle after World War II at this airport are now providing low cost rent space for start up businesses.  What a creative way to use space and keep a part of history alive at the same time.   An interesting stop was Le Chateau. They just opened their doors in December 2008. When you first look at the exterior of this World War II building, you think you are looking at an authentic European chateau. Whoever did the faux artwork known as Trompe-l’Oeil (fool-the-eye) did a superb job!  Although they did not have any Walla Walla Valley whites, I did like their selection of reds.  It seems that every few months beginning this spring, they will host a new local artist of different mediums.  This should be a unique experience, enjoying art and sampling wines. I’ll have to check this one out further during a future visit.

Our next stop was Dunham Cellars. We did our research and new that Dunham Cellars only had Columbia Valley Whites, but I really wanted to check out this winery again because I love the atmosphere of this place which is located in a former World War II airplane hangar.  I love its warm Tuscan colors, vivid artwork and the Hangar Lounge, which hosts great food, wine and music. I especially wanted to see “Port”, the three legged canine that is pictured on the “Three Legged Red Table Wine” bottle (wine that I dearly love).  I quickly learned that Port passed on in May 2008 and is terribly missed by all. This dampened my spirits a bit. I know my sadness for the loss of Port is nothing compared to what winemaker, Erick Dunham must feel.  Although Port is no longer lying on the tasting room floor greeting visitors, his spirit lives on and according to the staff at Dunham Cellars, he will always be featured on the “Three Legged Red” wine bottle.

Our next stop was “Adamant Cellars” (not to be confused with Adam Ant, the 1980′s disco music sensation.) We met owner and winemaker, Devin Stinger. He explained that he is taking advantage of a six year lease that is given to beginning winemakers who have a passion to create wine but need a place to hone their skills and make their wines. The building he is currently in is known as an “incubator.” There are several of these new buildings at the airport, which are funded by state grant money. Each 1,600 square ft building provides the space needed to produce 1,000 cases of wine annually. He has four years left on his lease and even though this venture has been a “dream come true,” it has been hard work and at times his dreams seemed pretty lofty. He is proud of his wines and his Select Red Blend was picked as the Best Washington wines of 2008 by Seattle Times Wine Adviser Paul Gregutt.  What an amazing accomplishment for this fine new winemaker. I must admit that I enjoyed all of his wines, especially his white called “Bliss.” Although I was disappointed that his whites were from Columbia Valley, it did not keep me from buying his 2008 Bliss, which is 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. What a treat this was. Devin even let me try a little of his 2007 Bliss (which he is sold out of), but he wanted me to taste the subtle differences.  I believe Devin and his wife Debra are making a name for themselves and I wouldn’t be surprised if at the end of their lease, they will be making wine in their very own winery on their very own property.

We enjoyed our next stop which was Elegante Cellars. This new winery opened in September 2007 by Doug Simmons, who is owner, winemaker and manager.  Doug is extremely personable and we enjoyed hearing how he went from retired school teacher, teaching chemistry and geography at a local Catholic school, to winemaker. Doug received his Certificate of Viticulture and an AA degree in Enology and Viticulture from Walla Walla Community College (WWCC). Doug helped WWCC in producing their 2004 and 2005 wines and then he assisted the Huse family at Five Star Cellars in 2006. Doug designed his own small winery at the Airport. He gave us a tour of this winery, from the tasting room, to the production center to his storage facility. My favorite room was his storage room, where all the kegs are neatly stacked and accounted for. The wonderful essence of wine filled the air. This entire facility was designed by him, with much attention to detail and specifications that he feels is extremely important in producing his wines. Doug’s focus is on low production, high quality and handcrafted wines. Exactly, what we look for, for our business.  I enjoyed his Cabernet Sauvignon but I must admit that my favorite is the 2007 Gewurztraminer. This wine comes from the Celilo Vineyards, in the Columbia Gorge, where the fruit is from 25 year old vines. This white is rich with green apple and I thought I was biting in to a ripe, tart, Granny Smith green apple. I bought several bottles and plan to pair it with chicken or turkey. Doug says that this particular wine will make the “turkey or chicken stand up and flap its wings.” I plan to feature this wine when we select the Columbia Gorge AVA for our business.  I strongly recommend that you stop in and see Doug. He and his wine dog “Ring”, will give you a tour, fill your glass and share his knowledge as winemaker. (The teacher in Doug is still alive and well).

