Steve Lutz is extremely proud of the soil in his Lenné Estate vineyard. He brags that his vineyard has the poorest soil in Yamhill County. Vines here must work hard and prove themselves to survive.
The Lenné Estate Vineyard covers 20.9 acres of steep hillside with Peavine series soils. This soil is ancient marine sediment and lacking in nutrients so the vines have to dig deep to survive. They don’t always make it, but those that do, well they make some tasty grapes. Small and concentrated these grapes turn into delicious wine.
Steve Lutz of Lenné Estate (photo courtesy Lenné Estate )
The Lenné Estate Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA
Located on the East side of the horseshoe that is the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, the vineyard sits between 420-575 feet in elevation. After founding Lenné Estate in 2000, Steve planted the first vines here in 2001. They produce between 1500 and 2000 cases each year.
The style here is mostly minimalist, with the goal to showcase the site with the fruit, letting it develop in bottle.
We received 2 wines from Lenné Estate, one of which was a Chardonnay and we felt it was appropriate to share with you today, which happens to be Chardonnay Day! Now you may have seen some posts earlier about Chardonnay Day, but the official day is not a “date” it is set as the Thursday before Memorial Day in the US. Oh, and it is still Oregon Wine Month! So…
The steep vineyard at Lenné Estate (photo courtesy Lenné Estate)
Lenné Estate 2018 Scarlett’s Reserve Chardonnay
This is only the 2nd vintage for the Lenné Estate Scarlett’s Reserve Chardonnay. It ages 9 months in oak puncheons then does an additional 8 months “sur lie” in Stainless Steel. That “sur lie” aging gives a creaminess to the wine and a bit of bread or brioche on the nose added to the underlying notes of pear, apple, and something tart and tropical.
The wine is clean, bright, and elegant. Not flashy, but casually poised, and authentic, like a baby grand played in a cabin.
They are primarily a Pinot house, the Chardonnay in the vineyard is just a few rows on the edges. Several rows were planted in the eastern part of the vineyard in 2005 and then more grafted on the eastern side in 2015.
*This wine was received as a media sample. All opinions remain our own.
Vineyard map Lenné Estate (courtesy Lenné Estate)
Pairing Aromatic Compounds
As I looked for a pairing for this Chardonnay, I wanted to play on the apples on the nose and tie in saffron.
*Geek break: Carotenoids, aldehydes, and terpenes are volatile compounds that give saffron its aroma.
Chardonnay and apples have carotenoids also, so these things work together well.
Baked Basmati Rice with Apple and Saffron
We made a side dish of basmati rice with apples and saffron. This bakes in the oven adding crispy bits and amping up the aromas of the apple and saffron. This dish makes quite a bit! We had rice for days, so luckily it was really delicious. The apples and saffron paired beautifully with the wine. (the recipe is at the bottom)
Sea bass on white beans, cherry tomatoes, and spinach
For our main course, we splurged on sea bass, which pairs well with a crisp white wine. The Lenné Estate Chardonnay was crisp, but it also had some depth from that “sur lie” aging that seemed to call for something a little richer.
We plated our sea bass on a mixture of white beans, cherry tomatoes, and spinach cooked in chicken stock, with fresh thyme and a splash of lemon. The beans gave just the right weight to the dish and worked beautifully with the creamy notes in the Chardonnay.
We did a dessert pairing also. Well, not everything can pair perfectly. Sadly the sweetness of the dessert made the wine too acidic. (Keep in mind, it is the food that changes the wine, not the other way around. You should also make sure the wine is sweeter than the food, to avoid the wine being perceived as too acidic).
Nonetheless, this dessert did pick up on all the notes from the dinner and the wine, it stays thematically in line, just don’t sip the wine while you enjoy it.
Stuffed apples with rabri
This recipe by Tarla Dalai played to both the apple and saffron that I wanted and they are beautiful. Apples are cored and cooked in a simple syrup with saffron, stuffed with a sweetened mixture of cottage cheese (or paneer) and pistachios, and served on a lake of rabri, a North Indian sweet of milk sugar and saffron.
This evokes the flavors of this Lenné Estate Chardonnay, with the tartness of the apples and the richness of the rabri.
Want to know more about Lenné Estate?
Feel like you want to know more about Lenné Estate and its wines? No worries, we look forward to sharing more of this winery’s story with you soon, as we taste the Lenné Estate 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir.
Until then, you can visit their website at https://www.lenneestate.com to order wines and learn more about them. If you happen to be in the Willamette Valley and want to visit, you will find details on reserving a tasting and their current hours here.
It’s Oregon Wine Month!
We did not drink nearly enough Oregon Wine this month, there are so many amazing wines in Oregon to enjoy! Check out what is still happening in the Willamette Valley to celebrate, as well as what is happening beyond in the rest of Oregon at the Oregon Wine Board Site! (check out their #PourItForward campaign on Instagram & Twitter, where you can find videos of Winemakers paying it forward, tasting and describing another winemaker’s wine!)
Yield: 10 servings
Baked Basmati Rice with Apple and Saffron
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour10 minutes
This dish beautifully combines tart apple and apricot with the aromas of the fragrant basmati rice and saffron. Sliced almonds and chopped pistachios add crunch. This cooks briefly on the stove, but most of the time is in the oven, where the rice will crisp up on the edges adding another texture to the dish.
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
Yield: 2 servings
Sea bass on white beans, cherry tomatoes and spinach
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
This recipe marries the freshness of the fish with the warm savoriness of the beans. It is quick and easy to make. We went with 2 larger sea bass fillets, but you could easily cut these in half and serve 4.
This paired beautifully with an Oregon Chardonnay from Lenne Estate.
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
Yield: 4 servings
Stuffed Apples with Rabri
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Sweet rabri (a milk sweet from Northern India) makes the bed for these saffron poached apples with a sweet filling of paneer and pistachios. These are the perfect balance of tart and sweet, crisp and creamy. This is based on a recipe from Tarla Dalal.
Ingredients
4 small apples
1 2/3 cup sugar (divided)
1 cup water
10 saffron strands (divided)
¼ cup crumbled paneer (or cottage cheese)
¼ cup chopped pistachios
2 tbs powdered sugar
2 2/3 cups of milk
Instructions
Dissolve 5 saffron strands in 1 tbs of water
Combine sugar and 1 cup of water in a deep pan, mix and boil stirring constantly
Add the saffron mixture and mix
Pull off the heat
Core the apples
Add the apples to the syrup and mix well
Simmer 5-6 minutes till apples are soft, turning twice
Remove and drain apples
Mix the paneer or cottage cheese with the pistachios and powdered sugar
Divide the filling into 4 portions and stuff each apple
Heat the milk in a non-stick pan and simmer stirring constantly until reduced by 1/3
Add the sugar and saffron and mix well.
Simmer 15 min until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is thick and creamy
Just before serving heat the rabri and place the stuffed apples in the mixture and heat
Serve immediately.
Notes
Ideally you would have an apple corer for this job. If, like me, you don't have one (and I couldn't find one at the grocery store!) you can use the old school method my husband taught me that his grandmother used. From the top of the apple make 4 cuts with your paring knife straight down through the apple. Turn the apple over to be sure you can see your cut in the bottom. Push the core out (you might have to check and see if the square is bigger on the top or the bottom, push from the smaller side toward the larger side, if this is the case).
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Typically when you see a French horn being played, you see the bell (the horn part where the sound comes from) pointed down and to the side of the musician. Typically also they have their hand and perhaps a cloth in the bell to soften the sound.
Upon occasion, like in Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”, the composer will add a note in the music “Pavillons en l’air” or “Schalltricter auf” which means “Bells Up”.
The idea is that the bell of the French Horn at this point is pointed up so that more of the sound is sent straight out to the audience.
At the same time, you can’t keep your hand in the bell here, so the sound is louder and meant for hearty passages!
So why would you name a winery Bells Up?
Dave Specter had played French Horn throughout high school and college. He then went on to become a corporate tax attorney. Yeah, that is as horrible and stressful as it sounds. So, he escaped and turned to something he loved and that was winemaking. It began with making wine in the basement. After working at Henke Winery in Cincinnati and then winning a couple of amateur winemaking competitions he and his wife Sara up and moved to Newberg Oregon, in the Willamette Valley.
Bells Up Winery is Dave’s “Bells Up” moment. He has found what he loves to do and he is doing it loudly and proudly!
It’s also a nod to Bell Road where their winery is located.
Bells Up Winery
The winery is in the Chehalem Mountains AVA where they have a 9-acre estate vineyard, planted to Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc. Established in 2013 their winery is young. Their first vintage release was Memorial Day 2015 and we are celebrating their 6th anniversary of releasing wine with a Memorial Day feast! We are also celebrating Oregon Wine Month!
First, let me tell you about the wines
*These wines were received as media samples. All opinions remain our own.
