Aside from a few witty remarks, an eloquent speech about why "we like Pinot" and Sandra Oh, whom I love as an actress, this movie bites. It isn't about wine, especially not really about Pinot Noir. And the ending
Yeah, that's how they end it, it just drops off of the face of the freakin' earth. As far as movies go, this was a D+, I'm giving it credit for having Pinot in it. It'd be at most a D- if the wine in question was Cab, or even Malbec.
Everyone said it was all about Pinot, hilarious, and most importantly they said it brought great attention to Pinot. Oh and how many morons have been in the tasting room saying they learned so much about Pinot. My gawd, I will never look at those people the same way again, you can get more info about pinot on the back of a bottle of rose!
What a waste of time.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Mmmm Foch
This is my cat Mmmm Foch. Her real name is Marechal Foch, but we call her Mmmm. Some times I call her Marechal. My husband calls her Miracle Fock, Fochy, and my absolute favorite, Fochizle. Mostly we just call her Mmmm.
She's three, likes sliding on our wood floor, and responds to "Mmmm." Oh and she drinks wine, I dont give her much, a little goes a long way! Just thought I'd share.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Wine Varietal: Marechal Foch
So this is not my favorite varietal. However, my favorite wine is a Marechal Foch from Purple Cow Vineyards in Forest Grove, Oregon. (From here out I will refer to this wine as Mmmm Foch.) They are a small winery I have mentioned before several times and probably will again, and again. They made 1 barrel of Mmmm Foch in 2006 from estate grown grapes. It is amazing. There will be no 2007 as there wasn't a full barrel's worth of Mmmm Foch. I'm heart broken, but have been promised there will be an '08 of this fabulous wine!!!
Brief background of Mmmm Foch: Pronounced mar-esh-shall fosh. Named after the French Marshal Ferdinand Foch. It was developed in Alsace, France and believed to be a hybrid crossing of Goldriesling ( a cross of Riesling and Courtiller Musque) and a Vitis riparia / Vitis rupestris cross. It is an early ripening and cold hardy varietal that is very disease resistant. They have small berries, so the birds love them too. It is used to add color to other varietals including Pinot Noir. It has a strong acidity most years and can range from aromas of black fruits all the way to mocha, coffee, and vanilla bean (Wikipedia 2008).
I have not had many Mmmm Foch wines produced through out the world. It is very common in Canada because of the cold and disease resistance. It is growing in popularity in Oregon for the same reasons. We just has a wonderful 12 inches drop on my house. Many wineries had more than 2 feet on their roofs. It was awesome to drive up to Archery Summit this past weekend to see the vines in all their winter glory. They may have been freezing, but they were gorgeous.
The only Mmmm Foch I can recommend at this time is Purple Cow Vineyard's 2006.
Other wineries that are working with Mmmm Foch include Ankeny, Honeywood, Starling Lane, Chateau Lorane, and Amity. None of which I have tried so I can not comment on theirs. But all of which I have heard of and have good things of their wines in general. I will be looking into who has Mmmm Foch elsewhere as I am now curious about this wine varietal. Nothing compares to that in your backyard, and unless you're in Oregon, you probably can't get Purple Cow's. That, and they may have a case or two left of the 28 they started with, and they don't have previous vintages either.
Good Luck finding this great varietal, it isn't very popular. There are so many options, but if you ever see an Mmmm Foch on the menu, give it a try, you may get hooked, you may find it's not for you. But how will you know unless you try? Like I said when I started this blog, this isn't my favorite varietal of wine. And as a rule I like more Pinots than I do Mmmm Fochs, maybe that's because I haven't had the opportunity to try more wineries Mmmm Fochs, I just don't know yet. But I'm trying.
The next blog will be about my new cat Mmmm Foch...
Brief background of Mmmm Foch: Pronounced mar-esh-shall fosh. Named after the French Marshal Ferdinand Foch. It was developed in Alsace, France and believed to be a hybrid crossing of Goldriesling ( a cross of Riesling and Courtiller Musque) and a Vitis riparia / Vitis rupestris cross. It is an early ripening and cold hardy varietal that is very disease resistant. They have small berries, so the birds love them too. It is used to add color to other varietals including Pinot Noir. It has a strong acidity most years and can range from aromas of black fruits all the way to mocha, coffee, and vanilla bean (Wikipedia 2008).
I have not had many Mmmm Foch wines produced through out the world. It is very common in Canada because of the cold and disease resistance. It is growing in popularity in Oregon for the same reasons. We just has a wonderful 12 inches drop on my house. Many wineries had more than 2 feet on their roofs. It was awesome to drive up to Archery Summit this past weekend to see the vines in all their winter glory. They may have been freezing, but they were gorgeous.
The only Mmmm Foch I can recommend at this time is Purple Cow Vineyard's 2006.
Other wineries that are working with Mmmm Foch include Ankeny, Honeywood, Starling Lane, Chateau Lorane, and Amity. None of which I have tried so I can not comment on theirs. But all of which I have heard of and have good things of their wines in general. I will be looking into who has Mmmm Foch elsewhere as I am now curious about this wine varietal. Nothing compares to that in your backyard, and unless you're in Oregon, you probably can't get Purple Cow's. That, and they may have a case or two left of the 28 they started with, and they don't have previous vintages either.
Good Luck finding this great varietal, it isn't very popular. There are so many options, but if you ever see an Mmmm Foch on the menu, give it a try, you may get hooked, you may find it's not for you. But how will you know unless you try? Like I said when I started this blog, this isn't my favorite varietal of wine. And as a rule I like more Pinots than I do Mmmm Fochs, maybe that's because I haven't had the opportunity to try more wineries Mmmm Fochs, I just don't know yet. But I'm trying.
The next blog will be about my new cat Mmmm Foch...
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Buying wine at the Winery vs. Bottle Shops
I will be right up front and summarize this prattle for you. I prefer to buy my wine at the winery, or from wineries I have been to.
When I go to a wine bar or bottle shop, I never know enough about the wines to actually feel confident making a purchase. I like to see the winery and get all the details about the wine. I don't know how many bottle shops I've been to that can't give me much detail about any of the wines I'm looking at. I like to know so much, maybe I just like to be annoying, but I wanna know more than can ever fit on the back label. Plus, if you read my "about me" paragraph you'll note that I hate the stare down when I go into bottle shops.