This was the end of our trip. On our way out of town we did stop at Cougar Crest. Their new facility at 50 Frenchtown  Rd is spectacular! This is one winery that got its start at the Airport in 2001, and recently  moved to its new location.  When tasting their wines, it becomes immediately apparent that Debbie Hansen, winemaker, has the skills as a winemaker. Her background as a pharmacist was the perfect training for winemaking. I met her young son at the tasting room and he was beaming with pride when he spoke of his mother. He is very excited about her new venture, making wine under a new label called Walla Walla River Winery that will be available at a later date out at the Airport. I look forward to investigating that winery in the future. Before leaving, we did taste an incredible estate 2006 Viognier.  This wine is definitely a keeper and a perfect choice for our wine club. No wonder it has won 4 awards in 2008 and Wine spectator gave it 90 points.

Our weekend was over and our hunt for Walla Walla Valley whites had come to an end. With over 55 wineries in Walla Walla, and growing annually, we have plenty of wineries to explore in the future. Finding the elusive boutique AVA whites is quite a quest. Each winery we visited was unique in terms of winemaking styles. At the end of our trip, our biggest challenge was identifying our favorite.  I look forward to our return trip, exploring the wineries we missed and meeting interesting characters. If any of you have found a true Walla Walla Valley AVA estate white that we should definitely try…..then, please let me know.  I’m always up for a new treat!

Cheers!

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Tracking Down Northwest Pinot Noir

Thursday, March 19th, 2009
2006 Beran Estate Pinot Noir

Our quest for the month of March was to track down some amazing Pinot Noirs for our wine club members at Northwest Wine Quest for the month of May. We had very good reason to do so: Pinot Noir has become extraordinarily popular. Of course our quest for Pinot Noir took us to the beautiful state of Oregon, whose Pinot Noir is now highly recognized around the world. Of course our time as usual, was very limited. How on earth were we going to find incredible Pinot in just two short days? Well, anyone who knows us will tell you that we are extremely focused people. We get an idea in our head and we are determined to see it through. Realizing that some of the best Pinot Noir comes from the Willamette Valley area of Oregon, we decided to only focus on that AVA (American Viticultural Area). Wow…that is a mouthful!

The Willamette Valley AVA happens to be the largest AVA in the State of Oregon and contains two-thirds of the states wineries, which currently is more than 200. Now, we love wine tasting and experiencing the unique boutique wineries; but experiencing 200 wineries in two days…impossible and my mouth would eventually revolt! So we narrowed our quest down and decided to focus on only one of the six smaller AVA’s within the Willamette Valley. We selected Chehalem Mountains AVA. In doing so, we quickly realized that even this smaller AVA has approximately 31 wineries to visit and it stretches 20 miles from Wilsonville to Forest Grove. We had our work cut out for us.!

We did our research before leaving and we learned that there was an annual wine festival in McMinnville, Oregon called the Wine and Food Classic which was going to take place the weekend of March 14th and it was going to be held at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. Wow, what a way to experience a lot of wineries at one time. We definitely wanted to take part in that. However, we wouldn’t be able to experience our true passion of driving through wine country, visiting unique tasting rooms and meeting the wine makers and hearing their tales. So, to experience both worlds, we decided to take in a few wineries on Saturday and then we would visit the festival late Saturday and on Sunday.!

We left early on the 14th, which was a cold and rainy day and made the three hour drive from Washington to Hillsboro, Oregon. Our first stop was Beran Vineyards. We heard wonderful things about Beran Vineyards and we were anxious to check it out. Fortunately we were able to make an appointment to taste the wines on the 14th. Beran Vineyards in only open to the public on Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Weekend. (See, our research paid off!) We were not disappointed in Beran. What a joy it was to meet Bill Beran, who is 75 years young, owner of the winery and winemaker of Pinot Noir! Bill only produces Pinot Noir. He understands that great Pinot Noir can only happen when meticulous attention is given to the vineyard. He and his wife, Sharon, are dedicated to the exclusive production of small quantities of premium estate bottled Pinot Noir.!