Bells Up 2020 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc Willamette Valley
The wine is named for George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. I have fond memories of this piece. (I can hum it to you in its entirety). You perhaps know it as the music from those old United Air Lines commercials. When Gershwin wrote this piece, it was groundbreaking.
He combined jazz with classical music. That clarinet glissando that introduces the piece is unmistakable.
The 2020 Rhapsody Pinot Bland is a new wine for Bells Up. This 100% Pinot Blanc came from a difficult vintage (well, a difficult year all around for all of us). The fruit comes from Plum Hill vineyard in Gaston Oregon.
This vineyard sits on the other side of the Tualatin River from the Chehalem Mountains AVA and these Pinot Blanc vines are 13 years old.
2020 delivered a cool wet June, right at the time of flowering, and meant fewer grapes at harvest. Then there was the fear of smoke taint from the fires, which luckily these grapes were free from.
They found this fruit “Lithe and Lively” and call this a jazzy white (so it is aptly named!). They aged it sur lie in Stainless Steel for 6 months. This adds body to the wine, rounding it out, but it still retains wonderful crispness.
46 cases produced – 12.5% abv – $28.00 SRP
Bells Up 2020 Prelude Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains AVA
The name of this wine comes from one of Franz Liszt’s 12 Symphonic Poems, a genre that he created. Liszt was originally a performer, he was one of the greatest piano virtuosos of his time.
In his middle age, his mistress, the unhappily married Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, convinced him to stop performing and compose full time. He dedicated this piece to her.
The piece is a series of passages which used dissonance for harmonic color.
Hmm… so do we see this reflected in the wine?
We’ve mentioned the difficulties of this season of 2020, we mention the dissonance in the music. We often think of rosé as a cheerful wine.
There is not a lot of depth in a typical rosé it doesn’t sit on the skin very long, it comes out bright-eyed and a bit naïve, not having touched all the difficulties that the skin of the grape endured throughout the year, being made mostly of the juicy protected pulp of the grape. This wine is different.
This wine did a cold soak for 24 hours and then was lightly pressed. This gave the skins time to impart some of the lessons learned over the year to this wine. It is joyful despite adversity, not because it was sheltered from it.
The nose is at first dusty with bright red fruit beneath it as well as bramble, you know, the prickly part of the bushes that create such delicious fruit. It is a blend of light and dark.
So while joyful, this wine has depth and a sense of seriousness to it.
109 cases produced – 13.5 abv – $24 SRP
A Memorial Day Celebration
So to pair with the 6th anniversary of their first release and these two lovely wines, we put together a small feast to enjoy in the backyard with friends. Yes, Memorial Day is a few days away…we celebrated early to bring you ideas for your own backyard pairings!
Halibut sliders with garlic parmesan aioli
So simple. Michael threw these on the grill in some foil and then they were dressed with an aioli sauce of grated parmesan, garlic, and mayo and topped with fresh thyme. (our thyme came from the backyard and Michael picked it as we plated since the plant was only 5 feet from the table!)
These were PERFECT with the Pinot Blanc!
Mexican Street Corn
Street corn is new to me! I know, I’m behind the times here. I made a quick sauce of mayo, sour crème, lime zest, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt and pepper.
This is painted onto the corn after it is grilled, then you roll them in crumbled cotija cheese. So good!
With the Pinot Blanc, the cotija cheese was so flavorful!
Watermelon balls with kiwi and basil
With it just being two of us, a whole watermelon is just too much. I picked up one of those tiny watermelons. We made watermelon balls, sliced up a kiwi, and added some fresh basil.
Bahn mi inspired sausage dogs
I was determined not to have plain hotdogs or your typical topping. Michael found brioche buns and grilled up some sausage, we used a honey mustard dressing (stone ground mustard, mayo, and honey).
A smear of the dressing goes in the bottom of the bun, then we added thin ribbons of carrot and cucumber, the sausage, and topped it with more of the mustard mixture and fresh mint. YUM!
I decided it was worth trying this with the Pinot Blanc and was rewarded. The Pinot Blanc brought out the smokiness in the sausage in a wonderful bright way. This was an unusual pairing, interesting and delicious.
Hamburger sliders with bleu cheese and fig jam
I mean really how can you go wrong. The ingredients are all there in the title, juicy little burgers topped while they are hot with bleu cheese and finished with a dollop of fig jam, all sandwiched in a Kings Hawaiian Sweetbread roll. We did do these healthier by using the wheat rolls. LOL
The rosé really made the bleu cheese pop!
Prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe
Simple, sweet, and savory. I find making these almost a meditation in the midst of cooking a bunch of dishes. slice the canteloupe and gracefully wrap each slice with a delicate thin piece of prosciutto.
The savoriness of the prosciutto and the sweetness of the canteloupe made this go well with the rosé
BBQ sliders with purple slaw
I cheated here and picked up BBQ, it was smoky and sweet and delicious. We topped it with slaw from purple cabbage, apple, cucumber, and carrot, with a dressing of mayo, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
This was stunning with the rosé, the wine picking up on those sweet notes in the bbq sauce.
Oh and potato chips. Michael picked up salt and pepper crinkle chips that were the perfect crunch.
I encourage you to find a bottle of these wines, to pair for Memorial Day or any day this summer. Perhaps tune into these pieces of music and see how they pair. I’ll leave you with links.
If you will be in the Willamette Valley and want to book a tasting, you can do that! They are a micro-boutique winery (ie. really small). The best part about that is the personal service. Call and schedule a one on one tasting with Dave himself! You can reach them at 503.537.1328 or email them at [email protected].
It’s Oregon Wine Month!
We did not drink nearly enough Oregon Wine this month, there are so many amazing wines in Oregon to enjoy! Check out what is still happening in the Willamette Valley to celebrate, as well as what is happening beyond in the rest of Oregon at the Oregon Wine Board Site! (check out their #PourItForward campaign on Instagram & Twitter!)
More on Willamette Valley Wineries from Crushed Grape Chronicles
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
“I remember that story just slightly differently…”.
A family gathered, reminiscing, telling stories. It’s a joyful place to be, as a guest listening as a family shares their stories, with joy and fondness. It’s especially joyful when the family sharing the stories is one of the pioneers of wine in the Willamette Valley.
I was lucky enough to attend a virtual tasting with the Sokol Blosser family. Susan, Bill, Alex, and Alison (assisted by the wonderful Liz Barret), invited a group of wine writers to taste through 4 of their wines as they shared stories of the history of their winery and celebrated 50 years in the Willamette Valley.
When I first became interested in wine, we planned a trip to the Willamette Valley. Before going, I had picked up the book, “At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life” by Susan Sokol Blosser. She shared both the trials and tribulations of being one of the first handful of winemaking families to plant in what is now such a well-known region. I was completely taken in by her story.
The family at Sokol Blosser, Susan, Alex, Alison and Bill (photo courtesy Sokol Blosser)
The story of Sokol-Blosser
The Sokol-Blosser story begins as Bill says with “Dreamers who loved wine.”
Susan’s father had a cellar and many amazing bottles of Burgundy, that the two were lucky enough to experience. Bill spent a year in France. When the two graduated from Stanford and married, both with liberal arts degrees they had the feeling that they could do anything. What they decided to do was move to Oregon and grow Pinot Noir. They began planting in 1971 in the Dundee Hills, 34 years before the area became its own AVA.
In 1977 they had their first vintage. There was no wine industry in the region at that time. As to sustainability? Well, they were farmers first, so sustainability just seemed common sense. You take care of the land if you want it to produce well, and you avoid chemicals because you are raising kids on this land!
The property they found in the Dundee Hills, was the closest thing to a Burgundian climate in the new world. It was an abandoned prune orchard and they bought it just 2 weeks after the birth of their son Nik.
They got in at the right time for land prices. The family joked that while they would love to buy more property to expand the vineyard now, they are priced out of their own backyard. The Dundee Hills when they started had a handful of growers, today there are close to 65.
Not only did they get in at the right time for land prices, but they were also starting as the local Oregon bean farms were converting to bush beans! This meant a plethora of leftover wire and posts were available for grape trellising!
As they shared vintage photos with us Bill was teased about his beret, which he brought back from France. Susan said he would only take it off to shower or sleep. Bill claims
Bill Blosser in his beret (photo courtesy Sokol-Blosser)
“I had to wear it in the vineyard because the vines demanded it!”
They pushed forward, planting vines, welcoming Alex to the family, building a winery, opening a tasting room (the first in Oregon), gaining international recognition, and then having Alison join the family!
Susan became the President of the winery in 1991 and Bill returned to using his Stanford degree for urban planning.
The 2nd Generation of Sokol Blosser
The children were raised to choose their own path and of course, none of them thought that included working at the family winery. Bill and Susan knew first-hand how tough this business was and wanted their kids to have a life! They had not planned the business as one to hand down, they were just doing their thing. Nik really did escape, and Alex with his BS in Philosophy (don’t laugh it is a Bachelor of Science degree from Portland State) and Alison were determined not to come back.
