Jeff Weissler, fellow wine blogger (@consiouswine) and now entrepreneur has recently opened a shop in the Kerns neighborhood of NorthEast Portland called Pairings Portland. The premise for the shop is to create a space for people, all people, to learn, discover and have fun with wine. I highly recommend you attend one of his great classes and check out the great sustainable wines he carries.
Pairings Portland is located at 455 NE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97232, cross streets are 24th and Glisan in the Kerns neighborhood.
“Our wine selection is set up by the foods they pair with. There’s a section called ‘By Cuisine’ and another ‘By Food’. The wines are also chosen based on the 4 Principles of ConsciousWine:
Having been here in Oregon now for about four and a half months, starting with a quick introduction via the Wine Bloggers’ Conference held in Portland in September and culminating with the harvest season, I have had a chance to learn a bit about the wonderful valley that I now live in. While it is not Spain’s La Rioja, with its full-bodied sour cherry and oaky Tempranillos and Grenaches, the Willamette Valley of Oregon has another breed of wine, an American story different from that of California and La Rioja.
Oregon‘s wine country, like its people, is slower-paced, more personal and less pretentious than some other wine regions. Oregon is not a state where you will find extremely large wineries; instead you will find wineries with less than 3000 cases made annually. Oregon is dominated by a mom-and-pop type of mentality and a family-like consensus-driven way of working. Oregon’s wines are mostly hand-grown, hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and hand-made. There are very few mechanically harvested wines in Oregon due to differences in training systems throughout the state. Every step of the winemaking process is touched in one way or another by a human. Oregon is also leading the charge for organic, sustainable and biodynamic viticulture.
Located right at the 45th parallel, the Willamette Valley is considered a cool-climate region for grape growing. This region is primarily known for Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris but has also become home to new varietals such as Gruner Veltliner and even Riesling. The valley is protected by the Coast Range but also benefits from the cool marine air. In Willamette Valley it is believed that a cooler climate is more suitable to Pinot Noir than a warmer one. The valley is also known for its soil conditions and mild temperatures, creating the right terroir for its famed Pinot Noir.
A few good friends from Australia who came to visit me right after the harvest season asked me to give them a tour of the region. I thought it only made sense to take them to a few places I feel represent this valley for them to see and taste…a little red, a little white and some bubbly.
Eola Amity Hills AVA, to visit Bethel Heights. We had wanted to make it to Cristom and Saint Innnocent. but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time. We also toured Willamette Valley Vineyard, which is among the largest in production in Oregon. Ted Casteel from Bethel Heights took the time to talk to us about how they got started in 1977. For more information or to visit them, please visit their homepage at Bethel Heights.
2. Chehalem Mountain AVA, to visit the Ponzi Wine Bar. Founded in 1970, this is another family-owned business that is now a second-generation-run winery, with Michel Ponzi as the Co-Owner, Maria Ponzi as the Director of Sales and Marketing, and their sister, Luiza Ponzi as winemaker. As there honestly was not enough time to drive all the way up to Ponzi’s main location, I took my Australian friends to the Wine Bar they have in Dundee. We had a bite to eat with a nice tasting of wine to accompany it. I had a chance to try their Dolcetto made from an Italian varietal, which was a nice surprise. They make Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and White Riesling, as well as Arneis and Dolcetto, two rare Italian varietals. Please visit them at Ponzi Vineyards.
3. Dundee Hills AVA, to visit Argyle Winery. In my opinion, Argyle Winery makes some of the best sparkling wines (i.e., Champagne style) in the valley. I would highly recommend a visit to this winery to try their POP Flight. They have a number of 90+ point wines highly recommended by Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. They also happen to be located right across the street from the Ponzi Wine Bar, so you can grab a bite and then head over there for after-meal sparkling delights. Please visit them at Argyle Winery.
When you are looking to find some other great places to visit, do feel free to send me an e-mail, and I will do my best to give you recommendations. We hope to see more of you in the region to taste some of the great wines coming out of the Willamette Valley.
Deleafing is the process of removing excess leaves as a part of vineyard management. This process is done primarily to provide ample ventilation and sunshine to the growing grape cluster during veraison (ripening of the grapes).
It is especially important in Oregon where there is high probability of rain, this would also allow the grapes to quickly dry and receive direct sunlight in order to avoid grape diseases such as mildew or botrytis which would lead to “bad” grapes. Pinot Noir is a an especially delicate grape variety and this additional exposure to sunlight and ventilation will also help it mature properly.
Every year, Willamette Valley Vineyard (WVV) hosts a grape stomp which is a qualifying competition for the World Grape Stomping competition in Santa Rosa. Wende Bennette of WVV explains the ins and outs of this competition. I hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed our time there.
The ladies of the Stomp: Anna of Stomptastic Chicas, Ashleigh and Heather of So Juicy
Special thanks to WVV for sharing their great wines and experiences with the two amazing grape stomping teams that included Anna, Heather, and Ashleigh aka So Juicy and the Stompstastic Chicas!