Bill and Sharon have a beautiful estate winery that is located in a converted dairy barn, on a site that was homesteaded in 1875. The vineyard was planted in 1972 and 1979. Their original plan was to establish the winery just as soon as the vineyard was comfortably producing. It wasn’t until 1997, that they were finally able to make the leap. For many years they only sold their grapes to nearby wineries and they kept only enough to make one or two barrels each year for their family. Soon they realized that their grapes were of great quality and produced some amazing fruit. They decided to convert the old dairy barn into a building designed to produce only premium Pinot Noir at no more than 1000 cases per year, and PREMIUM WINES THEY ARE! This entire estate winery is completely self-contained. Bill and Sharon do all the winemaking with the help of friends, neighbors and family during crush and bottling. Bottling, labeling and storage are all done on site.!

The wine tasting room is in the converted dairy barn. The room is bright, extremely clean and well organized. The tasting bar is small but quaint and it sits among the wine barrels and the storage area. Behind this small counter is where you will find Bill. It seems that Bill enjoys nothing more than describing his beautiful estate Pinot Noir.!

Bill explained that his Pinot Noir is made from three clones: 45% Dijon, 45% Pommard and 10% Wadenswill. Bob Grimes, vineyard manager, likes to focus on each individual vine, giving each one exactly the care needed to produce quality fruit. This attention to detail and keeping the yields low is what gives the fruit outstanding flavor, year after year.!

We tried Beran’s 2005 Pinot Noir. Bill explained that in 2005, the Wadenswill clone did not do very well. He typically blends his wine with 10% Wadenswill because it gives the wine its rich color and a bit more spicy flavor. That year Bill decided to try something different. He made two different types of Pinot Noir. Each Pinot Noir was made out of one single clone. The 2005 Estate Pinot Noir-Dijon Clone and the 2005 Estate Pinot Noir-Pommard Clone. What incredible wines they are! They are very unique and when tasted side by side, it is amazing to taste the subtle differences. The Dijon Clone is a lighter style showing bright red fruit and it has a somewhat spicy finish. (I am anxious to try it with a light pasta dish). The Pommard Clone is a darker counterpoint to the Dijon clone. This wine has a lot of dark fruit and the tannins are more noticeable. This wine can be cellared for up to six years. We were glad to hear that, because we bought several cases to share with our wine club members, our online store and of course, for ourselves! !

Now it should be noted that Bill just released his 2006 Beran Estate Pinot Noir, which is the typical blend that he makes most years. This wine is also very different than the 2005 single clones. The 2006 has more body and a more profound aromatic complexity and silky texture. It definitely has a more spicy finish. (I envisioned eating a hearty dish like leg of lamb with this wine.) For the true Pinot Noir lover, I strongly recommend that you try each clone of the 2005 release and then try the 2006 release. You will be amazed and the subtle differences. What amazing Pinot Noirs they are and at a great price. The prices are $35 and under and they taste like ones that would easily cost $75. I truly believe that the best Pinot Noirs are produced in moderate quantities and Bill has it down to an art.!

I would like to take this moment to mention that we are truly appreciative of Bill and Sharon Beran. They opened up their tasting room to us on a cold, rainy Saturday morning (10 a.m.) and they are allowing us to feature them on our website. Currently we are the only online store to sell their wine. They like the idea that we really try to feature small boutique wineries that produce premium wines that can’t be found in every store around the corner. We feel very fortunate and happy that they liked our website enough to let us feature them. I can guarantee that every Pinot Noir lover out there will love the experience of Beran Pinot Noir!!

When it was time to leave Beran Vineyard, we were somewhat shocked that so much time had passed. We found it hard to leave. We loved the wine, the atmosphere and we enjoyed Bill immensely. We feel that our first stop was a gold mine. In fact, Bill is thinking of retiring in a few years and selling Beran. What a gold mine to purchase. My husband and I often dream of owning a winery. I know that it is the romance of wineries that lures us into thinking what fun it would be to work among those lush producing vines….but in all actuality, we know that it is extremely hard work and it takes a true talent to produce such incredible wines from vines that are strong, healthy and deserve our respect.!