Nonetheless, the vineyard drew them back in. (Really, where can you find a cooler job?) In 1998 Alex returned, and in 2004 Alison did also. Finally, in 2008 the two took over the daily operations. They joke that their mom always says it took two of them to replace the one of her!
The Historic Accolades and Firsts
But that’s just the short story, of course, they skipped many of the accolades, so I’ll give you a quick list here:
1979 International recognition at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.
1983 honored by the US Soil and Water Conservation District for Susan’s work with experimental cover crops to control erosion on hillside vineyards.
1996 The first winery to be certified “Salmon-Safe”
1997 joins LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) through Oregon State University
2002 their underground barrel cellar is the first winery building in the country to be LEED-certified and they start to transition to organic farming.
2007 they add solar which provides 1/3 of their total energy needs.
2015 they become B Corp Certified
Of course, there is more. Bill was active in the Development of the Oregon Winegrowers Association, the Oregon Wine Board, the Yamhill County Wineries Association, the International Pinot Noir Festival, and the Yamhill County Tourism board.
Susan led on the environmental front with her work on cover crops and leading the business into the triple bottom line concept of people, planet, and profit.
Okay, you get the idea…they have been leaders in the wine industry in Oregon, a state that leads the nation when it comes to wine industry standards for quality and sustainability.
Alex is now the winemaker, a position he took over in 2013 when their previous winemaker Russ Rosner retired after 15 years with Sokol Blosser. Alex was also involved in the process of submitting the 6 sub-AVAs Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, Chehalem Mountains, and Ribbon Ridge, beginning in 2002.
Alison is the person guiding the winery strategically. She puts to use her knowledge of PR and marketing. She led our tasting as only a little sister could, sharing photos of Alex asleep in the sandbox as a child and commenting on his numerous baseball analogies. We left feeling like we had been sitting around with the family for a bit of nostalgic storytime, and what a story it is.
Of course, there were also the wines!
As if enjoying the stories of the history of Sokol Blosser, straight from the mouths of the people who lived it was not enough, we were also sent 4 wines from the vineyard. Their Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvee Sparkling Wines, the 2018 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, the 2018 Old Vineyard Block Pinot Noir and the 2012 Big Tree Block Pinot Noir. So we were able to taste a bit of the history with them.
(*These wines were received as media samples, but all opinions remain our own)
Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvée Sparkling Wine 2018
We toasted with this traditional method sparkling wine at the top of the session. Sokol Blosser has long supported the Prescott Western Bluebird Recovery Project. The Western Bluebird artwork on the label was designed by Jared Tuttle. If you visit Sokol Blosser you might see the 15 bird houses around the property providing shelter and a breeding habitat for these beautiful birds.
The wine is a blend of grapes from Oregon and Washington including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of course, but also, Müller Thurgau and Riesling as well as a bit of Early Muscat.
Alex told us that the idea is to blend the best of Germany and France and then the Early muscat is added to lift the aromatics (just 2 to 3 %). They like freshness in this wine, with purity of fruit.
The wine is definitely aromatic, those notes of Riesling and Early Muscat giving the sparkling wine fruit notes. We paired this with an early dinner of spring rolls, fried chicken, and mac & cheese (all great pairings for sparkling wine.)
1,000 cases produced, SRP $32
Pairings for the Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvee
Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvée Sparkling Wine 2018
Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2018
This wine is sourced from the 90 acres around the winery in the Dundee Hills, all certified organic. They did a lot of ambient yeast in 2018 because the fruit was so clean. They do punch downs for cap management and ferment in open-top fermenters then press off into barrel for about 16 months.
It is is a blend of Pinot Noir clones including 115, 667, 777, Pommard UCD4, Wadenswil 2A, and Gamay Beaujolais (which is a weird name for a type of Pinot Noir). This saw about 20% New Oak. 2018 was a great vintage with a balanced of ripe fruit, good acid, and good tannins. 2012 was similar.
This wine has notes of black cherry and cranberry and wonderful notes of mushroom and forest floor.
4,798 cases produced, SRP $42.
Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2018
Sokol Bosser 2018 Old Vineyard Block Estate Pinot Noir 2018
This 50th Anniversary wine has a retro label, an ode to the original Sokol Blosser label from the 70s.
The vineyard was replanted on to new rootstock in the mid-90s, due to phylloxera (they were the 2nd to get it in the region).
After replanting, they looked at the blocks which had been producing stand-alone wines. This the Old Vineyard block which was their first planting. It is a combination of Wadenwil 1A (the Lett clone)& 2A, Pommard and Pinot Droit. Pinot Droit is an upright clone of Pinot Noir. This has a bit more weight and intensity with more color from the Pinot Droit, red fruit from Pommard, and density and spice from the Wadenswil, when it gets ripe.
You’ll find notes of cherry, pomegranate, spice, and leather.
There were just 496 cases made of this wine, and the celebration bottling retails at $60.
Sokol Bosser 2018 Old Vineyard Block Estate Pinot Noir 2018
Sokol Blosser 2012 Big Tree Block Pinot Noir
2012 was like 2018 in that it was an amazing vintage. It was also Alex’s first vintage as winemaker and he didn’t think he would see another like it.
Alex had a baseball analogy (Alison teases him about these analogies, but she also does give him props, that they are all unique, he doesn’t repeat them!)
“The winemaker, he or she, they are the batter and Mother Nature is the pitcher…as a batter, you have to make adjustments every year, because you are never going to see the same pitch twice. And if you see the same pitch, you make the pitcher pay. In a vintage like 2012 and 2018, that’s a pitch we’ve seen before, so you hit it out of the park.”
One sip of this wine…it is complex and you can taste the age, but there are still plenty of fresh primary fruit notes. In 2012 they went without rain for a month. From the end of September, they were dry and could pick whenever they wanted. Alex says it was like being in California! They had the ability in this vintage to ripen the grapes as much as they wanted to, there was no rushing to pick to avoid the rain.
The Big Tree Block is 5.27 acres at 450-500 ft elevation in Jory soil. The clones are 115, 777, and Pommard. Just 300 cases were produced. It spent 17 months in 42% new French oak.
$70 upon release, this library wine now retails at $95, and it is worth every penny. This is a magical wine. Tart cherries, blueberries, baking spice, and those beautiful notes of wet leaves…I savored this glass.
Sokol Blosser 2012 Big Tree Block Pinot Noir
The next 50 years at Sokol Blosser
Now they get ready for the next 50 years. The goal is to keep Sokol Blosser family-owned and operated and that means continuing to make wines that consumers seek out.
Quality and sustainability are at the forefront. Last year they started distributing the Evolution wines in box! These are more sustainable than glass., and they can share this at an accessible price point! Recently, they were recertified by B Corp for the 3rd time and their score went up 25%. (Congrats!)
They are experimenting with new varieties for them, like Gamay and Sav Blanc, and continue to move forward with their Sparkling wine program.
As they plant they are looking at new rootstocks which will be helpful with climate change. They planted a test block this spring, putting the same Pinot Noir clone on a bunch of different rootstocks that they do not already use, to see how it does. They want to set the next generation up for success as they will deal with more of the effects of climate change than we are currently.
As they slowly reopen they look forward to increasing the quality of the wine/food/hospitality experience. So if you find yourself able to travel, you might consider a trip to the Willamette. Stop in for a glass of sparkling and stay to enjoy the Pinot!
Currently they are open Thursday to Monday 10 am to 4 pm by reservation only. Call ahead or visit the website to see what their current hours are for tastings and if you need a reservation, as these things are changing as things reopen.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you really DON’T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to brighten the dish.
The mint brightens it, making it taste as vivid green as it looks!
Just a reminder, make sure that you rinse your peas with cold water after cooking them to keep them bright green!
We made this ahead and stuck it in the fridge until it was time for dinner and enjoyed the cool temperature of the dish as a contrast to our warm entree. Of course you could feel free to warm it again and serve it that way!
This dish is so quick and easy and I bet it might be a fun way to get the kids to eat their peas!
Minted Pea Mash
Feeds: 4
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Mint pea mash ingredients with Alloro Pinot Noir
Ingredients
1 16 oz package of frozen peas
1 clove of garlic (peeled and chopped in half)
1 tbs butter
2 tbs sour cream
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
Salt and pepper
Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
Add the peas and garlic
Return to a boil and boil 2 minutes
Drain the peas and rinse with cold water.
Into your food processor, add the peas and garlic, butter, sour crème and mint.
Process until smooth to your liking.
Season with salt and pepper.
You can serve this hot or cold. We found that with the mint, we enjoyed it cold.
Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you really DON'T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to brighten the dish.
