Sacred Drop 
The 2013 Harvest in Oregon
Posted on October 12, 2013
According to NPR, September was the wettest September since they started recording the rainfall in Oregon.
It seemed that 2013 was going to be just like 2012 with Winemakers predicting harvest would take place two weeks earlier than 2012 given the unseasonably dry spring and warm summer. However as the smaller bunches started to mature and was almost ready to pick, there was a large amount of humidity and eventually rain that hit in the last few weeks of September. This lead to many wineries picking early to avoid the onslaught of rain that drenched the state the last week of September. However, for some wineries, the fruit just wasn’t ready and let it hang longer.
As a winemaker, you run many risks in doing this but you may win the battle against mother nature if you know just when to pick. Picking after the rains meant you obtained more ripeness but ran the risk of botrytis, berry burst or worse, berry rot. For the lucky ones this meant losing 1-5% of the affected crop, for others this meant losing the entire crop. I’ve know of a few who scrapped the entire lot as it just wasn’t up to the standards they needed and didn’t harvest this year.
With a dry spring, the berries were already quite small in development, the warm summer was ideal to ripen these small clusters, and it would have been an ideal harvest for all of Oregon, had it remained dry. It didn’t and many winemakers made different calls leading to what you would call an interesting vintage with a number of variations. Some call it one of the rainiest and most difficult vintages they’ve ever seen. With that said, Oregonians have never been the ones to let that stop them.
Overall, it should make for an all around interesting 2013 vintage.
Creating order out of chaos in Colorado: The Infinite Monkey Theorem
Posted on August 29, 2013
When one thinks of Colorado, you think of an outdoor wonderland of snow capped mountains, evergreen forests, bubbling streams and quaking aspens. It has yet to be known worldwide for its winemaking possibilities, especially given the harsh winters, hail storms, snow, and sometimes extreme summers. While most people would not think of Colorado as a state that produces wines, there are over a hundred wineries in the state. Most are small and family owned and the majority of the wine is sold primarily out of the tasting room and within the state. But one man, a British one at that, has been striving to make a statement with his Colorado wines by literally harnessing the chaos and putting it in a bottle.
Meet Ben Parsons, born in Kent, U.K., and later went on to work in Australia and New Zealand before making Colorado his home, working in the industry and then setting up his first winery in 2008.
You may ask, why the bizarre name? The infinite monkey theorem is an old mathematical theory where everything and anything is possible in infinity, if you keep trying. It is basically described as, a monkey would be able to create a work of art, such as Shakespeare by hitting a number of keys at random for an infinite amount of time. The way Ben describes it to me, is that it is similar to winemaking in Colorado, you need to create order out of chaos.
Join me as we talk about his new and innovative concept of an Urban Winery and struggles to take the wildness of Colorado and end up with a work of art in a bottle.
To visit Ben and his Urban Winery Wine Lab,visit their website or you can stop by and visit his wine lab off of 32nd and Larimer St in the RiNo Art district, during one of his increasingly popular First Friday or Third Thursdays of the month when he works with local food and pairs it with his stunning Syrahs, Cab Francs, Malbecs and Sauvignon Blancs, just to name a few. Make sure to try his Blind Watchmaker, a particular favorite of mine.
Cheers!
Infinite Monkey Theorem:
3200 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80205, +1-303.736.8376
Schedule an appointment for a barrel tasting
Drop in during Wine Lab Hours:
5-10pm Wednesday through Saturday
2-7pm Sunday
Join us at Origin ’13: Feasting with the Chehalem Mountain and Ribbon Ridge AVAs
Posted on July 30, 2013
Many times, the wineries come to the city, simply because it is easier for patrons, like you and me, to taste their wines. Why not take a break from the city and come out to the nearest wine country area to you to enjoy the sweet smelling air, the beauty of the vineyard and a chance to try some of the best wines Oregon has to offer. Chehalem Mountain and Ribbon Ridge are the closest wine area to Portland, within a 30 minute drive, you could be enjoying some of the best views in the country, not to mention eating some of best foods Portland has to offer.
On Saturday, August 10 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., this AVA is putting on a great event featuring the food as much as the wine. It will be held at Arborbrook Winery next to Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg at 17770 NE Calkins Ln in Newberg, OR 97132.
These tickets include the food AND the wine, so it’s a steal at $60. You must be 21 and over to come.
It will feature the Chefs of:
EaT: An Oyster Bar with The Parrish
Bollywood Theater with Coquine
Wildwood Restaurant
Subterra
Olympic Provisions
The featured Wineries include:
A Blooming Hill Vineyard, Adelsheim, Alloro, Anam Cara, ArborBrook, Artisanal, Beckham Estate, Bergstrom, Bernard Machado, Blakeslee, Carabella, Chehalem, Cooper Mountain, Colene Clemens, Dion, Elk Cove, Gresser, Hawks View Cellars, K&M, Longplay Wine, Le Cadeau, Raptor Ridge, Redman, Rex Hill, ROCO, RR, Tresori, Trisaetum, Vidon, Volare, White Rose
You can purchase your tickets here: http://www.chehalemmountains.org/origin
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