Quickly time got away from us. When we left Beran Vineyard, the mist and fog was still hovering over the mountains, making it difficult to really enjoy the beautiful scenery that we knew was hidden behind those pesky clouds. We decided to take in the next winery we came to and then we would head to McMinnville for the festival.!

Our next stop was Ponzi Vineyards. Now I know what most of you are thinking…..Ponzi is not a small boutique winery. It is not small like the majority of the wineries we feature, but we were interested in learning more about Ponzi. Since the majority of their wines are made from varietals produced in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, we felt it was important to stop in. In my research I fell in love with the history of this family and the true pioneer spirit they had when they moved their family to the Willamette Valley in the 1969 and produced the first 4 barrels of Pinot Noir in 1974. It is a family business that has been shared by the Ponzi family for nearly 40 years. Although this winery has grown considerably over the years, has won numerous prestigious awards and it is famous enough to have one of its wines (Chardonnay Reserve) served at a White House dinner, it still has that comfortable family, intimate atmosphere. The tasting room is elegant but it also has that cozy feeling because the photo gallery that features pictures spanning 40 years makes you feel like you are stepping into their personal world if not for just a little while. The staff were extremely knowledgeable and they provided us with some wonderful, quick recipes to pair with some of their wines.!

Our quest was for Pinot Noir and the 2006 Ponzi Pinot Noir Reserve did not disappoint. Boy was it scrumptious. The texture was light and I could definitely taste the blackberry fruit and the black pepper. It will hold until 2022, so a few bottles are now tucked away in our personal wine cellar to be enjoyed at a future date (if we can hold off that long.) In the near future, we will also be featuring their Pinot Gri, Pinot Blanc and the Chardonnay Reserve, all of which are from grapes produced in the Chehalem Mountain AVA. Their 2008 Pinot Gri is a wonderful crisp wine. It’s no wonder that they know a lot about Pinot Gri because they were the first to plant this grape varietal in 1978, when it was virtually unknown in the United States. The 2006 Ponzi Chardonnay Reserve was so yummy… it was definitely stored in French oak. Typically I much prefer Chardonnay that is fermented in stainless steel; but this was a real treat. The color was rich and the taste was lusciousness. No wonder the Chardonnay Reserve has been enjoyed at White House dinners in the past. What is good for the former President and dignitaries is good enough for me! This wine although available nationwide, is predominately only sold in their tasting room. We have permission to sell it on our website in the near future and look forward to sharing it with our online customers.!

As the day progressed, the rain continued….so Wine and Food Classic…here we come! We were very excited about attending a festival that would be featuring only Oregon wines and it would be in a warm and dry place. With our new Ravenscroft Amplifier tasting glasses in hand, we headed inside for what we hoped would be a great festival that would provide us with great in-site about Oregon wines and their wine makers. I understand that this festival has been around for many years and it is always well attended. It was our first experience to attend this festival and though it was great to get out of the rain, I can’t say that we really enjoyed the experience. Now I know many people enjoy attending these functions. The music is good and the wine flows freely (after you pay your entry fee of $15 and then an additional $1-$3 at each wine booth for a taste.) However, if you are like me and you really want to enjoy the wine experience at the winery itself, you enjoy meeting the wine makers and absorbing their knowledge and tales, then, this isn’t the right place to be. The event was loud, crowded and lacked that personal touch you get when you visit a winery. The 10X10 booths are lined up all in a neat row and we were constantly being courted by each vendor to try their wines. We found that the majority of the vendors were not the winemakers or owners themselves; but rather their winery staff or volunteers. Our questions were often left unanswered. We did notice that Ponzi and Beran were not at this particular festival, so we were very happy that we made the decision to visit their wineries first before attending. At the festival we tried to find other wineries whose wines were exclusive to the Chehalem Mountain AVA, since that was our main focus; but we found it difficult. Since we found our search for Chehalem Mountain AVA wines so frustrating, we decided to check out other wineries that caught our eye. Quickly we fell in love with some small wineries from the Umpqua Valley AVA and we learned to really appreciate their production of Pinot Noir as well as their Rieslings. We are looking forward to exploring this AVA more in the near future and we have already made arrangements to meet the owners and wine makers. I’m sure some beautiful wines await us in our future jaunt to the Umpqua Valley.!