Ingredients
1 16 oz package of frozen peas
1 clove of garlic (peeled and chopped in half)
1 tbs butter
2 tbs sour cream
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
Instructions
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
2. Add the peas and garlic
3. Return to a boil and boil 2 minutes
4. Drain the peas and rinse with cold water.
5. Into your food processor, add the peas and garlic, butter, sour crème and mint.
6. Process until smooth to your liking.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
You can serve this hot or cold. We found that with the mint, we enjoyed it cold.
This was an elegant dish that we paired with a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We wanted something that would not be too heavy, but would match the elegance of this wine. Incorporating Pinot Noir into the dish as well as adding a savory berry drizzle, help to match notes in the wine and make this pairing extra delicious.
Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you really DON'T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to brighten the dish.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
I was looking for a roasted baby potatoes side dish to pair with an Oregon Pinot Noir and was surfing Pinterest for inspiration. It’s the visuals of the food I love. You eat with your eyes, you know what I mean?
I came across this dish and couldn’t get it out of my head.
Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and potatoes that were available in the winter.
This dish was to pair with an Oregon Pinot Noir and the blend of fat of the cheese the roasted potatoes and the different greens and herbs seemed to make this a perfect side dish.
Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon
Feeds: 4
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
3 tbs olive oil (you will need a little more later for drizzling)
1 lb of baby mixed potatoes
½ lemon juiced and zested
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 cup fresh basil (1/2 of this chopped the remainder whole for garnishing)
½ cup o fresh spinach
½ cup of chopped radicchio (torn and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes)
4 oz of burrata
Salt & Pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
In a baking dish combine the potatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper
Roast for 15 minutes, toss and roast another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp.
After you have tossed them the first time…
Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped basil, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and place on a serving plate. Break the burrata and place on the plate, garnish with the spinach, radicchio and fresh basil.
Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour5 minutes
This is one of those dishes that you see on pinterest and can’t get out of your head. Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and potatoes that were available in the winter.
3 tbs olive oil (you will need a little more later for drizzling)
1 lb of baby mixed potatoes
½ lemon juiced and zested
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 cup fresh basil (1/2 of this chopped the remainder whole for garnishing)
½ cup of fresh spinach
½ cup of chopped radicchio (torn and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes)
4 oz of burrata
dash of salt
dash of pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
2. In a baking dish combine the potatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper
3. Roast for 15 minutes, toss and roast another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp.
4. After you have tossed them the first time…
5. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped basil, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Take the potatoes out of the oven and place on a serving plate. Break the burrata and place on the plate, garnish with the spinach, radicchio and fresh basil.
7. Spoon the lemon zest mixture on the burrata
8. Drizzle the whole plate with EVOO.
Notes
We served this with Roasted Cornish Game Hens with a Savory berry drizzle and Minted Pea Mash. The wine we paired was a 2018 Alloro Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley
This was an elegant dish that we paired with a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We wanted something that would not be too heavy, but would match the elegance of this wine. Incorporating Pinot Noir into the dish as well as adding a savory berry drizzle, help to match notes in the wine and make this pairing extra delicious.
Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you really DON'T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to brighten the dish.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
It’s the Italian word for laurel. When David Nemarnik purchased this now 130-acre site, he named it after the Laurelwood soils found on the site.
He grew up nearby in Portland, making homemade wine in his garage. He searched the area for the right site, testing soils to find the best for growing the Pinot Noir that he loved. When he found this site, it wasn’t even for sale. The owner who lived in Shasta allowed him to dig test pits and agreed to sell him 40 acres in 1999.
They planted the first 20 acres of grapes in 1999. Since then they expanded the property from the initial 40 acres to 130 acres and now have 34 acres of vineyard.
The Russian Doll AVAs of Oregon
Willamette Valley Map courtesy of Willamette Valley Wine Association Map data by everyvine.com, design by John Fisher, geologic cross section by Timothy A. Cross, special thanks to Patrick Reuter.”
Willamette Valley AVA
We mentioned Pinot Noir, so you probably immediately think of Oregon, and beyond that the Willamette Valley AVA. This overarching AVA covers the Northern part of the state from Eugene near its southern border to Portland on its northeastern border. It is defined by the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Coast Range to the West.
This massive AVA is filled with 9 sub-AVAs from North to South they are Tualatin Hills, Laurelwood, Yamhill-Carlton, Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills, McMinnville, Eola-amity Hills, and the Van Duzer Corridor.
Chehalem Mountains AVA
The Chehalem Mountains AVA is the largest sub-AVA in the state, covering over 100 square miles. 20 miles long and 5 miles wide the AVA was established in 2006 and sits within the larger Willamette Valley AVA.
There are around 150 vineyards, many family-owned and averaging just 12.5 acres. It was here that in 1968 Dick Erath first purchased land, he was followed by David Adelsheim, Dick and Nancy Ponzi, and Paul Hart of Adelsheim, Ponzi, and Rex Hill respectively.
But this is not as small as we go. Within the Chehalem Mountains AVA is the Ribbon Ridge AVA that sits on the Northwest end of the Chehalem Mountains and the brand new Laurelwood District AVA which encompasses 33,600 acres on the northeast-facing flank of the Chehalem Mountains.
General Area of the Laurelwood District AVA (Willamette Valley Map courtesy of Willamette Valley Wine Association)
Laurelwood District AVA
This AVA was just approved in June of 2020! The topography here can reach more than 1,600 feet. This AVA is defined by the Laurelwood soils, windblown loess that came with the Missoula Floods. This AVA was a decade in the works.
Of course, as this was just approved, you will not see this on bottles until 2020 vintages are released.
Alloro Vineyard
Alloro was a part of the push for this new AVA. In 2018 they were part of a group of winemakers who gathered for a blind tasting of Chehalem Mountain wines all from within the Laurelwood AVA. So today, the raised laurel on their label takes on even more meaning.
Their vineyard sits at between 450 and 700 feet and is wind-blown loess (Laurelwood) over basalt.
On the property, in addition to grapes, they raise cattle and sheep. They are LIVE certified (Low Impact Viticulture & Enology). David’s philosophy is to look at the overall health of the farm, minimize inputs, use beneficial insects, and leave natural areas for biodiversity. He looks at the farm as a complete system. The idea is to leave the soil and ecosystem better than when he found it. LIVE is a science-based approach that does not eliminate synthetic products. As he uses beneficial insects, he tries to avoid sulfur which can harm them.
All their wines are estate wines.
David Nemarnik, Vineyard Manager and Proprietor
David Nemarnik loves the land. He helped to build his family’s produce company, in Portland while he was in college. He still heads that company as CEO. Here at the vineyard, he is the proprietor and also the Vineyard Manager. He hired a winemaker to make the wine in 2009. In 2010 Tom Fitzpatrick joined the team and they have a synergy. The team here is small. David, Tom, David Lopez the Vineyard Foreman, Andrew Ward the Cellar Master.
Tom Fitzpatrick, Winemaker
Tom has a master’s in viticulture and enology from UC Davis and has worked in wine all over the world. He began in Washington State, working with a small winery, spent time in New Zealand and Napa, where he worked at Pine Ridge. His Masters Thesis was “Variation in the Phenolic Composition of California Pinot Noir Fruit and Wines: Analysis and Explanation.” (Just the kind of fascinating geeky thing I would love to read!). So Pinot Noir is a grape he has looked at in-depth.
He spent some time in Bourgogne before returning to the US and settling in Oregon. He worked at Hamacher Wines, before coming to Alloro. He is also the Proprietor and Winegrower for Élevée Winegrowers where he studies Terroir.
Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir
This is one of the 3 Pinot Noirs the produce annually.
Medium red-ruby in color
Pronounced nose of red cherry, sweet tobacco, cola, forest floor a slight floral note, and a hint of eucalyptus.
Dry with medium to light tannins and body, medium to high acidity, Pronounced flavors of black plum deep red ripe fruit, spice, cola, and red cherry.
A wine that will age well. This is one of their largest production wines with 1850 cases produced.
100% Pinot Noir – 14.2% abv – SRP $45.00
*This wine was received as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.*
Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir from the new Laurelwood District AVA
Pairings with the Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir
To pair with this Alloro Pinot Noir, we settled on Roasted Cornish Game Hens with a savory berry drizzle, Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach, and radicchio with lemon and a Minted pea mash.
We ran the gamut with herbs in these dishes; mint in the peas, rosemary in the game hens, basil in the potatoes. The wine paired well with all of these.
It pulled forward the mint in the peas in a lovely soft way, like a mother gently nudging a shy child into a well-deserved spotlight. The acid in the wine played nicely with the fat on the hens and then elevated the berries in the sauce. The lemon zest and acid as well as the savory notes in the roasted potatoes were brightened and accentuated by the wine. Even the bitter notes in the radicchio were elevated and rounded to a perfect level.
Alloro 2018 Chardonnay
This is the one Chardonnay that Alloro makes annually. This is a barrel-fermented Chardonnay that does full malolactic fermentation with Bâtonnage then ages for 11 months in French Oak (20% new). Only 290 cases were produced.