In this video, the pros show you how you really should do it in order to extract the maximum amount of juice from the berries.
A quick video of the Washington Merlot we processed on Monday, October 1st at Hawks View Cellars. We processed 22,000 lbs or 11 tons of grapes this day. What you see here are the grapes coming in, which have been hand picked. We then hand process them by removing any leaves or bad grapes- such as dried grapes of grapes that are not in good shape- then it is destemmed with the machine. The grapes are separated from the stem and the stem leaves from the top part and the grapes, the size of blueberries leave through the side shoot.
In preparation for this year’s harvest, I thought I would show you what I did last year as part of my masters program at University of La Rioja in Logroño, Spain. I had a chance to work with Juan Carlos Sancha at his Ad Libitum Winery in Baños de Río Tobía, La Rioja, Spain. We participated in the 2011 harvest, analysis and watched as the fermentation process began at this artisan winery.
Portuguese wines were a huge surprise to me the first time I tried them and continue to be whenever I initiate others into this small but grand wine world of Portuguese wines.
Portugal has more to offer than just Port wines, they have amazing still wines a.k.a regular wines, that will blow you away! Having lived in Spain for the past two years and finally after being in the same Iberian Peninsula as Portugal, I ventured out to Oporto and then to the Douro River valley to taste some of the finest wines I had tasted in my life. Had I experienced these wines earlier, I would have potentially made Régua or Pinhão my new home instead of beautiful Rioja. I would have worked in a beautiful Quinta do…(add the name of any amazing Quinta here) and loved every minute of it. But I discovered this region already half way through my Masters of Viticulture and Enology program to be able to change paths at that point. There is always the future!
Viticulture and Enology Masters Group visiting the beautiful region of Douro, Portugal
I have taken with me, however, my love of Portuguese wines and am always happy to share this best kept secret with others.
Most recently, at the Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Portland this past month, there was a reason to share and to celebrate. During the recent Live Wine Blogging event focused on Reds, which is similar to a speed dating event with wine, I was served the 2010 Herdade do Esporão, Portugal Red “Quatro Castas 4″ made with none other than one of my favorite grape varieties, Tempranillo, also known as Aragonez in Portugal. This wine is made of four different varieties: Aragonez, Tinta Miuda, Tinta Caiada, and Alfrocheiro.
2010 Herdade do Esporão, Quatro Castas 4
It was produced in a new region for me of Portugal, Alentejano. This region is located west of Lisbon, on the way to Badajoz, Spain. For a price point of $17, I was happily surprised to have such a quality wine at that price point. It was complex yet easy to drink, it is a medium-bodied wine that in your mouth explodes with raspberries, ripe plums, and touch of cherry (must be the Tempranillo, aka, Aragonez).
For me this was the first time, I had a chance to try Portuguese wines from Alentejano and now I have two very good wine regions of Portugal to direct fellow wine lovers to, Douro and Alentejano. I also have a new location on my list of places to visit in the near future! Tchim-tchim! Saúde! Cheers!
To find out more about Esporão wines, visit them at Esporão Winery or follow them on Twitter at @esporaowines
I had the chance to visit winemaker/owner Adam Godlee Campbell at Elk Cove Vineyards following the Wine Bloggers’ Conference in August to talk to him about his stylishly made Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blancs. Elk Cove Vineyards is family owned and operated, started by Pat and Joe Campbell in 1974. Adam, their son, took over in 1995 to manage the winery and make the wines.
Adam Godlee Campbell
Adam explained to me that the name Elk Cove came from a time when they had first moved up to land and found a herd of Roosevelt Elk which roamed nearby, and migrated into the valley each spring.
The winery was established in 1974, their first vintage came out in 1979. They are currently creating single estate wines from five separate sites throughout the Northern Willamette Valley. Windhill, La Bohème, Roosevelt, Mount Richmond and most recently Five Mountain Vineyards were have all been selected for specific site characteristics for their Pinot Noirs based on soil, aspect, and micro-climate. The vineyard uses sustainable agriculture practices and all the fruit is hand harvested.
1999 Sparkling Willamette Valley
Adam led us though a tasting of nearly all their wines, we even had the chance to try their limited edition 1999 Sparkling Willamette Valley wine, their carbonic maceration Old School Pinot Noir, as well as finish with their 2008 Ultima-White Willamette Valley ice wine.
If you get a chance, you have to try their 2011 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley and their 2009 or 2010 Pinot Noir Roosevelt, these were two of my personal favorites!
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2010 Pinot Noir Roosevelt
They have a beautiful winery set on a hilltop in Gaston, Oregon that has incredible views and beautiful scenery. If you are in the area, you can visit them at 27751 NW Olson Road in Gaston, OR 97119 or visit them at http://www.elkcove.com for more information.
Special thanks to Adam for showing us around and allowing us to taste his great wines. Cheers!