Our day was complete and we headed back to Portland to spend a relaxing evening at the Hotel Vintage Plaza. We got there in time for their evening wine tasting. Again, the wine flowed freely; but my mouth had had enough. I’ll save that experience for another time, on another visit.!

So this brings our jaunt to an end. With the weather wet, windy and wild, we headed back to our neck of the woods the following morning only to be met by snow! It’s March for goodness sake! Oh well, give me a warm fire and a yummy class of Pinot Noir – what better way to end an enjoyable weekend? Until our next jaunt…Cheers!

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Come Tread On Me!

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

rattlesnake_hills

There is something about blazing the wine trail of Yakima Valley that stirs the interest of most of us wine lovers.  Whether we fancy ourselves as a wine expert or a wine novice, there is always something to see and learn about when touring wine country. Did you know that only one bottle in six consumed in Washington was produced here?  Many would think that the only wine country that needs exploring is the California Wine County.  This just isn’t so! There are so many different wineries in the Northwest, that sometimes it can seem rather daunting when a person wants to explore it all. My husband and I decided that we would select a certain Northwest AVA each month and explore that AVA to its fullest.  We will then feature the selected wineries on our website www.NORTHWESTWINEQUEST.COM. In doing so, we hope to share what we have learned about these small wineries with others.

We decided to travel first to Yakima Washington to take part in the Red Wine and Chocolate Festival over Valentine’s Day weekend. The Yakima Valley has over 50 wineries to explore.  We decided to only take in the Rattlesnake Hill AVA during our weekend jaunt. This Northern part of the Yakima Valley became its own AVA in 2006 and at present contains 20 wineries. In Rattlesnake Hills, there are no industrial wineries!  What a concept! You drive through orchards and vineyards, just like wine country is supposed to be.  During our two day jaunt it became very clear that most of the wineries have a close connection to the grapes and the soil.  The grapes you see are the wines that you drink. Many of the wineries produce less than 5000 cases per year, some less than 2000.  Our purpose was not to see how many wineries we could see in just two short days, but rather to explore the wineries, the winemakers and to pick our favorites.  We found out quickly that this was a big task.  We enjoyed each winery (some more than others) and at times it was difficult to move on to the next one. However, we did manage to visit a total of 14 wineries in our two day trip.

Day One

Our first stop Windy Point Vineyards.  The drive up to the top of the hill was breathtaking.  Their wine tasting room has a “bird’s eye view” of the Yakima Valley.  The tasting room is large and is designed to not only be a tasting room but also a large dining room where they have many winemaker dinners.  The wine bar is large and accommodates many people at one time.  The tasting bar centers on a very large and beautifully designed kitchen, giving it an elegant appearance but also warm and inviting.   At 10 a.m. the tasting room was packed, yet we didn’t feel crowded because there was plenty of room to enjoy the wines, the visitors and the knowledgeable staff.  We briefly learned that the owners, Mike and Liz Stepniewski, are not only the owners, but the growers and the winemakers too.  They specialize in Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  They produce about 2500 cases each year.  We found that we loved their Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc the best.  However, the highlight for us was the Syrah Port! It’s rich ruby color and fruit forward taste was perfect – especially when paired with their home made truffles.  It was also a favorite among others as well.  In fact, one gentleman said that he drove all the way there from Kennewick, because he had trouble locating the Port between there and Yakima.  He came prepared to buy it all!  Now I doubt that he really did buy it all, but just in case, we made sure that we left there with our fair share.

As we continued to blaze the wine trail, we stopped at Piety Flats Winery.  What a blast that was! Not only did we feel like pioneers, blazing the trails of Yakima, but we were surprised to see that this Winery is situated in a 1911 Mercantile Building with old country charm. It was like a blast from the past! The wine bar was reminiscent of the old saloon bars of the west.  Although we didn’t belly up to the bar for a cold beer, we did belly up to the bar for a taste of some wonderful wines.  They feature a large variety of affordable wines, both red and white.  Our favorites were the 2007 Gewurztraminer and the 2007 Riesling, both of which were similar to some beautiful German wines that we have had in years past. We loved the rich, spicy scents and flavors of the Gewurztraminer and the light fruit aromas of the Riesling. If the day would have been warmer, we would have enjoyed a chilled Gewurztraminer as we played Bocce Ball on their new Bocce Ball court. 

