Add the Beat Goes On.....
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Have I said I love this business?? Well I do. And so many reasons why! Many of you know I live in Salem and the local paper The Statesman Journal has been featuring a "Why We Love the Willamette Valley" article every day - focusing on the Oregon Garden, the emphasis on local products and sustainability, the rivers, the A. C. Gilbert House for kids, Champoeg Park, etc. etc. Perhaps I should be featuring a daily blog entitled "Why I Love Oregon Wineries!" And I found another reason why today~~
Drum roll please.......
because we are so collaborative and collegial! And how is that, you ask?
I just read an article in the Tri-City Herald highlighting how the Walla Walla Valley helps the Oregon wine industry grow....and vice versa. You all know how much I love my Pinot Noir - the complexities of that varietal yet it's simple beauty; the effect of the soil, the elevation, the "look to the south," the clone on that final bottle of wine. But I don't want to rule out the big, bold, in-your-face taste of wines from warmer climates. And one thing I learned today is that 40 percent of the vines in the Walla Walla Valley are on the OREGON side! Did you know that? And one of my favorite vineyards - Seven Hills - is actually in Oregon. Fancy that!
Keep your eyes out for some of these wineries coming out of this Walla Walla/Oregon collaboration. It has, and will continue, to make an appreciable, positive influence on what you see in restaurants, at your local wine store, and on the grocery shelf - oh yes, and from Custom Wine Marketing!!
Anyway, my fellow oenophiles, let it be known you are on the right side of a trend! In 2004 there were 247 wineries in Oregon - in 2010 that number grew to 418! And the total harvest in Oregon was nearly 31 tons in 2010, a 38% increase from 2004. Seriously - do you know of any other business that grew at this rate - even during an economic downturn?
This week I am featuring some amazing wines some out of that Walla Walla area, some others "just worth trying (!)", as well as some amazing post off prices on vintages retiring as the summer winds its way through July and August.
Give me a call today or e-mail me with your order.* Have a lovely week! | |
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Dear Wine Friend --
So, what is up with the feeling of Fall already?!? The days have been lovely for sure, but the nip in the morning air is palpable. This, of course, conjures up so many memories and good feelings about harvest, picking, sorting, fermenting, and watching that little round jewel turn into an amazing expression of a vineyard's offering and a winemaker's gift! But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself!
Get yourself out to your favorite wineries this summer. Add one or two on your way west to the coast, heading toward the Shakespearean Festival in southern Oregon, winding your way east to a windsurfing day in the Gorge. You simply cannot head in any direction without seeing at least one of those little blue signs that says "Your Favorite Winery - 2 miles" - take a left!
Enjoy these remaining days of summer - and let me be YOUR wine source with outdoor entertaining, neighbor's barbeques, and al fresco dining! Hugs to each of you!! |
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This Month's Specials
 2008 Brooks Wine Amycas "White Blend." Aromas of ripe peaches, lime, white flowers, citrus fruits, clover honey and ripe cavaillon melons. With air, apricots, tangerines, wet stones, cinnamon and clove notes, nectarines and hints of fresh hay add to the complexity. rich texture and great focus. intriguing blend of honey and minerals with a broad mid-palate is broad and rich, with good texture and presence. $13/bottle.
Brian Carter Cellars: White Blend (Oriana). This wine utilizes two grapes originally from the Rhone Valley of France. The core variety, Viognier, is rich in aromas of peaches and apricots and Roussanne deepens the peach character and adds a hint of melons. Then blend is finished with Riesling to add a touch of pears and apple blossoms. This richly textured wine finishes with food friendly acidity. $16/bottle
Brian Carter Cellars: Red Blend (Abracadabra). This enchanted red wine uses the same carefully selected vineyard sources and French and European oak barrels as the rest of the Brian Carter Cellars wines. The magical properties vary each year depending on Brian's whim, making this the best value of our portfolio. Be careful, or you might fall under the spell of Abracadabra! $19/bottle
Dusted Valley Vintners: Love these guys! They definitely march to the beat of their own drummer and, in Oregon, you gotta' love that approach! Try the 2010 Walla Walla Valley - Stoney Vine Vineyard Ramblin' Rosé - crisp, clean, fruit forward and utterly delicious. $18/bottle or check out the 2007 Syrah Walla Walla Valley (92 pts Wine Enthusiast) - The epitome of balance and elegance--96% Syrah with a touch of Viognier (4%) for good measure. It is both floral and earthy with the valley's signature soft bright fruit shining through from its glorious start to its lingering finish. $27/bottle
Basel Cellars: The 2007 Claret continues the tradition of providing a great everyday-drinking, fruit forward wine with exceptional quality and flavors. This is a blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Amazing floral aromas lead to flavors of cherries, raspberries, and tea leaf. This wine is a drinker! $19/bottle.
Andrew Rich Wines: I love Andrew's "Croft" Sauvignon Blanc! It is consistently one of the best Sauv Blancs I have had and the 2010 is no exception! Notes of pineapple, guava, passion fruit, citrus, and just a hint of gooseberry. It is rich, round, with complex notes of mineral and fresh spring water in the finish. A perpetual favorite, it sells out quickly. Classic summer sipper, with the sophistication to work well with fine cuisine. $19/bottle
Boedecker Cellars: 2009 Old Vine Pinot Gris. Boedecker bottled this wine last spring and let it sit and evolve and mature until it showed ... layers. Layers of honeysuckle, then honey, then melon ... wait that fruit tastes like Pinot Gris! $17.50/bottle
Sineann: And from our friends at Sineann, here is some amazing pricing on some incredible wine - check these out! The "critics" earlier panned the 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir vintage but they are eating a little bit of "sour grapes" now as 2007 is showing amazing well right now. Here are a couple of recently reduce prices from one of my favorite producers - simply to make way for the 2009 vintage. I strongly recommend you buy a couple of these and enjoy them over the next year or two! The 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir is a light ruby color in the glass. Nice cherry and raspberry jam on the nose, with subtle earth and spice. On the palate, flavors of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry dominate the palate, again with some earthiness, and spices. Lovely finish. $17/bottle. And the first bottle (2007 Yates- Conwill) for Sineann - from a new vineyard site on same hillside as Resonance (stellar high-point Pinot Noir vineyard site) - produced a yummy single vineyard Pinot Noir that is selling for $25/bottle. 88 pts Wine Enthusiast - dark plum color with a distinctly herbal nose. The scents are of herb and tomato leaf more than sweet fruit, but the flavors are Burgundian and earthy, with well-managed layering. Just need to add a little aeration before serving (30-45) minutes and it opens up to a very food friendly, interesting Pinot Noir.
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Direct to Consumer Sales! Many states are now allowing wineries to ship wine directly to an address within their state. Give me a call if you are interested in shipping to a new bride/groom, a parents' anniversary, that special birthday, or a big "congratulations" on that job promotion. I can send some of the best Oregon wine in the state with a simple credit card and a shipping address where someone over 21 years of age can accept the delivery. I promise, your gift will be memorable! |
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