Sacred Drop 
The welcome surprise at the Wine Bloggers’ Conference #wbc12…Portuguese wines!
Posted on September 4, 2012 3 Comments
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
A visit to the beautiful hilltop winery of Elk Cove Vineyards in Oregon
Posted on September 3, 2012
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!
Ignite Presentations…Wine Bloggers’ Conference 2012
Posted on August 24, 2012 3 Comments
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.