So, I was asked to give a little presentation, 20 slides, 5 seconds each…wait, that is what I practiced for…in the end it is 20 slides, 15 seconds each on following your dreams. It turns out that having extra time is better than running out of time. This is a little bit about me and what I learned along the way. Enjoy! I know I did when I did it!
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you’ve imagined.” -Thoreau
Special thanks to @Consciouswine for recording and posting it for me! Visit him at http://www.consciouswine.com for the other videos.
Portland has been invaded…by wine bloggers from all over the U.S. and North America! In case you are wondering what the these hashtags like #wbc12 and #avayc or #winelover mean, you aren’t the only one…even we bloggers aren’t quite sure what they are half the time.
Twitter has taken over the wine-blogging arena: the way bloggers talk to each other these days is by @ and # signs. When I first started blogging, I was overwhelmed by the @ people and # topics that people were discussing and using as their means of communication.
This weekend has been dominated by the #wbc12, which means, “Wine Bloggers’ Conference 2012.”, The Twitter term #avayc means American Viticultural Area Yamhill Carlton; #winelover is a team of endearment for fellow winelovers and also has a link to The Wine Hub, a great marketing method used by a fellow blogger to spread the love…of wine.
Interestingly enough, we are all trying to figure out how much influence we really carry and how much credibility we hold. As bloggers, we use the interactions we have with wines and wineries as a way to help disseminate information and spread the word on a particular region or wine. To see the perceived expectations of impact we’ll have on the Oregon Wine Industry, you can check out the news on us:
To see our real impact, Oregon may need to wait a few months to see the direct impact as these blogs are written and shared across the world. As Oregon is now my new home, I hope to create a strong impact outside Oregon for Oregon’s wine industry through what I write and represent. I blog simply because I love writing about wine and helping demystify the wine world for others. Stay tuned!
For all those wine geeks, ie. Enologists, like me, who love a bit of enology technology, I have included what I believe, is the wave of the future in terms of destemmers. This is a German EuroSelect destemmer that uses rotative rubber hands to de-stem the grapes in a kinder, gentler way.
As part of the Wine Bloggers Conference, we are at Hawks View Cellars in Washington County, Oregon with A.J. Kemp, owner and 2nd generation winemaker, who has taken the time to show us his beautiful winery and allow us to taste some of the incredible wines coming out of not only his region but also from Washington and California.
Might I add their 2009 OregonPinot Noir is phenomenal? It is an incredibly full-bodied raspberry, cocoa delight.
I have been in transition lately from La Rioja to Willamette Valley, Oregon. Join me as I taste some of the great wines of this region! I will be posting my experiences at the Wine Bloggers Conference and other winery visits in the upcoming months. Thanks for joining me.
Visit to the East most tip of La Rioja to see the city of Alfaro- famous for its storks- Ciguenas as they call them. The eggs are currently hatching so you might catch a glimpse of the young ones. This region of La Rioja is considered Rioja Baja and it much warmer than the northern areas like Rioja Alta y Alavesa.
There was a Baroque exposition called La Rioja Tierra Abierta held in the main church where they exhibited beautiful dresses and styles typical of this era in Spain.
Normally, this is something that as curious children we do with seeds. In fact, I believe my father has some grape vines outside his home that were planted in this exact way.
Yes, technically, you can grow a vine out of a grape seed; however, the grape produced will be different from the grape you consumed in order to obtain the seed. As two parents produce a child that is a blend of both, the same thing would happen here with the seed being the child.
Grapevines are grown from vine grafts. The primary reason for this is is due to the Phylloxera outbreak that originally started in France in 1863 and later spread throughout Europe. Because of this, French enologists and viticulturists came to La Rioja to plant vineyards, initiating the wine industry in La Rioja. However in the late 1890s, Phylloxera had crossed the Pyrenees and invaded this grape-growing region as well.
Phylloxera, originally native to eastern North America, is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide. Phylloxera was introduced to Europe when avid botanists in Victorian England collected and imported specimens of American vines in the 1850s. Because Phylloxera is native to North America, the native grape species there are at least partially resistant. By contrast, the European wine grape Vitis vinifera is very susceptible to the insect. These almost microscopic, pale yellow, sap-sucking insects, related to aphids, feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines. Phylloxera attacks only the roots. After employing numerous other methods to try to kill and exterminate this “bicho” (insect), viticulturists found it was simply a better solution to live with it than to struggle to find a solution to kill it.
This is where the idea of using grafts of an American vine began.
Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. In most cases, one plant is selected for its roots; this plant is called the stock, or rootstock. The other plant is selected for its stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits; this plant is called the scion. The scion contains the desired genes to be duplicated in future production by the stock/scion plant.
In the case of Phylloxera, the solution was grafting a Vitis vinifera scion onto the roots of a resistant Vitis American native species (Vitis Riparia, Vitis Rupestris or Vitis Berlandieri), as you can see in the two images below. Afterward this graft is usually covered in wax to seal the graft. These are then sold, and viticulturists will then plant these rootstocks in the ground—and this is where today’s European grapes come from.