When I go to the winery, the history, the terrior, the service, all places into how much I enjoy the wine. When I have a great experience, the next time I drink wine from that trip I get all warm and fuzzy. The opposite is true too, but I usually don't buy wine from a winery I have a bad experience from, and they are few and far between.
Have you ever asked a winery for the detailed notes on a wine? They are awesome, they usually include the details about the vineyards, how closely planted are the vines, how were the grapes harvested, when was harvest started and completed, how long were the grapes in a cold soak, was there a post fermentation maceration, etc. All that on top of the tasting notes really enhances my education of the wine I'm drinking. (NOTE: I'm an Oregon Foodie, I like to learn while I drink.) I can taste so much more than I used to because I am associating different things I wouldn't know buying just another bottle of wine. And what's better than having a whole story about the wine you've paired with the meal you're serving your new in laws.
And all of these details go into the value of a wine, not just the price the value. I can buy a $48 bottle of wine at the store and assume a 40% or more inflation over wholesale. I can go to a wine shop and assume 25% or more. I can go to a winery and buy a $48 bottle and know that all of that money, inflated or not, goes to keeping the little guy alive.
Anyway, I have never seen a bottle shop have in depth details or great stories about how the wine, the facility, or just the people pouring your wine came to be so delightful. Also, there are so many wineries that have little or no wine in distribution.
Not everyone can find the wines they like in their very own backyard, but if you get the chance, or love a wine from far far away...join the club. No really, join their wine club and get their wines directly from them, usually there is a membership discount and cool people to chat with about a common interest. Even if it's just by email.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
I'm married!!!
I just got married yesterday, Saturday, December 13, 2008. I wanted to share with you the vino with which we celebrated.
With dinner we served Purple Cow 2006 Muscat & 2006 Chardonnay, and Archery Summit 2006 Premier Cuvee.
For the "champagne" toast we had David Hill NV Brut Sparkling Wine.
We purchased local and delicious wines that would pair well with our meal. We had Line Caught Coho Salmon & Buffalo Tenderloin. Our cake was cherry chip with a maraschino cherry glaze filling and cream cheese filling. It was a divine meal and the wine pair well with everything. Hope my guests had as fun drinking the wine as I did pairing it well with the dinner we served them.
Cheers!
With dinner we served Purple Cow 2006 Muscat & 2006 Chardonnay, and Archery Summit 2006 Premier Cuvee.
For the "champagne" toast we had David Hill NV Brut Sparkling Wine.
We purchased local and delicious wines that would pair well with our meal. We had Line Caught Coho Salmon & Buffalo Tenderloin. Our cake was cherry chip with a maraschino cherry glaze filling and cream cheese filling. It was a divine meal and the wine pair well with everything. Hope my guests had as fun drinking the wine as I did pairing it well with the dinner we served them.
Cheers!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Critter Labels
"You'll sell 25% more wine if there is an animal on your label." This is a quote I heard in a marketing class. That quote rings true in the grocery store I think. I've bought a few of them myself. I think about 1 in 5 labels in the grocery store has a pet on it. The first bottle I bought on my 21st birthday had 2 chickens on it. They are cute and don't look as intimidating as some labels might. Some are funny to see in the store too. It seems like Little Penguin is catering to soccer moms, you know let the kiddies pick their favorite critter for dinner. My gawd, it comes in a juice box with a penguin on it, what kid wouldn't want to grab that off the shelf. And who doesn't recognize the kangaroo. Yellow Tail might as well be the only Aussie brand of wine to some, it's the only Aussie wine my friends recognize immediately (I'm working on them, I promise).
I think if something has a plastic critter label, it is very accessible, and probably drinkable, but lacking complexity and probably much in the way of deliciousness. These are what I call 'Grey's Anatomy wines.' Wine you drink when you're really focused on something else, like a great drama, a festive party, or just getting inebriated cheaply. I think the animal cheapens the price much like a screw cap can. It just doesn't scream wine, it screams grape juice with a touch of alcohol. Hopefully these wines make people more comfortable with the idea of drinking wine with meals and when entertaining so that they can ease into those hoytier toytier looking wines.
Please note: I think there is a way to have a bunny on your label and it be classy, Scott Paul did it.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Cellaring Wines
I have heard that somewhere between 90-99% of wines should not be aged. They are for drinking and enjoying within a year. To me, this seems true. I wouldn't age most of what I see in the grocery store, although that is changing as I just saw Adelsheim at Fred Meyer's the other day and I would lay some of their stuff down.
I would say that a lot of wine doesn't age. By that I mean that although it's getting older, it isn't getting better, or maybe not changing in anyway, good or bad. There is so much wine at the grocery store, these wines do not have the same demographic as those you purchase at the grocery store. I said I found an Adelsheim Pinot Noir at Fred's, well it's really their lowest end Pinot, not a bad pinot, but the least expensive and drinking well now.
Why would you go to the store to pick up dinner for tonight or later this week and get wine for 3 years from now. You're needing, and wanting, something that will pair well with this meal, NOW. It's not a good idea for all wine sold to need aging. These wines are bread and butter for the vino industry. And in such an impatient society, we need some instant gratification wine too. Don't get me wrong, I have 8 cases of wine that I guess you'd have to say I'm aging as I don't have the liver for consuming them all now, and I am ever collecting (oops!).
But what is aging but hoping and praying? Is that wine incurring interest? It better be. If you lay down a wine, aren't you hoping you get 6% per year? I hope that wine is becoming more interesting, I have so much riding on this theory myself. (haha, you like that metaphor - great in a recession huh ;) )
I age wine. I have my little wine fridge for my Pinots, some Cabs & Syrahs are there too. Not to mention my bitty fridge that holds my eisweins (properly pronounced ice vines in German, but usually called Ice Wines). Although my collection will never be up for auction at Christie's, I hope my friends and I will have some great stories to share about that wine we bought when we had so many hopes and dreams.
A suggestion: if you want to lay down a wine, even one from the grocery store email the producer. They will be able to tell you their recommendation for aging. Even Willamette Valley Wines and Gallo have some longevity. And if you don't refuse wine because of it's closure, you'll be fine with screw caps left for 1/2 decade whether it cost $150 or $1.50.