Pronounced nose of Meyer lemon, with notes of mineral, saline, and toasted bread.
On the palate, it is dry and full-bodied with pronounced round flavors of Meyer lemon that sweep over your mouth, making your gums tingle and a long finish.
This is a wine that is as much at home in winter as summer and can pair well with the dishes of either season.
100% Chardonnay – 13.7% abv – SRP $39
*This wine was received as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.*
Pairing the Alloro 2018 Chardonnay
We paired this with a Scottish chowder with potatoes and pollock.
This dish came to us from SunBasket but is a simple and delicious dish to recreate.
With onion, potatoes, paprika, pollock, cream, and bay leaf, this dish is warming and goes beautifully with the wine. The wine pulls forth the richness of the fish and the broth with the paprika playing well with the Meyer lemon notes in the wine. The salinity and minerality of the wine round out the pairing with the dish.
We added a side salad and toasted ciabatta to complete the meal.
Visiting Alloro
In 2019 Alloro broke ground on a new tasting room. The previous tasting room had been converted from an apartment David had built on the property. This new tasting room which just opened in mid-December has an outdoor space, where you can do a reserved tasting. It is set up as a 75-minute experience.
Be aware that this is an outdoor tasting, so you might be exposed to wind and/or rain. They do have heaters but dress warmly. They are working with the best practices to keep everyone safe at this time.
To book your experience you can visit their websiteor call them at (503)625-1978.
I look forward to the future when this beautiful facility with a wood-burning oven, demonstration and commercial kitchen, and a barrel room for small events will be able to open fully.
This was an elegant dish that we paired with a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We wanted something that would not be too heavy, but would match the elegance of this wine. Incorporating Pinot Noir into the dish as well as adding a savory berry drizzle, help to match notes in the wine and make this pairing extra delicious.
Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you really DON'T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to brighten the dish.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Earlier this fall I wrote a piece about Youngberg Hill. In 2019 they created Bailey Family Wines. It was a place we had visited years ago with a friend and tasting through the Pinot Noirs they had sent, I got a bit nostalgic. You can read that piece here Youngberg Hill – Reminiscing and Making New Memories with 2 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noirs.
Youngberg Hill is a beautiful property. They have a gorgeous Inn as well as an Event Center set within the vines. With the winery, they have 2 labels. One is the Youngberg Hill label, which those two beautiful Pinot Noirs fall under. The other is the Bailey Family Wine label.
*We received this wine as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.*
Bailey Family Wines
Last year, in 2019 they created Bailey Family Wines. They had worked with their Youngberg Hill label to make the vineyard Organic Certified and are working toward Biodynamics, mostly looking out for the land and the soil and sourcing from other like-minded vineyards.
Bailey Family Wines focuses on exclusive wines from the 23 acres of vines on their Estate Vineyard. Of the 23 acres, 18 are planted to Pinot Noir, 2 ½ to Chardonnay, and 2 ½ to Pinot Gris. So this bottle of Estate Chardonnay is indeed rare.
View of the vineyard at Youngberg Hill – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill
The Youngberg Hill Inn in Oregon’s Willamette Valley – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill
Wayne Bailey of Youngberg Hill and Bailey Family Vineyards – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill
Bailey Family 2017 Chardonnay
The Aspen block was planted with Pinot Grill in 2006. In 2014 they grafted over ½ of the black to Chardonnay Clones 75, 76, 95, and 548. The block is on Marine sediment and sits at between 500 and 600 feet.
The 2017 vintage was warm with an early bud break and a dry growing season. Then cooler temperatures gave great acidity and mineral notes as well as rich deep fruit at harvest.
This wine was aged for 8 months in neutral oak and they made just 229 cases, which are sold by allocation only.
100% Chardonnay 12.5% abv SRP $85
My notes:
This wine pours a pale lemon and has an intense nose of floral, crushed gravel, citrus leaf, fresh herbs, citrus pith and zest, and Meyer lemon.
It is dry in my mouth with flavors of lemon pith, lemon thyme, and Meyer lemon with lifted floral notes.
I felt like I was standing in a citrus grove with scents of citrus flowers, fruit, leaves, and pith all at once.
This was round but bright. I would luxuriate in this wine for hours.
Roasted Chicken with root vegetables
Michael was on kitchen duty for this one with a meal from Sun Basket. The chicken breast was roasted with lemon juice and lemon zest which paired beautifully with the lemon notes in the wine. The roasted vegetables included golden beets, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. I was concerned about how the Brussels sprouts might pair, but they were lovely.
Bailey Family 2017 Chardonnay with Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables
Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese
Youngberg Hill Pinots paired with rainbow trout and root vegetable gratin
I think this wine might really sing with a creamy dish, it has great acid to cut through a creme sauce. It would also be great with homemade mac and cheese, like the smoked gouda and white cheddar one I recently made (link) or perhaps with a baked brie. Quite honestly, I think it would have been brilliant with grilled rainbow trout that we enjoyed with the Youngberg Pinot Noirs.
Cannolis with lemon curd crème
Michael bought cannoli molds back on Amazon Prime Day and it was evidently time to try them out. I was at first, an unwilling participant (I have a fear of hot oil). Nonetheless, we put these together and they worked! Most importantly, I came out unscathed by the hot oil! YAY!
We filled them in an unorthodox way with a lemon curd crème, that paired beautifully with the wine.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
If you are reading this in time you can join us on Saturday morning December 19th at 11 am EST or bright and early at 8 am PST for a great Q&A discussion on Twitter. Just follow and use the hashtag #Winophiles to join the conversation.
I was lucky enough to receive this bottle of Résonance Découvert Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017 thanks to Jennica at Kobrand Wine & Spirits
*I received this bottle as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.*
Maison Louis Jadot
Label and logo of Maison Louis Jadot
If you have tasted a French wine in the US, you have likely tasted a wine by Maison Louis Jadot. It is one of the most beloved French wine brands in the United States. You know the logo. You have seen it on countless wines from Bourgogne (Burgundy) and Beaujolais.
Maison Louis Jadot originated in Beaune France and produces wines from over 150 appellations in Bourgogne with 110 hectares in the Côte d’Or.
This renowned house was founded in 1859, which, coincidentally is the year that Oregon became a state. Of course, Oregon and Bourgogne share a latitude of 45 degrees.
Résonance
In 2013 Maison Louis Jadot took their first steps outside of Bourgogne purchasing the Résonance Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Jacque Lardière the longtime Maison Louis Jadot winemaker, had recently retired and he and Thibault Gagney, whose family operates Maison Louis Jadot were off to find a bold new project. The vineyard already had a French name! Well, they did add the accent mark, but it was Kismet.
If you click the map to make it larger, you will find the Résonance vineyard. It is on the bottom half of the map near the center.
The Résonance vineyard had been planted in 1981 and it was own-rooted, which is rare. It is one of the oldest dry-farmed vineyards in the Willamette Valley, sitting between 262 and 492 feet in elevation. Their custom-built winery opened its doors in May of 2019. Our friends at AdVINEtures visited them a bit ago meeting with winemaker Guillaume Large.
But our story takes us beyond the Résonance Vineyard.
Découverte – Discovery in the Dundee Hills
The Dundee Hills are the historical heart of winemaking in the Willamette Valley. It was here that David Lett, Dick Erath, and the Sokol Blosser’s came to plant their vineyards.
David Lett’s Eyrie Pinot Noir caught the attention of the French in 1979 when it placed in the Top 3 in the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiads. Domaine Drouhin took enough note to open their winery here in 1987.
In 2014 Maison Louis Jadot treaded into these red hills purchasing 18 acres with 8 acres of vineyard planted. This is the Découverte Vineyard. It sits at a much higher elevation than the Yamhill-Carlton property. The 15 acres now under vine sit between 600 and 690 feet above sea level. Most of this (12.5 acres) is planted to Pinot Noir, with the remaining to Chardonnay.
You will find them on the map on the right side 6th up from the bottom.
They call these the Red Hills because of the rich, red volcanic Jory soil. This soil comes from ancient volcanic basalt. It is iron-rich, not very fertile, and well-draining.
Résonance – Découverte Vineyard 2017 Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir is from the second Résonance Estate Vineyard, Découverte. Découverte means “Discovery” in French.
The 2017 Vintage saw late flowering due to a cold wet winter and spring. The summer, on the other hand, set a new record high in August. This vineyard is organically farmed.
This wine saw 17 months in French Oak barrels, 30% of which was new.
My notes:
Medium ruby in color with a fuchsia rim.
The nose hits you first with rich warm spices, followed by red fruit. Notes of earth, integrated black fruits, cherry, and notes of mint.
Dry with medium tannins the mouth was rounded and savory on the first sip. Rich but elegant, bright tart cherry notes emerge, and medium tannins that unevenly coat your teeth.