Our third stop was Claar Cellars, which is just off I-82 near Zillah.  Although it is conveniently located off the freeway, we felt that the tasting bar was very small and not very inviting.  The gift shop did not have a lot to offer.  We tasted several of their wines, and sadly we were somewhat disappointed.  It did not leave a memorable impression and our visit was short.

Next stop, Bonair Winery.  We fell in love with their new Tasting Chateau.  The walk through their gate and past the duck pond is inviting and enjoyable, even in February. The wine tasting bar is large and accommodates many visitors at one time. They also have pictures on display in their tasting room, in which people have taken during their travels where they have also taken their Bonair wine. Bonair has so many wonderful wines to pick from; but our favorites were the 2005 Malbec, the 2005 Merlot Reserve, and the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Then we tasted their Ports!  My, oh my – was my mouth happy! Their Gewurztraminer Port and their Touriga Port were superb.  In fact, at this point in our travel, we decided that the wineries in this AVA made some of the best Ports that we have ever tasted.  Bonair claims that their Ports are hard to distinguish from those made in Portugal. In fact, it is bottled and finished with the traditional cork from Portugal and labeled as Yakima Valley Touriga Port.  We found this to be a very true statement.

Our fifth stop, Hyatt Vineyards. This tasting room was spacious and well stocked with their current releases. Their staff was friendly and extremely knowledgeable and provided great service. The 360 degree view of the Cascade Range was breathtaking. They have a beautiful picnic area that takes in some of the best views available in the Yakima Valley.  Our favorite wines were the Reserve Viognier-Chardonnay and Merlot from their super-premium brand Roza Ridge and the Black Muscat and Winter Harvest ice wine from their Hyatt Vineyard.  The Winter Harvest ice wine is remarkably concentrated and they say it is capable of aging 20 years. We purchased some, but I’m not sure we will be able to hold out for 20 years.  It’s too good to wait that long!

After a much needed lunch break, we stopped in at Two Mountain Winery.  This stop was one of our favorites. We were greeted by several “wine dogs” and a party that was taking place outside.  Their tasting room was located in a rustic metal building with lots of character. It has a laid back and casual atmosphere. Among the many wine barrels, we tasted some great wines. Our favorites were Hidden Horse and Lemberger.  We were fortunate enough to meet the two brothers, Matthew and Patrick Rawn, who established this winery in 2002. Although it is a relatively young winery, their family has farmed the rich soil of the Yakima Valley for three generations.  It is apparent that these two young men know what they are doing.  Matthew is the Winemaker, and we feel that he is well on his way to making some of the best wines in the Rattlesnake Hills area.

What can be said about Maison De Padgett Winery? Bring me back for more! This tasting room was huge! It has beautiful architecture and enough space to host a large event.  The wine bar is incredibly large and the variety of wine selection is awesome! What made it incredibly fun, were the funny and interesting names given to each wine and the quirky labels. It was a whole new experience.  Our favorites were: 1) Fat Sow Table Wine – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petite Verdot (all we needed was a big plate of Spaghetti to go with it) 2) End of the Road, Part III Table Wine – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.  It was a big, heavy wine with great flavor.

Now I need to comment on their Dessert Wines: Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!!!  The 2002 Singing Toad, and the Late Harvest White Wine left me singing for more.  No wonder it is a Gold Medal Winner. We loved its taste of apple, peppermint and caramel.  The 2004 Funk Monkey Pinot Noir Ice Wine was mouthwatering and I matched it with a raspberry chocolate truffle and my mouth was very happy.

Again, the Ports in this area are worth talking about!  Maison De Padgett Winery has several – all of them worth noting. But, our favorites were the Raging Bull White Port, the Pillow Talk Vanilla Port and the Smoking Gun Coffee Port.  It was difficult to pull ourselves away from the chocolate fountain, where we dipped our pretzels and sipped our Port.