Bottom line: I like to lay down wine. I think there is a great chance you'll have an enjoyable wine for years to come whether you buy it at the grocery store or a winery, but most wine is to be drank young. If stored properly, or at least not upright on a window ledge or next to the stove, you'll have good or better wine, well, hopefully just not worse wine.
I would say that a lot of wine doesn't age. By that I mean that although it's getting older, it isn't getting better, or maybe not changing in anyway, good or bad. There is so much wine at the grocery store, these wines do not have the same demographic as those you purchase at the grocery store. I said I found an Adelsheim Pinot Noir at Fred's, well it's really their lowest end Pinot, not a bad pinot, but the least expensive and drinking well now.
Why would you go to the store to pick up dinner for tonight or later this week and get wine for 3 years from now. You're needing, and wanting, something that will pair well with this meal, NOW. It's not a good idea for all wine sold to need aging. These wines are bread and butter for the vino industry. And in such an impatient society, we need some instant gratification wine too. Don't get me wrong, I have 8 cases of wine that I guess you'd have to say I'm aging as I don't have the liver for consuming them all now, and I am ever collecting (oops!).
But what is aging but hoping and praying? Is that wine incurring interest? It better be. If you lay down a wine, aren't you hoping you get 6% per year? I hope that wine is becoming more interesting, I have so much riding on this theory myself. (haha, you like that metaphor - great in a recession huh ;) )
I age wine. I have my little wine fridge for my Pinots, some Cabs & Syrahs are there too. Not to mention my bitty fridge that holds my eisweins (properly pronounced ice vines in German, but usually called Ice Wines). Although my collection will never be up for auction at Christie's, I hope my friends and I will have some great stories to share about that wine we bought when we had so many hopes and dreams.
A suggestion: if you want to lay down a wine, even one from the grocery store email the producer. They will be able to tell you their recommendation for aging. Even Willamette Valley Wines and Gallo have some longevity. And if you don't refuse wine because of it's closure, you'll be fine with screw caps left for 1/2 decade whether it cost $150 or $1.50.
Bottom line: I like to lay down wine. I think there is a great chance you'll have an enjoyable wine for years to come whether you buy it at the grocery store or a winery, but most wine is to be drank young. If stored properly, or at least not upright on a window ledge or next to the stove, you'll have good or better wine, well, hopefully just not worse wine.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Oregon Pinot Blind Tasting
I did a private blind tasting and wanted to list my thoughts and those of others involved in the tasting.
Tasting of 2006 Oregon Pinots:
#1 Rocco Private Stash Pinot Noir - smells of anise & licorice. Tasted reduced and like an '04, woody, like faux butter, and crayons. Lack much of a nose and didn't have a long finish.
#2 DDO (Domaine Drouhin Oregon) Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - smells of strawberry, tastes of Tide laundry.
#3 Ken Wright Abbet's Claim - smells of maraschino cherries, processed fruit and tastes of toasted marshmallow, broccoli, and peat. It has a very short finish and obvious volatile acid.
#4 Bergstrom Bergrtom Vineyard - Smells of sea salt and bananas (acidic acid), and tastes of cedar & fish skins linger.
#5 Archery Summit Red Hills Estate - deep in color with good clarity. Aromas of cherry and minerality (cement). Tastes of chocolate liquors, anise, and cloves. This is the wine I think I'd most prefer to sit down with.
Tasting of 2005 Oregon Pinots:
#1 Melville - deep in color, excellent clarity, aroma is vegetal like asparagus. Tastes strong of licorice and anise. Lean, dill, & peat mossy.
#2 Domaine Serene Evenstead Reserve - aromas of currants and raspberries. Tastes of chocolate and boysenberries. Fairly clear, smooth texture, light in color.
#3 DDO Laurene - Very reduced tasting! Nice rich deep color, very clear, but filmy in texture. Tastes of the ocean, salty sand. Aroma is a strong floral cherry blossom & burnt toast.
#4 Archery Summit Arcus Estate - This wine has a great thick midpalate, tasted of truffles and a bit weedy. A bit over extracted and lacks elegance. This wine will be really great in 3 years I think.
#5 Francis Tannahill "the Hermet" - Has soft acidity, is clear, but light in color. Tastes of fennel and mint, with fresh bing cherry aromas.
Bonus wine:
2001 Sine Qua Non No. 6 - Lost its color long ago. It is effervescent, numbing my tongue. Very astringent. This is such a cloudy wine, it was very unpleasing. I thought Sine Qua Non was a bit overrated with it's cult following before, and will continue to think so now. It isn't fair to call this an Oregon Pinot when they are buying Oregon fruit and making it in California with Cali style. I'm hoping their other wines were better, 2001 was a decent year for so many others though. I will say, we were all so excited to have a bonus wine, until we tasted it. We all felt pretty good financially though, none of us need to seek out another bottle for our own cellars, at $270, I'm glad I don't desire to purchase this wine.
Tasting of 2006 Oregon Pinots:
#1 Rocco Private Stash Pinot Noir - smells of anise & licorice. Tasted reduced and like an '04, woody, like faux butter, and crayons. Lack much of a nose and didn't have a long finish.
#2 DDO (Domaine Drouhin Oregon) Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - smells of strawberry, tastes of Tide laundry.
#3 Ken Wright Abbet's Claim - smells of maraschino cherries, processed fruit and tastes of toasted marshmallow, broccoli, and peat. It has a very short finish and obvious volatile acid.
#4 Bergstrom Bergrtom Vineyard - Smells of sea salt and bananas (acidic acid), and tastes of cedar & fish skins linger.
#5 Archery Summit Red Hills Estate - deep in color with good clarity. Aromas of cherry and minerality (cement). Tastes of chocolate liquors, anise, and cloves. This is the wine I think I'd most prefer to sit down with.
Tasting of 2005 Oregon Pinots:
#1 Melville - deep in color, excellent clarity, aroma is vegetal like asparagus. Tastes strong of licorice and anise. Lean, dill, & peat mossy.
#2 Domaine Serene Evenstead Reserve - aromas of currants and raspberries. Tastes of chocolate and boysenberries. Fairly clear, smooth texture, light in color.