The mineral finish is the give-away here that this is a Dundee Hills wine. Those red Jory soils shining through.
Keep in mind that this wine is young. This is a wine that will age and it will continue to evolve and grow more complex.
100% Pinot Noir – 13.5% abv – $65 SRP
A Classic Pairing – Oregon Pinot Noir and Salmon
We paired this with a classic Oregon Pinot pairing, salmon. We did have a Mediterranean twist adding a honey-harissa glaze. We added sides of slaw with cabbage and apple and pan-roasted summer squash.
I was a little skeptical of the harissa glaze. Harissa is a Tunisian spice blend, usually made in a paste from dried chili peppers, spices, olive oil, and garlic. The peppers range from smoky to hot and the spices are often toasted. Our harissa was powdered rather than in paste form and it had a smokiness from roasted peppers and spices. While there was a little heat on when tasted on its own, we were mixing it with honey to glaze the salmon, which I hoped would tone down the heat and elevate the smoky notes.
Would it work with the wine? It did. The harissa and honey pulled out the spice notes in the wine and the wine did not elevate the heat in the harissa. Our other dishes, the apple and cabbage slaw, and the pan-roasted summer squash played background to the salmon but blended seamlessly with the wine.
Is it crazy to think that the color of the harissa brings to mind the color of the dirt in the Dundee Hills. Is that why it connects so well with this Découverte Vineyard Pinot Noir?
#Winophiles
I am looking forward to reading all the pieces by my fellow writers in the French #Winophiles! There is so much knowledge and a diversity of viewpoints within this group so I am anxious to hear their thoughts! Dive in and give these a read!
The Oregon Wine Board and the Oregon Wine Symposium 2021
I have to give a shout out to the Oregon Wine Board. Their site is full of great information on Oregon, its soils, vineyards, and wines. It really is my go-to place for information on Oregon when I am doing research.
The Oregon Wine Symposium is a wine education and trade show that they produce annually for the Northwest Wine Industry. In 2021 it will be virtual, held online from February 16 to 19th.
We are in the midst of our 12 Days of Wine 2020 celebration at Crushed Grape Chronicles! We invite you to join us as we taste and pair a wine each day leading up to Christmas. Great wines from around the world with the stories behind them, plus recipes and pairings including Dessert!
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
For dessert, we went with something lighter, crepes filled with mascarpone crème, orange zest, and strawberries, served with a trio of strawberry sauces to see which went best with the wine. One sauce had cardamom, one fresh tarragon, and one basil. I enjoyed all 3 but the basil was my favorite with the pairing.
These light easy crepes are perfect for a quick dessert that looks beautiful.
Time: 35 Minutes
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients for strawberry mascarpone crepes
Ingredients for the Crepes
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan
Directions
Mix the ingredients, you can use a mixer, or a blender. Then let the batter rest in the refrigerator for an hour to let the bubbles rest. This will keep the crepes from tearing.
Heat a small non stick pan, add butter to coat. Pour an ounce of batter in the center and swirl it to coat the pan evenly. Cook 30 seconds and flip. Cook 10 seconds and remove to a board or plate to cook. Repeat until your batter is gone. (Once they are cool, you can stack them and they will keep in the fridge for several days)
Ingredients for the filling
1 Cup mascarpone cheese
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 ground cinnamon
Directions
Beat mascarpone, milk, granulated sugar and cinnamon 2 minutes with an electric mixer on high until well blended. Keep cold.
For the Strawberry sauce
Cook crushed strawberries with lemon juice and sugar to taste. We did 3 sauces to test with the wine we were pairing. One had fresh basil, one ground cardamom and the last had fresh tarragon. You can add a variety of herbs or spices depending on your mood and your pairing.
To assemble
Spread a thin layer of the mascarpone filling, layout some thinly sliced strawberries, roll and slice in half to see the roll, garnish with powdered sugar, orange zest and drizzle with the strawberry sauce.
Keep in mind that with crepes, the sky is the limit. You can do these sweet or savory with a wide variety of flavors, serve them open like an elegant pancake, folded in half or quarters or rolled as we did. You can also flavor the batter, with cocoa or change out your oil, subbing in coconut oil for the butter, or changing out the flour. The fillings, well, that’s all up to your imagination!
Mascarpone crepes with strawberry sauce
Watch our quick video for the highlights.
AD Beckham Amphora Pinot Gris
A couple of years ago we made our way to the Beckham Estate Vineyard. It sits at the east end of the Chehalem Mountains AVA on what is known as Parrett Mountain. We spent the morning with Annedria Beckham tasting through their wines and hearing the story of the winery first hand on their patio, their dog Ruby Tuesday curled up to keep us company. They have a fascinating story, which you can read in our post here.
One of the things that drew me to Beckham was their Amphorae program, called AD Beckham. You see, Andrew Beckham is a ceramics artist. Annedria had come across an article on Elizabetta Foradori in Italy where she was making wine in terra cotta vessels.
I thought about it 3 different times before I decided to show the article to Andrew…I said “you know I’ve heard of this winemaker and I’ve heard of her wines, we should see if we can get some in Oregon.” And he flipped through and said, “I can make those”. Annedria Beckham
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Mantua. When I hear the name, I think of a place of banishment, possibly a dusty trailer park in the Mohave Desert. Thanks, Baz Luhrmann! While Shakespeare never traveled to Italy, he chose this place for Romeo’s banishment after killing Tybalt. Mantua is a city in the region of Lombardy that is closest to both [...]
Lenné Estate – Poor Soil, Hardworking Grapes and a Beautiful Reserve Chardonnay
Poor soils - great wine Steve Lutz is extremely proud of the soil in his Lenné Estate vineyard. He brags that his vineyard has the poorest soil in Yamhill County. Vines here must work hard and prove themselves to survive. The Lenné Estate Vineyard covers 20.9 acres of steep hillside with Peavine series soils. This [...]
Uruguay more than Tannat with Don Pascual Coastal wines
Not too long ago, it was Uruguay Wine Week which included Tannat Day. We shared with you a lovely Tannat we enjoyed from Establecimiento Juanico in Uruguay. It was delicious and it is the National Wine, but there is more to the wines of Uruguay. We enjoyed two wines from the Coastal region of Uruguay [...]
Chenin Blanc from L’Ecole No. 41 – Old Vines and breakfast for dinner
“French toast, it’s really good with French toast…with like some fresh berries on it…” Marcus Rafanelli winemaker L’Ecole No. 41 Well with that kind of recommendation how can you not?! So we did. While I couldn’t find challah, I did find a big fluffy loaf and cut it thick and made a beautiful French toast [...]
Savoring Premier Cru Chablis as we hope for good news for the 2021 Chablis vintage #Winophiles
I’ve been fascinated with Chablis. So when the French #Winophiles chose this region as our focus this month I was on board. (You can scroll to the bottom for links to the pieces by my colleagues). Jill Barth of L'Occasion is our leader on our journey into this beautiful and delicious region. In Chablis, they [...]
Scheid Family Wines – 2 Sustainable Affordable Earth Friendly wines that pair well with friends
We’ve been celebrating Earth Month with some wonderful wines that are kind to the planet. Sustainability is a buzz word in the wine industry these days and for good reason. We all want to take care of the planet, and we want to be able to enjoy tasty wine! We received a few samples from [...]
Syrah and Aloha – Doing Earth Month Island Style with L’Ecole No. 41
Syrah and Aloha, may not be things you think of together, but think about it. There is a sense of generosity in a Syrah. It tends to be more laid back than the Cabs, and it manages to make itself at home, where ever it goes. A bit of a chameleon, fitting in and adapting [...]
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As we embark on the new year, we embark on a new relationship with L’Ecole No. 41 in Walla Walla. They have invited a selection of writers to join them to explore their wines in 2021. We don’t take this relationship lightly. We value the trust of our readers, and we will only recommend wines [...]
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
A couple of weeks ago we attended the Virtual Wine Media Conference, the in-person event was originally supposed to be held in Oregon. Sadly this event was canceled due to COVID so Zephyr Conferences decided to create a virtual conference. They partnered with the Oregon Wine Board to have a virtual tasting.
We received two samples one from Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley AVA and one from Winderlea in Dundee Hills AVA, in the Willamette Valley.
Wine Conferences during a pandemic
We usually get to take our own pictures of the vineyards and the people we talk to, but since we were on the computer, we have access to the pictures from the presentation to give you some perspective. The real bottle shots are ours. SO that being said, let’s get going!
These were samples sent to us for this tasting, however all opinions are own.
Biodynamics in farming
First a little about Biodynamics and why it should matter when you look for a bottle of wine. We have created a page where you can read more about biodynamics. Now for the short version. There are a couple of ways people talk about Bio-dynamics. Most critics use the Voodoo and spiritualism of the creator Rudolf Steiner to discredit the whole practice.