Our next stop was up the road at Paradisos de Sol, another big favorite of ours. The tasting room was not a big faux chateau but rather it’s “their House!” It was definitely family friendly, and their property is home to many turkeys, sheep, geese, cows, chickens, cats, dogs, fish and frogs. Entering the back of their home, they have two separate areas where they served their wine and paired it with actual food! No bite sized crackers here. They had 8 wines and 7 pairings.  We really enjoyed the Rose’ Paradiso which was paired with a crab artichoke dip. The Paradisos Red, which is a blend of Lemberger and Cabernet Sauvignon, was matched beautiful with pork in mole sauce wrapped in a small tortilla (we wanted the recipe for that one, but no such luck.) Their Cabernet Sauvignon was smooth and rich with flavor.  Its flavor was enhanced even more when paired with their Bleu Ribbon Dip aka Glop. Last but not least, was the Botrytis Riesling in which they paired with a small roasted marshmallow that we roasted ourselves with the use of a votive candle and a tooth pick.  What fun! We plan to have fun with that idea at our next wine party. Before leaving, we were fortunate enough to meet Paul who told us that his winery is a small family-owned winery, using grapes primarily from their Vineyard del Sol near Sunnyside. They also use grapes from other small family vineyards in the Yakima Valley. They believe in letting the grapes dictate what wine they should be. He doesn’t consider himself to be a Winemaker but rather a Winegrower. He says that “great wine is grown not made.” Their wine is pure and natural – nothing synthetic except the plastic cork.

At the end of our first day we stopped in briefly at Silver Lake Winery at Roza Hills. Their winery is romantic with its vineyard setting and I do understand why they were voted as the 2008 Winery with the Best White Wine. But, our intent was to experience the small wineries, those that typically aren’t found in every Safeway or major grocery store around the corner.  So our stay was brief but we did meet Aaron Barthel, who is an amazing chocolatier who owns Intrigue Chocolates Co. His fresh truffles that are crafted in the true French tradition are so wonderful. The chocolate basil truffle we tasted was too good for words. We really enjoyed visiting with him and hope to feature his chocolates matched with our Port selection when we start the Port and Chocolate Club on our website in the near future.

Our last wine tasting on Valentine’s Day was at the Masset Winery.  Another huge favorite of ours! What a way to end a great day! This winery is located amongst beautiful orchards and their tasting room is on an historic 1905 French-inspired Angel Farmstead. It was so cozy and inviting. We felt like we were in someone’s home out in the country enjoying a nice glass of wine and visiting friends.  It was getting close to closing time when we entered their tasting room; but we did not feel rushed to leave. We were welcomed by the Winemakers mother-in-law, whom we had an immediate connection with. We learned so much about Greg Masset who is the Winemaker and the Executive Chef at the Yakima Country Club and his artist wife, Michaela (who is expecting twin boys soon.) Greg is not only an amazing Winemaker and Chef but he also understands how to join classical cuisine with outstanding wines. Michaela is a true artist and her special touch can be seen all over the tasting room as well as the beautiful wine labels she designs for their wines. Greg’s mother-in-law invited us back the following morning before they opened, so we could meet Greg personally and discuss with him our true interest in featuring his wines on our website. We did meet him the next morning and found him to be very warm, friendly and knowledgeable.  We enjoyed each and every wine that we sampled, and we plan to feature several on our site over time. But, we did select a few favorites that we will mention now. The 2006 Le Petit Rouge is a huge favorite of ours. It is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. It is very fruit forward and easy to drink. No wonder it is their best-selling blend.  The 2005 Sandra Jean is their premium blend of Greg’s favorite barrels. Sandra Jean is a tribute to Greg’s mother. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. We also fell in love with their new release of 2006 Muscat Love. It is a sweet fortified Orange Muscat light dessert wine. The hint of pears and orange was very noticeable.