#3 DDO Laurene - Very reduced tasting! Nice rich deep color, very clear, but filmy in texture. Tastes of the ocean, salty sand. Aroma is a strong floral cherry blossom & burnt toast.
#4 Archery Summit Arcus Estate - This wine has a great thick midpalate, tasted of truffles and a bit weedy. A bit over extracted and lacks elegance. This wine will be really great in 3 years I think.
#5 Francis Tannahill "the Hermet" - Has soft acidity, is clear, but light in color. Tastes of fennel and mint, with fresh bing cherry aromas.
Bonus wine:
2001 Sine Qua Non No. 6 - Lost its color long ago. It is effervescent, numbing my tongue. Very astringent. This is such a cloudy wine, it was very unpleasing. I thought Sine Qua Non was a bit overrated with it's cult following before, and will continue to think so now. It isn't fair to call this an Oregon Pinot when they are buying Oregon fruit and making it in California with Cali style. I'm hoping their other wines were better, 2001 was a decent year for so many others though. I will say, we were all so excited to have a bonus wine, until we tasted it. We all felt pretty good financially though, none of us need to seek out another bottle for our own cellars, at $270, I'm glad I don't desire to purchase this wine.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
We just got a wine fridge!!!
Well, I haven't blogged about my everyday life so you'd have no clue that I just got a new apartment. As my fiance and I gear up for marrying and moving all of our crappola out of our parents for the last time we discovered we have more wine than we knew.
You know how you buy a bottle or two here and there and don't drink them right away because you have others? Well, 2 years later you'll have 8+ cases of wine, some of them needing more care than you planned on. We kept most of our wine in his parent's basement, it's always around 60 degrees and the perfect humidity all year round, a great place, and free. But now that we have to move into an apartment, it was time to get, bum bum bum... a wine fridge.
It fits only 30 bottles, but we found a way to squeeze a few more in there. It's packed full of Oregon Pinots, a few Cabs from our trip to Australia, and several random bottles I must have picked up along the way, but don't recall where. We have a mini fridge that fits 6, but we took out the racks and now it fits 5 ice wines, 2 botrytis wines, 2 pinot ports, 1 pinot port chocolate sauce, (all 350 ml tall bottles) and 2 sparklers.
I am in the market for another one as I want to get more wine into regulated temps before it gets so cold we actually turn on the heat for the season. I just can't believe how much wine I have!!! I should get it all onto cellartracker and let you see what I have, it's disgusting! Fortunately there is plenty of Archery Summit so I know there is plenty that will lay down for several years. I just hope I keep enough $10 and $20 bottles around I don't crack them open before their time!!!
You know how you buy a bottle or two here and there and don't drink them right away because you have others? Well, 2 years later you'll have 8+ cases of wine, some of them needing more care than you planned on. We kept most of our wine in his parent's basement, it's always around 60 degrees and the perfect humidity all year round, a great place, and free. But now that we have to move into an apartment, it was time to get, bum bum bum... a wine fridge.
It fits only 30 bottles, but we found a way to squeeze a few more in there. It's packed full of Oregon Pinots, a few Cabs from our trip to Australia, and several random bottles I must have picked up along the way, but don't recall where. We have a mini fridge that fits 6, but we took out the racks and now it fits 5 ice wines, 2 botrytis wines, 2 pinot ports, 1 pinot port chocolate sauce, (all 350 ml tall bottles) and 2 sparklers.
I am in the market for another one as I want to get more wine into regulated temps before it gets so cold we actually turn on the heat for the season. I just can't believe how much wine I have!!! I should get it all onto cellartracker and let you see what I have, it's disgusting! Fortunately there is plenty of Archery Summit so I know there is plenty that will lay down for several years. I just hope I keep enough $10 and $20 bottles around I don't crack them open before their time!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wine Tasting: Domaine Drouhin Oregon
I recommend going to Domaine Drouhin if you're on a "Tour de Pinots." They are very different from Domaine Serene and even more differentiated from Archery Summit. They have very elegant and feminine pinots. Probably the most Burgundian in style. They are nicknamed DDO, many people call them just DDO.
Wine: The Arthur Chardonnay is probably the best chard I've had in a long while. I don't really care for many, but they are growing on me I think. Not necessarily something I'd buy, but definitely worthy of tasting. I don't care for their pinots at all. They are so light and lack complexity. They don't have much color and I like a deep, rich colored pinot. I definitely don't think these are very age worthy, as wines loose some complexity with age, I fear they'd become pastel colored water before I got to them in a few years.
Vineyards: There is a lot of unused space they could have a great flower garden or just more vines. Maybe they could just get some good turf in there so they could have an attractive lawn for wedding and reception space. Although they do have a great view, the dead space detracts from the over all experience of the view. The vines themselves were very orderly and kept rather well groomed, although I think they should have hedged the rows by the day we went, that was probably going to happen in a few days.
Tasting Room: They have too high of a bar!!! I'm 5'3.75" and my arm went numb waiting for my glass to be filled. They have a bit of sitting room and they also have some pieces of history like an old wine press. I think there were windows into the fermentation hall, but the lights were off as it was a weekend.
Service: The ladies behind the bar were great, very friendly and answered all my questions. They too use the Oregon Pinot Glass, I hope this trend is catching on elsewhere!
Something special: All of their wines are names after their children. Their sister winery is in FRANCE, hence why this is called Domaine Drouhin OREGON, there's another Domaine Drouhin. DDO was the first winery in the Dundee Hills if my history is correct.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 79
Stats: Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO)
Address: 6750 Breyman Orchards Rd. Dayton, OR 97114
Tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday 10am-4pm
Tasting Fee: $15
Website: http://www.domainedrouhin.com/
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Wine: The Arthur Chardonnay is probably the best chard I've had in a long while. I don't really care for many, but they are growing on me I think. Not necessarily something I'd buy, but definitely worthy of tasting. I don't care for their pinots at all. They are so light and lack complexity. They don't have much color and I like a deep, rich colored pinot. I definitely don't think these are very age worthy, as wines loose some complexity with age, I fear they'd become pastel colored water before I got to them in a few years.
Vineyards: There is a lot of unused space they could have a great flower garden or just more vines. Maybe they could just get some good turf in there so they could have an attractive lawn for wedding and reception space. Although they do have a great view, the dead space detracts from the over all experience of the view. The vines themselves were very orderly and kept rather well groomed, although I think they should have hedged the rows by the day we went, that was probably going to happen in a few days.