Rudolf Steiner lectures on biodynamics and the treatments were brought about in response to the bad soils that had been created by the chemical companies. These lectures advocated for a return to a more naturalistic form of farming. These lectures were meant for farming in general, and not really for wine farming, but the practice was meant to return health to the soil.
The theory of Biodynamics was truly developed after Rudolf Steiner’s death and is really based on past farming practices, very much like the Farmers Almanac, when you get down to its timing and Farm Practices. We have found that most people who go Biodynamic do so because it creates an Ecosystem that creates a healthier environment not only for the vines and the soil but insects and pest control systems that thrive and keep the entire Farm Healthy, including the people. There is a spiritualistic side but that is a topic for more in-depth analysis at a later date.
As I said you can read more on our page. But for this discussion, we will tackle just a couple of reasons for going biodynamic that these two wineries use. The first concept is you farm better. The way biodynamics really shines is the attention to detail, the use of organic manure, which created healthier soil and in turn healthier vines, in turn, healthier grapes, better wine.
Lavender at Cowhorn supporting pollinators and biodiversity
Cowhorn Biodynamic Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon
Sally from the Oregon Wine Board was the host for this wine tasting, and she was hosting from Troon Vineyard.
Sally is a 4th Generation Oregonian. She started us off with a little background on the Oregon wine region as well as their two newest AVAs.
She then introduced Craig Camp from Troon Vineyards who has spent 35 years in the Industry, as well as Bill and Donna of Winderlea.
She talked to us about each of the AVAs where these wine were produced.
Oregon Wine Region Stats
Oregon now has 800 wineries within 21 AVAs with the addition of Tualatin Hills and Laurelwood District AVAs both in Willamette Valley AVA approved in June 2020.
We head first to Southern Oregon to Troon, to taste the Kubli Bench Amber.
Troon is in the Applegate Valley, which is a nested AVA within the larger Rogue Valley AVA. It was established in 2000.
There are 20 wineries in the Applegate Valley, 2 of them are biodynamic; Troon and Cowhorn. These two vineyards encompass 10% of the AVA’s area.
Applegate Valley Stats
Applegate Valley’s wine history began in 1852 when an early settler named Peter Britt planted wine grapes. In 1873, he opened Valley View Winery, Oregon’s first official winery. Valley View closed in 1907; then Prohibition hit.
It wasn’t until the 1970s after modern pioneers began discovering the neighboring areas’ quality wine growing conditions, that the Applegate Valley experienced a resurgence of winemaking. According to Dr. Gregory Jones, climatologist and director of Environmental Science and Policy Program at Southern Oregon University where he focuses on suitability for viticulture,
“The Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area (AVA) offers the most diverse growing conditions in Oregon and arguably in the United States.”
First, we spent some time with Craig Camp as he explained his history, a little about why Troon went Biodynamic, and then about their Amber (orange Wine)
Craig Camp
“Troon Vineyard is dedicated to regenerative agriculture and Biodynamic® agriculture in our quest to put back more than we take from our plants and soils. We believe the only route to memorable wines, that reflect the terroir of where they were grown, is to be found in the healthy soils and vines that are the foundation of Biodynamic® agriculture.”
Craig Camp is GM of Troon Vineyards and has worked in the fine wine industry for over thirty-five years. He co-founded Direct Import Wine Company in Chicago, an importer, and distributor of estate wines from France, Italy, Spain California, Oregon, and Washington.
Craig moved to the Applegate after having worked in Napa for 10 years. He moved north to grow Rhone’s.
The Troon vineyard is one of the oldest in the area, planted in 1972 by Dick Troon. The Troons sold the property and it was farmed Industrially and ended up with hard soils as hard as concrete and vine diseases.
Craig joined the vineyard and began farming biodynamically to help the vineyards recovery and they were certified biodynamic in 2019.
Craig Camp with Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon Photo Courtesy of Oregon Wine Board
Craig came into biodynamics as a skeptic. They look at this as a “framework to regenerative agriculture”.
The heart of the process is compost to use as a probiotic. Luckily there is a large organic dairy farm next door. They just ordered 800 yards of manure. They make 200 tons of compost.
Troon Vineyards have this Planting Video on their Site.
“The Klamath mountains surround the valley to the west protecting it from the cooling air and rain from the Pacific Ocean”
The Applegate river greatly influenced the development of soils in the region, resulting in deep, well-draining stream sediments, including granites.
They sit at 1400 feet and the season is shorter, but on the longest day of the year, they get 70 minutes more sun than Napa Valley.
During harvest, the days shorten causing photosynthesis to stop allowing them high acid and lower sugar levels.
Soils here are not volcanic, rather the movement of the tectonic plates influences the geology of the region. You find decomposed granite and well as river and ocean sediment.
The Vineyard had red blotch virus and has to be completely replanted. They did soil pits and had scientists come in (Biomakers from Spain) to do genetic sequencing on the soils. They do this now every year, keeping the data to set a benchmark for the science of biodynamic farming.
Doing this over the next several years they can then track the science behind Biodynamics. The soil is changing here, the microbiology increasing. The plant biology is increasing and the fermentations much healthier.
They will replant every vine.
Troon Vineyard Kubli Bench Amber courtesy of Troon Vineyards
We are tasting the Kubli Bench Amber tonight. This is a blend of Riesling, Vermentino, and Viognier. The first Amber they did was from Riesling, then they did another from Vermentino and found that this blend works best. The Riesling is not long for this world. It is not meant for the climate and will soon be torn out and replaced.
This wine is 13.3% abv, pH 3.51, TA 6
2019 Troon Kubli Bench Amber, Estate Orange Wine, Applegate Valley
Food pairings with this wine range from Sushi to steak. Ambers are very food-friendly and can pair with a wide variety of foods.
We paired this with Sushi while we tasted and of course, this paired perfectly. Riesling generally pairs well with most foods.
2019 Troon Kubli Bench Amber, Estate Orange Wine, Applegate Valley
It is 74% Riesling, 16% Vermentino and 10% Viognier.
The Riesling has high phenolics, encouraged by ripening the grape skins.
Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon Photo Courtesy of Oregon Wine Board
Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon Photo Courtesy of Oregon Wine Board
The Kubli Bench is a small 5-mile by 2-mile plateau. It is the bench of the old river with a 25 to 30-foot cliff down to the Applegate River.
The pH levels here are low. Their pet nat of Tannat has a pH of 2.9 with 9 grams of TA (acid).
This wine is part of their Kubli Bench Blend series of red, white and now amber. The varieties for this blend are fermented separately and are farmed as you would red wines. These are in 1-ton fermenters on the skins and native yeast fermentation. They foot trod them and it is 3 to 4 days before fermentation kicks in. In 3 weeks this wine is fermented to dryness.
They use neutral oak and age 6 months on the lees, then blend them.
They also do an amphorae amber. This is also on the skins and stems for 10 months. At the time of our tasting, this had just to press. It is done in a Georgian style, not excessive VA. They like their wines clean, from healthy grapes and these go into the Tuscan Amphorae.
Beckham Vineyard amphora - a NOVUM as Andrew calls them.
The amphorae is more aggressive and tannic and ageable, while this one is more forward and fruity. The Riesling has one more year.
They just planted Grenache Gris and Terret Blanche, that they ordered 2 years ago.
With the dry climate, they have fewer pest issues.
They have 3 amphorae from Andrew Beckham and will get 2 more next week.
They replant 10 acres each year. In 3 more years, they will be completely replanted.
Winderlea Vineyard in Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley
Winderlea is in the Dundee Hills. Donna Morris and Bill Sweat
There are more than 500 wineries in the Willamette Valley. The first of which was planted in 1965 right here in the Dundee Hills by David Lett, his Eyrie vineyard.
The Dundee Hills became an AVA in November 2005.
Winderlea Vineyard, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley Oregon Photo Courtesy of Oregon Wine Board
This is the only wine that they produce at the Winderlea Estates Vineyard. It is made under the tasting room in the garage. The wine pump and press are powered by a garden hose. Their main facility is in McMinnville.
They began making this wine in 2009 using whole clusters. At that time, most of the Pinots in the area were destemmed. This is made from one block from their vineyard.
This is from one block of Coury Pinot Noir (Chuck Coury had a nursery biz and did some midnight suitcase cuttings, so who knows, they all might be different).
Planted in 1974 and originally named Dundee Hills Vineyard, there was phylloxera in the vineyard when Donna and Bill bought the property. They asked around to see who might be able to help prolong the life of a vineyard with phylloxera and they were pointed to Doug Tunnell of Brickhouse, Rudy Marchesi of Montinore, and Beau Frere all biodynamic vineyards.
They hired Philippe Armenier as their biodynamic consultant and he consulted with them for 3 years.
They try to work on the biodynamic calendar. Bill grew up in New England where they farmed by the farmer’s almanac, so this was intuitive.
This is practical, as a winegrower and a business. You are on the ground spraying, you go by each vine and you can see differences in the vineyard and know if something does not look right.