Day Two

We purposely took in the majority of wineries during the first day, because we knew we had to leave for home before 4 p.m. on day two.  Visiting 10 wineries in a 7 hour period is a bit much….but it was still a lot of fun!  Our second day was a little more relaxing.  None of the wineries opened before 11 a.m., so this gave us some time to go over our notes about all the wineries we visited the day before and how we felt about each of them and which ones do we want to feature on our website. By 11 a.m. we were ready to visit the next winery.  We were excited to visit Horizon’s Edge, which is the sister winery to Maison de Padgett Winery. The owner and Winemaker, David Padgett purchased Horizon’s Edge in 2000. Since we loved his wine and quirky labels at Maison de Padgett, we were excited to try his other wines, which we heard great things about. We were not disappointed!  This winery is not as grand as Maison de Padgett, but we found it so much more casual and inviting. I’m not sure if it was because the tasting room was located upstairs in an older barn/wine barrel storage space, or if it was because we were greeted by an adorable little boy who was a true businessman. The young son of David Padgett, sold the best tasting fudge. His little table was situated at the bottom of the stairs where he and his older brother, were selling fudge to raise money for their “Nintendo DVD Fund.” Their fudge was so good, that they sold out the first day and they had to make a double batch for the next. What a bargin, two pieces for $1. Since we knew that we were going to taste some amazing Ports, we were happy to contribute to such a worthy cause.

They had approximately 10-12 different wines to sample. Some were very similar to the ones we tried at their sister winery. However, they had three other Ports that we felt were superb and we will be featuring them in our Port and Chocolate Club. The Chocolate Wishful Thinking Port and the Naked Raspberry Port were exceptional.  The only thing better….mix the two of them together for a wonderful raspberry, chocolate experience.

Next stop…Eaton Hill Winery. This winery tasting room is in a historic cannery building. Among the kegs, we were treated to some great wines and a Meatball soup that was scrumptious. When paired with their new release of 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2006 Malbec, it was a delicious treat, especially since the early afternoon was damp and chilly. We also enjoyed their “Sweet Bisbee” which is a unique blend of Riesling and their own organic apple and pear juice. It was considerably sweet, but what a treat it would be to drink a bit of this on a warm summer afternoon. Once again, we found another Port worth mentioning. Their Port Lot 03, which was a Silver Medal in April 2007 at three different competitions, was perfect with their chocolate covered cherries, which were dipped and designed to look like tiny mice.  It should also be noted that their staff, though young, were very knowledgeable and enjoyable to speak with.

After a long and winding drive through the orchards and up to the top of a hill, we finally found Steppe Cellars which is located in Sunnyside. Their tasting room was also another favorite of ours because it was held in an old barn, where the walls have been pecked away by wood peckers.  We felt that it gave their tasting room some character, although it did leave the tasting room a bit chilly! With the addition of several heat lamps, we were kept cozy in no time and really enjoyed out visit with Tom and Susan who own the winery with their partners Mike and Gabrielle.  We felt that they had some really nice high end wines. Our very favorite was the 2006 Tempranillo Grenache. We commented how good it would be with Chris’ BBQ this summer.  Well, this lead into the discussion of good BBQ, which then lead into a discussion of Chris and I providing the BBQ for a fall event. That is still up in the air; but it is worth considering. Our first passion is our love for good wine, our second passion is good BBQ. Since our BBQ is a huge hit during the summer Farmer’s Market in Puyallup and the annual August Renaissance Festival, we will probably consider having a BBQ at Steppe Cellars. Hey, maybe we can barter for good wine!

Our final stop was Tefft Cellars. It was getting late and we probably did not give this winery the best attention. We plan to go back and take our time there in the future. We did however enjoy their new tasting room’s design and the patio and picnic area was a lot of fun. The outside area is enhanced with a full wall, wine country mural. In good weather, it would be fun to enjoy a bottle of wine with a great picnic in this space. Out of all the wines we sampled, we did enjoy their Port-style Huckleberry wine that is called Starboard. It is made with freshly picked mountain huckleberries combined with grape brandy. For some reason, this blend of huckleberry, blackberry and blueberry cannot be called Port. We will more than likely feature it in the future in our Port and Chocolate Club; but we will disclose that it is not officially a Port.

So, all good things must come to an end. What a wonderful weekend we had. We fell in love with the Rattlesnake Hill AVA and all the wonderful wines that are produced there. We understand that they have another event in late April called “Spring Barrel Tasting.” We may very well have to go back and catch all the wineries we missed this time around. In the meantime, we plan to keep our wine glasses handy because we agree with Thomas Love Peacock: Melincour, when he said, “There are two reasons for drinking wine. When you are thirsty, to cure it; the other, when you are not thirsty, to prevent it. Prevention is better than cure.” 

Cheers!

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