Tasting Room: They have too high of a bar!!! I'm 5'3.75" and my arm went numb waiting for my glass to be filled. They have a bit of sitting room and they also have some pieces of history like an old wine press. I think there were windows into the fermentation hall, but the lights were off as it was a weekend.
Service: The ladies behind the bar were great, very friendly and answered all my questions. They too use the Oregon Pinot Glass, I hope this trend is catching on elsewhere!
Something special: All of their wines are names after their children. Their sister winery is in FRANCE, hence why this is called Domaine Drouhin OREGON, there's another Domaine Drouhin. DDO was the first winery in the Dundee Hills if my history is correct.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 79
Stats: Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO)
Address: 6750 Breyman Orchards Rd. Dayton, OR 97114
Tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday 10am-4pm
Tasting Fee: $15
Website: http://www.domainedrouhin.com/
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wine Tasting: Domaine Serene
If you're in the Dundee Hills, you have to make a stop at the "Domaines." There are three wineries you can't afford to miss in the Dundee Hills AVA, I suggest going in the following order: Archery Summit, Domaine Serene, then Domaine Droughin. And trust me, you should go with your gut when deciding to purchase, they are all good, but Archery is the best, followed by Serene, then a delicate finish with Droughin.
Wine: Domaine Serene's tasting consisted of 3 Pinot Noirs and 1 Syrah. The Jerusalem Hill 2005 Pinot Noir is amazing. I can't even put in to words, but I'll try. It has layers of cherry, raspberry, and yes, even chocolate. It reminds me of the dark chocolate cherry cordials you can only get around Christmas time. The syrah is my fiance's favorite syrah around. It is the Rockblock, we had a 2004 a few months ago and had to go back to get more, but they've moved on to the 2005. It is still really good, many think so, as it got a 93 from WS. The other pinots were good, but the JHill is the only one that stuck out to me. I think we tasted a white too, 2006 "Clos du Soleil" Chardonnay.
Vineyards: They have a long private drive up to their "villa" that is rather lovely. But there is a lot of wasted weedy space with unkempt grass. You can tell they round-up around the trees along the drive too as the leaves on the trees turned early. I don't think many non-ag people would notice that but it really doesn't make me excited about estate pinot when I see potential close proximity to round-up. The vineyard surrounding the winery is very lovely. They source the syrah from Del Rio and Seven Hills vineyards;)
Tasting Room: They have a great tasting room with lots of seating and a fire place. Great intimacy. The first time I went to Domaine Serene it snowed while we were in the tasting room and it was very homey! They have a less than intimate counter for tasting though, the ladies behind the counter often don't even stand to pour the wine for you.
Service: Like I said the ladies didn't stand to pour the wine, they seemed a bit disinterested in us too. They do use the Oregon Pinot Noir glass that is very awesome. It isn't crystal, but it does a great job of showing off all of the wines. They also use a 1-ounce pour top that I think is kinda tacky as the tasting fee is $15. I thought for $15 they could set a bit of a better mood without the pour tops.
Something special: There isn't much that distinguishes this winery from others, except the outside of the building and the walk to the tasting room really set a tone for a fun tasting. Like many wineries there are wines you really like and then those you don't. You have to dump sometimes, and sometimes you spit too. I just wish the service matched the ambiance.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 83
Stats: Domaine Serene
Overall Wine Experience Score: 83
Stats: Domaine Serene
Address:6555 NE Hilltop Lane, Dayton, Oregon 97114
Tasting room is open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm
Tasting Fee: $15
Website: http://www.domaineserene.com/
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
WORDS NOT TO USE
Here is a list of words I don't want to hear, read, or TASTE when drinking wine:
Cat Pee (common in Sav Blanc)
Barnyard (moo or poo)
Deer, Musk
Mint
Banana (Petit Verdot)
Smoke, Burnt, Cigar Box, Tobacco
Sweat (eww, high school locker room flashback)
Dirty Laundry (ie body odor), Leather, Dusty, Chalky (All things that shouldn't be in your mouth - ever)
Vegetal, Asparagus, Green Bell Pepper (this isn't a salad)
and although it's typical in oaked chards: Butter
The funny thing is words like Mold, Vinegar, Garlic, Onions, Nail Polish, and Burnt Matches are off aromas and bad. If you look at the list above, couldn't mold = musk; dusty, burnt matches = smoke, burnt, cigar box, tobacco; onions, vinegar = dirty laundry, peppers?
Hmm...wine for thought
Cat Pee (common in Sav Blanc)
Barnyard (moo or poo)
Deer, Musk
Mint
Banana (Petit Verdot)
Smoke, Burnt, Cigar Box, Tobacco
Sweat (eww, high school locker room flashback)
Dirty Laundry (ie body odor), Leather, Dusty, Chalky (All things that shouldn't be in your mouth - ever)
Vegetal, Asparagus, Green Bell Pepper (this isn't a salad)
and although it's typical in oaked chards: Butter
The funny thing is words like Mold, Vinegar, Garlic, Onions, Nail Polish, and Burnt Matches are off aromas and bad. If you look at the list above, couldn't mold = musk; dusty, burnt matches = smoke, burnt, cigar box, tobacco; onions, vinegar = dirty laundry, peppers?
Hmm...wine for thought
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Wine Scores
So...I look at the wine scores, I find it interesting who knows and loves the wine I'm drinking. But sometimes you get someone writing about the wine who is so up their own butt, they can't taste straight anyway. I don't like that Jay Miller is the only person scoring Oregon wines for the Wine Advocate and erobertparker.com. How can the whole world trust one man. What if he's having an off day, allergic to our Oregon molds, and heaven forbid he have a hang over :) Even the Wine Spectator has individuals critiquing wine in this fashion. I like the idea of a panel of people tasting the wines, every time. I mean, wineries send 2 of each wine to be critiqued, why on earth wouldn't 5-10 people get a taste of it. I know there's a lot out there to taste, but there are a lot of different pallets too.