Biodynamics provides better carbon sinks, microbial diversity, and activity.
Bill finds that the vines are more consistent, and the canopy stays healthy through harvest.
For the 2017 vintage they had good water and snowpack. Budbreak was normal, then they had heat in May and the hottest August on record. This was a big vintage with 4.3 tons per acre. It allowed them to pick the fruit that was the most robust and drop the clusters not up to snuff.
This is 100% whole cluster. Part went into Amphorae 500 liter from Tuscany with a stainless steel top with added dry ice. This fills the amphorae with CO2, so you get carbonic maceration bringing out the red fruit notes. Gases can escape but not air cannot get in.
Another part went into 4 puncheons (400-600 liters, like a mini fermenter) and part in 2 Macro Bins.
Fruit was harvested on 9-26-17. The puncheons and macro bins were pressed on October 17th, the amphorae went to press on November 8th.
The 2017 vintage was the first Amphorae. This then went into neutral French oak barrels for 18 months. Abv 13%, pH 3.6, TA 5.4, bottled 3-15-19, and just 229 cases made.
Bill finds the whole cluster to be more aromatic. With the stems, the potassium in the must raises the pH.
Wine Media Conference Winderlea Pinot Noir courtsey of Winderlea Vineyards
The only wine produced onsite at the Winderlea Estate Vineyard, the Demeter certified Biodynamic® Imprint Pinot noir is made by owner Bill Sweat using old-world winemaking techniques and 100% whole cluster fermentation.
TECHNICAL
Harvest Date: 9.26.2017
Clones: Pommard, Coury
Fermentation: 100% Whole Cluster
1⁄2 ton Clay Amphora, pressed on 11.08.17
4 Puncheons, pressed on 10.17.17 2 Macro Bins, pressed on 10.17.17
2017 Winderlea Imprint Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
2017 Winderlea Imprint Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
These both were great wines. Both wines had complexity and Nuance. I return to the basis that when you have a healthy vineyard, you have better grapes and therefore better wines. It matters how you get there.
Troon is keeping data on there journey of taking a chemical and diseased vineyard and transforming it using Biodynamics. In the future, you can see at least some of the science behind the process.
These are both vineyards we will be following, and we hope to get back to Oregon when we are allowed to travel, to speak with each of these vineyards and get you some more in-depth pictures and stories and about how these Oregon Wines are really a cut above.
We have many more stories from Biodynamic vineyards that tell the same tale and produce some excellent wines. As they say, why drink bad wine? Search these winemakers out and you really will taste the difference.
Visit These Links for more on these wines and Biodynamics
Michael and Robin Renken travel and chronicle stories from wine country. While Robin does much of the writing, Michael typically captures the visuals via video and photos to showcase the region, the wine and the people.
Michael Renken
42 Aspens Productions LLC Photography & Video Production 702.604.8101
After years of putting together shows, lighting them and making everyone look good, Michael turned his skills to the camera, capturing moments and telling stories through photos and video.
When you think of Oregon wine country, you probably think first of Portland and then of the Willamette Valley nearby. If you dive a little deeper, perhaps the Applegate and Rogue River Valleys come on your radar, from the far southern end of the state. Often overlooked is the Umpqua Valley that lies between these two regions.
Around the city of Roseburg off the I-5, you will find a couple dozen wineries. It is here that you will find Girardet.
Girardet Vineyard and Winery
Girardet was one of the first wineries in the region, planting their vineyard in the town of Tenmile in 1971.
Their story is one I love because it starts with a trip in a 1965 VW Bus. I have a fondness for those, having grown up riding around in one with my family in Southern California growing up.
After moving to Oregon when Philippe Girardet got bored as a Rocket Scientist at Cal Tech, he and his wife Bonnie decided to plant a vineyard. They needed vines so they took the VW bus and drove to the Livermore Valley to Wente and Concannon to pick up some vines, then did a cross country drive to New York, where they picked up some French American Hybrid vines.
Having never visited this region and being really interested in the hybrid vines, Michael and I set out to visit the winery last July as we traveled north to Washington. Marc Girardet, Phillipe’s son and a second-generation winemaker, was kind enough to take some time and talk with us.
The Picnic Patio
We sat at the picnic table under the vine laden pergola next to the tasting room. It’s got a great view.
View of Tenmile from Girardet’s ShaleRock Summit Vineyard
“It’s Tenmile. We’ve got one little gas station and houses and a winery. And that’s Tenmile”
Marc Girardet, July 2019
Girardet and sustainability
We settle in and my first question for Marc was about sustainability. I had read that he was changing the vineyard over to more sustainable practices. I wanted to know where he was at with that, and what direction he was moving in.
There is a bit of perspective he has as a second-generation winemaker. He grew up on this vineyard, playing in the vines putting corks in bottles. Now he has his own 7-year-old daughter who, perhaps someday will take over the vineyard. He sees in the vineyard the future for generations past him. Of course, he wants the vineyard to be safe now, for people and animals, but he is also being careful to not mess anything up for future generations.
“I really started looking at soil health and what can we do to make sure all of our inputs are as natural as possible and really just that long term health of the vineyard, the soil and then the wines that we can make from that.”
Marc Girardet, July 2019
He uses local horse manure compost that maintains the vine health through the summer without irrigation. Healthy soil with the dry long summers give you small berries with tasty grapes. He supplements with liquid fish fertilizer, focusing on things that are sourced from nature.
He has looked at biodynamic farming, but hasn’t decided if he is onboard with the more mystical aspects. Those are tough for many people, cow horns, and ceremonies at the equinox. But biodynamics has evolved and he does say that he is a firm believer in anything he can demonstrate scientifically.
He’s careful that his sprays are safe for animals and children. This has the added benefit that he knows there will not be chemical residue on the grapes.
There is a downside to this. These organic methods don’t last as long as the commercial chemicals, so he has to make more tractor passes. Lucky for him, he likes being out on the tractor. He sprays with sulfur once every 7 to 10 days.
They have switched from the herbicides that had previously been used in the vineyard to cutting the weeds. He says he is the number 1 customer for string trimmer line in the area!
“It’s very laborious, but that way, we know that we have a safer environment.”
Marc Girardet, July 2019
Animals on the property and sustainability
At this point, we are interrupted by Mo. I couldn’t be happier. Traveling is great, but I miss my cat, so a little cat fix makes me beam. Mo hops up on the table and plops down to soak up some attention. She is one of a few cats that are happily on “rodent patrol” on the property.
They also have chickens and ducks that in addition to providing eggs, take care of gobbling up the bad bugs. Much better than insecticide!
In addition, Marc’s parents seeded the vineyard with lady bug eggs when they planted.
“And now decades later, whenever I’m out there pruning the vines, I always find lady bugs, almost on every vine.”
Marc Girardet, July 2019
This means they won’t have to worry about aphids and they can stay chemical free.
“I really don’t want to do anything that is going to mess this up, you know, pollute the soil or anything like that. That would mean that the next generation couldn’t have the same opportunities that I’ve had or that my parents had.”
Marc Girardet, July 2019
We spent a few hours with Marc, so there is more to discuss, like the soils and his Italian varieties in addition to the French/American hybrids. Don’t worry, we will share the rest of our day with you later.
In the meantime, if you want to visit, you can find them at
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
We are sticking to Southern Oregon today, but…we are into a white wine. Viognier is a white Rhône variety that has found a home in the new world. It is thought to be the leading white variety in Virginia, where it does very well. You will find it in California where it can vary in style from a more full bodied style in warm climates to a more elegant style in cool climates.
Last year we did a Viognier from Maryhill Winery near the Columbia Gorge in Washington. This year, we bring you a Viognier from a bit further south in Oregon.
Wooldridge Creek
We visited Wooldridge Creek this past summer and did a tasting and pairing. The property is a beautiful farm with goats and a garden in addition to the vineyard. They make cheese here on site also, as well as other delicious things from the garden.
Our tasting at the time took us through the gammit of their wines, as well as a tasting array of cheeses, charcuterie, mustard and chutneys, all produced on site. It was a treat for the senses as we sat on the crush pad with a view of the vineyards and gardens and enjoyed this feast.
Wooldridge Creek 2018 Viognier
This wine is fermented and matured in stainless steel. They noted flavors of peaches, creme, candied orange zest and vanilla. It sits at 13.5% abv and runs $25.00.
The Tasting
The nose on this gave me wet stone, white peach, mineral and citrus zest. On the palate it had great acidity and I got tart white peach that was still a little crisp. The body is medium and the alcohol heats your mouth and makes your gums tingle.
The Pairing
Wooldridge Creek Cheese Pairing
We paired this with roast chicken, butternut squash and mac & cheese. The acid allowed it to cut through the fat in the chicken as well as the mac & cheese to pair well. I found that it also paired nicely with the bleu cheese we had.