I think Wine Spectator only likes big TASTING wines. By that I mean they like the taste of the wine when they sip it. But sit down with a 15% alcohol wine and you're loose before the first glass is finished. And don't even think about pairing these wines with food, they will overpower the entire menu. These are usually Cabs, Merlots, and Zins. And don't get me started on the California Pinots they score high. They are all freaking fruit bombs, I can't handle them.
I think the best thing to do is to take each score with a grain of salt. As much as I like to see scores, the best ones for most people are those Wine Enthusiast is known for "Best wines under $15" and other "Best Value" columns.
I like good wine, but I think that I will keep tasting them for myself. I think the "drinking well now" wines are some of the best deals because WS, WE, and WA don't necessarily think highly of them. As for aging, I keep to the wines under 14.5% and I stay clear of Cabs, Merlots, and Zins as much as I can. (Although I found some great Cabs in Aussie last year. I'll talk about them some other time.)
Cheers!
I think Wine Spectator only likes big TASTING wines. By that I mean they like the taste of the wine when they sip it. But sit down with a 15% alcohol wine and you're loose before the first glass is finished. And don't even think about pairing these wines with food, they will overpower the entire menu. These are usually Cabs, Merlots, and Zins. And don't get me started on the California Pinots they score high. They are all freaking fruit bombs, I can't handle them.
I think the best thing to do is to take each score with a grain of salt. As much as I like to see scores, the best ones for most people are those Wine Enthusiast is known for "Best wines under $15" and other "Best Value" columns.
I like good wine, but I think that I will keep tasting them for myself. I think the "drinking well now" wines are some of the best deals because WS, WE, and WA don't necessarily think highly of them. As for aging, I keep to the wines under 14.5% and I stay clear of Cabs, Merlots, and Zins as much as I can. (Although I found some great Cabs in Aussie last year. I'll talk about them some other time.)
Cheers!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wine Tasting: Purple Cow Vineyards
I fell in love with this winery by chance. We stumbled upon it a year ago and never looked back. It is a fabulous winery with fantastic reasonably priced wines. Purple Cow comprises over half of my "for drinking" wine cellar. Although I intend to lay a few down, I think these wines a perfect for drinking now and enjoying. The winery is a home for some of Forest Grove's most eclectic wine drinkers and the winemakers/owners want to keep it that way. They are down to earth, head out of the clouds, feet on the ground, good people. The wines are so good I'd even share these with friends and family, well maybe not the Gabby (you'll learn about that one later).
Wine: The wine is wonderful! We love their Tempranillo. There is a reserve and the Elena Edition. Both are fantastic! I really love the 2005 just released, but can't wait until December to get my hands on the 2004!!! Now, my fiance and I have a debate over their whites every time we drink them. He's leans towards more acidic wines than I do, so he prefers the Muscat, I prefer the Chardonnay. When you actually break down the Chards they have released, I prefer the 2006 to the 2005. The winemaker, Jon Armstrong, told us that the 2005 is significantly more acidic too.
Vineyards: As you come onto the property, there they are, the Marechal Foch. Cute little red grapes that make me very happy. The Foch is delicate and light bodied for mellow picnic drinking, there were only 25 cases made this year, and I have 1 of them :) . The vineyards surround the Armstrong Family's home, which is also the tasting room. They have mostly young vines, they are a young vineyard and have many new Tempranillo vines planted this summer. One of the vines took off and really showed her power in the vineyard. While her neighbors grew at a healthy rate through the season, she wasted no time and at harvest time had gargantuan clusters. They appear to use the native vegetation and grasses to induce water stress in the vineyard. Unlike the Dundee hills, the soils are rich and fertile. But the slopes lend themselves to limited agriculture, thus, the perfect vineyard site.
Tasting Room: Their tasting room is awesome, they are really relaxed and sometimes have a football game on. That's because it's their house! They don't have your typical bar, it's one my friend has at her home too. They have a great "staff," including Gallo and Matt, two very charismatic men you don't want to miss out on knowing, that are funny and down to earth people. They aren't pretentious about their wine, maybe that's why it's so good. They are about making good wine for good people, and they do a great job making it.
Service: Always fabulous, especially if you catch them having an event. For a small winery, they sure go all out for their events. I don't know any large winery that has as friendly a face and such great personality as a whole. They have more events than most wineries I know, and they have less than 10% of the case production of almost every other winery in the WV. They also serve Dublander cheese which is without a doubt my favorite cheese!!!
Something special: Everything...They actually plant Tempranillo up in Forest Grove! That's super cool, no one grows it north of Roseburg except them -- I think. They ferment their Muscat dry, they keep the membership low so it's pretty intimate at the events, they are very generous people, the list goes on and on. They are warm people and even when the day ends and they are technically closed, they are willing to chat with you and show anyone a great time. I wanted to include my details about the Gabriela wine here, because Gabby is a very, very special something. Gabby is a Cab Sav, Cab Franc blend that I could talk about for hours. It is a delicious combination and I think anyone who didn't get out there just to taste this wine is insane! You have to taste this wine twice to get the full effect. First taste it just on the tongue. Allow the wine to go straight back. It is so fruit sweet and feminine, that's predominantly the Cab Franc. Now for the second taste, chew it, swish it, get it everywhere in your mouth. The peppery power of the Cab Sav is now dominating and is soooo amazing! Gabby is named after Gallo's daughter, I think because she's sweet and packs a peppery power, but I've never met her so I'm going on Gallo's word ;)
***If you don't purchase your favorite wines when you're there, you'll be sorry. They are a true boutique winery and made only 600 cases of wine last year. If you sit on your hands you won't be able to get more next time. They have a small supply and a large following!!! So get out there and get your stash!***
Overall Wine Experience Score: 97
Stats: Purple Cow Vineyards
Address: 52720 NW Wilson School Rd. Forest Grove, OR 97116
Tasting room is open Saturdays 11am-5pm
Tasting Fee: $5
Website: purplecowvineyards.com
Wines: Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Marechal Foch, Muscat, Chardonnay, GABBY
Wine: The wine is wonderful! We love their Tempranillo. There is a reserve and the Elena Edition. Both are fantastic! I really love the 2005 just released, but can't wait until December to get my hands on the 2004!!! Now, my fiance and I have a debate over their whites every time we drink them. He's leans towards more acidic wines than I do, so he prefers the Muscat, I prefer the Chardonnay. When you actually break down the Chards they have released, I prefer the 2006 to the 2005. The winemaker, Jon Armstrong, told us that the 2005 is significantly more acidic too.
Vineyards: As you come onto the property, there they are, the Marechal Foch. Cute little red grapes that make me very happy. The Foch is delicate and light bodied for mellow picnic drinking, there were only 25 cases made this year, and I have 1 of them :) . The vineyards surround the Armstrong Family's home, which is also the tasting room. They have mostly young vines, they are a young vineyard and have many new Tempranillo vines planted this summer. One of the vines took off and really showed her power in the vineyard. While her neighbors grew at a healthy rate through the season, she wasted no time and at harvest time had gargantuan clusters. They appear to use the native vegetation and grasses to induce water stress in the vineyard. Unlike the Dundee hills, the soils are rich and fertile. But the slopes lend themselves to limited agriculture, thus, the perfect vineyard site.
Tasting Room: Their tasting room is awesome, they are really relaxed and sometimes have a football game on. That's because it's their house! They don't have your typical bar, it's one my friend has at her home too. They have a great "staff," including Gallo and Matt, two very charismatic men you don't want to miss out on knowing, that are funny and down to earth people. They aren't pretentious about their wine, maybe that's why it's so good. They are about making good wine for good people, and they do a great job making it.
Service: Always fabulous, especially if you catch them having an event. For a small winery, they sure go all out for their events. I don't know any large winery that has as friendly a face and such great personality as a whole. They have more events than most wineries I know, and they have less than 10% of the case production of almost every other winery in the WV. They also serve Dublander cheese which is without a doubt my favorite cheese!!!
Something special: Everything...They actually plant Tempranillo up in Forest Grove! That's super cool, no one grows it north of Roseburg except them -- I think. They ferment their Muscat dry, they keep the membership low so it's pretty intimate at the events, they are very generous people, the list goes on and on. They are warm people and even when the day ends and they are technically closed, they are willing to chat with you and show anyone a great time. I wanted to include my details about the Gabriela wine here, because Gabby is a very, very special something. Gabby is a Cab Sav, Cab Franc blend that I could talk about for hours. It is a delicious combination and I think anyone who didn't get out there just to taste this wine is insane! You have to taste this wine twice to get the full effect. First taste it just on the tongue. Allow the wine to go straight back. It is so fruit sweet and feminine, that's predominantly the Cab Franc. Now for the second taste, chew it, swish it, get it everywhere in your mouth. The peppery power of the Cab Sav is now dominating and is soooo amazing! Gabby is named after Gallo's daughter, I think because she's sweet and packs a peppery power, but I've never met her so I'm going on Gallo's word ;)
***If you don't purchase your favorite wines when you're there, you'll be sorry. They are a true boutique winery and made only 600 cases of wine last year. If you sit on your hands you won't be able to get more next time. They have a small supply and a large following!!! So get out there and get your stash!***
Overall Wine Experience Score: 97
Stats: Purple Cow Vineyards
Address: 52720 NW Wilson School Rd. Forest Grove, OR 97116
Tasting room is open Saturdays 11am-5pm
Tasting Fee: $5
Website: purplecowvineyards.com
Wines: Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Marechal Foch, Muscat, Chardonnay, GABBY
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Wine Tasting: David Hill Winery
After our trip to Cooper Mountain Vineyards we drove the 20 miles to David Hill Winery. What a delightful drive through the countryside it was to get there.
Wine: You have to start with their sparkling brut! It tastes of honey butter to me and has delicate little bubbles. They have a lot of varietals of wine, but they are all good. They have a 1/2 bottle called the Sweet Simplicity. It is a sweet dessert wine with high residual sugar content, but not an Ice Wine. I really like their ports and if you pay the extra $.50 you can taste the Black Jack, a very robust wine that should be laid down for a few years for sure!
Vineyards: Some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley here. Nicely groomed. As it is harvest time, some of the grapes are still on the vine and covered with netting, but you can still see the tasty fruit as you drive up to the adorable yellow farmhouse.
Tasting Room: Their tasting room is cute and is an old farmhouse. There's enough room you can have small weddings indoor and have great parties like baby and bridal showers. The glass was a standard wine glasses, but that's alright because they have so many wines, using the Oregon Pinot Glass would be ridiculous. They have lots of knick knacks that I didn't care for because I'm all about the wine, but if you need a decanter or are interested in local photography, its got it all. The bathrooms are quite fitting as this is a little old farmhouse, it has cute and simply bathrooms too.
Service: The service is great. Will is awesome, charismatic and has plenty to talk about. He really knows the area and can recommend great places to eat and other wineries too.
Something special: There really isn't anything too special about them, they are a well rounded winery. You can have a picnic and purchase their wine by the glass or even better, by the bottle. The view is great and the history is rich. They are a stellar place, they just don't have something that really pops...yet.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 94
Stats: David Hill Winery, Oregon
Address:46350 NW David Hill Road, Forest Grove, OR. 97116
Tasting room is open from noon to 5pm daily
Free tasting for all but 4 wines, $.50 each optional tasting of those.
Website: http://davidhillwinery.com/
Wines: Sparkling Brut, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Merlot, Port, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Malbec
Wine: You have to start with their sparkling brut! It tastes of honey butter to me and has delicate little bubbles. They have a lot of varietals of wine, but they are all good. They have a 1/2 bottle called the Sweet Simplicity. It is a sweet dessert wine with high residual sugar content, but not an Ice Wine. I really like their ports and if you pay the extra $.50 you can taste the Black Jack, a very robust wine that should be laid down for a few years for sure!
Vineyards: Some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley here. Nicely groomed. As it is harvest time, some of the grapes are still on the vine and covered with netting, but you can still see the tasty fruit as you drive up to the adorable yellow farmhouse.
Tasting Room: Their tasting room is cute and is an old farmhouse. There's enough room you can have small weddings indoor and have great parties like baby and bridal showers. The glass was a standard wine glasses, but that's alright because they have so many wines, using the Oregon Pinot Glass would be ridiculous. They have lots of knick knacks that I didn't care for because I'm all about the wine, but if you need a decanter or are interested in local photography, its got it all. The bathrooms are quite fitting as this is a little old farmhouse, it has cute and simply bathrooms too.
Service: The service is great. Will is awesome, charismatic and has plenty to talk about. He really knows the area and can recommend great places to eat and other wineries too.
Something special: There really isn't anything too special about them, they are a well rounded winery. You can have a picnic and purchase their wine by the glass or even better, by the bottle. The view is great and the history is rich. They are a stellar place, they just don't have something that really pops...yet.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 94
Stats: David Hill Winery, Oregon
Address:46350 NW David Hill Road, Forest Grove, OR. 97116
Tasting room is open from noon to 5pm daily
Free tasting for all but 4 wines, $.50 each optional tasting of those.
Website: http://davidhillwinery.com/
Wines: Sparkling Brut, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Merlot, Port, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Malbec
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The great closure debate
I'm not the most articulate of people, so here's my prattle...
I love corks, there is something so sexy about the idea of popping a cork off of a bottle of wine in front of the fire on a blustery December evening. HOWEVER, not all wine requires a cork. I think stelvin caps (screw caps) are great for some wines. Yea, screw cap looks kinda cheap, may even reduce the value of a bottle of wine, but it works to keep wine fresh for a long time too.
I have found that the misconception of many of my friends is that wine can last forever in stelvin, this is not so. These wines are not any more age worthy based on their closure. Something like 99% of wines are not to be aged longer than a year, most stelvin, especially those sold for less than $20, are not meant to be hung on to that long. There are exceptions of course. It is important to remember that just because a wine doesn't have a cork, doesn't mean you can abuse your wine by placing it on the fridge, or anywhere in the kitchen. These places still change too much in temperature for wine, regardless of closure.
I think that synthetic corks are the worst, they are not corks so they don't hit against the entire surface of the glass to be as good as the real thing, and don't reduce oxidation the way screw cap and glass stoppers do either. Plus they are plastic, what's that petroleum product doing to the environment? Yea, they're recyclable, if you recycle them! They have you in the worst position possible with synthetics.
I say, if you like a closure type, there isn't a reason to change your purchases, but denying your palate a wine simply because it doesn't have your ideal closure is foolish too. Not all wine is age worthy to begin with, so closure most likely doesn't matter for most bottles. Take each wine as it comes to you, and when you become a winemaker, you can decide which wines you close how.
Taste the difference for yourself (if there is a difference in fact). Willakenzie actually puts 1/2 of certain wines in to each, corked and stelvin. You can lay it down side by side for a few years to see if it makes a difference that you can distinguish, and which is tastier to you. I think Penfold's does this too with the Grange.
I love a good cork, but the day I turned 21 the first bottle I bought was a screw cap. Neither defines who I am as a wine drinker. But if I had to choose a wine needs to lay down for a few years or one I should drink young, I'd take the corked cellar wine over the stelvin early sipper any day.
Bottom line: I've made my decision. Make your own and respect others. Oh, and if your agenda is political for why you don't like cork, just think of all the more important matters you could be thinking about, like health care and job security, and if your bank will still be open tomorrow.
I love corks, there is something so sexy about the idea of popping a cork off of a bottle of wine in front of the fire on a blustery December evening. HOWEVER, not all wine requires a cork. I think stelvin caps (screw caps) are great for some wines. Yea, screw cap looks kinda cheap, may even reduce the value of a bottle of wine, but it works to keep wine fresh for a long time too.
I have found that the misconception of many of my friends is that wine can last forever in stelvin, this is not so. These wines are not any more age worthy based on their closure. Something like 99% of wines are not to be aged longer than a year, most stelvin, especially those sold for less than $20, are not meant to be hung on to that long. There are exceptions of course. It is important to remember that just because a wine doesn't have a cork, doesn't mean you can abuse your wine by placing it on the fridge, or anywhere in the kitchen. These places still change too much in temperature for wine, regardless of closure.
I think that synthetic corks are the worst, they are not corks so they don't hit against the entire surface of the glass to be as good as the real thing, and don't reduce oxidation the way screw cap and glass stoppers do either. Plus they are plastic, what's that petroleum product doing to the environment? Yea, they're recyclable, if you recycle them! They have you in the worst position possible with synthetics.
I say, if you like a closure type, there isn't a reason to change your purchases, but denying your palate a wine simply because it doesn't have your ideal closure is foolish too. Not all wine is age worthy to begin with, so closure most likely doesn't matter for most bottles. Take each wine as it comes to you, and when you become a winemaker, you can decide which wines you close how.
Taste the difference for yourself (if there is a difference in fact). Willakenzie actually puts 1/2 of certain wines in to each, corked and stelvin. You can lay it down side by side for a few years to see if it makes a difference that you can distinguish, and which is tastier to you. I think Penfold's does this too with the Grange.
I love a good cork, but the day I turned 21 the first bottle I bought was a screw cap. Neither defines who I am as a wine drinker. But if I had to choose a wine needs to lay down for a few years or one I should drink young, I'd take the corked cellar wine over the stelvin early sipper any day.
Bottom line: I've made my decision. Make your own and respect others. Oh, and if your agenda is political for why you don't like cork, just think of all the more important matters you could be thinking about, like health care and job security, and if your bank will still be open tomorrow.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Wine Tasting: Cooper Mountain, Chehalem Mtn. AVA, Oregon
My friend and I went to Cooper Mountain Vineyards on a whim after shopping in Beaverton.
Wine: Their Old Vine Chardonnay is a great wine. They do 50/50 fermentation in oak and stainless so it was definitely something to talk about. I am a big, big fan of the Vin Glace, this is an Ice Wine and they do a great job. Very sweet and almost creamy in texture. I wasn't impressed with their Pinot Noir as much. I am learning about Malbecs and found theirs to be interesting and flavorful. I am not a Pinot Gris fan, but I found theirs to be the best I'd had in a long while - and it wasn't chilled. They do a Reserve Gris and an Old Vine Gris, both were pretty tasty.
Vineyards: Many of their vineyards are 30 years plus. They have a great windy drive that goes right through one of their vineyards. The vines are gnarly and old looking and made me excited to taste the wine. The rows were pretty
wide, but they don't do any mechanical harvesting.
Tasting Room: Their tasting room is cute and is an old barn made into an office. It doesn't seem large enough to accommodate too many large groups. If there were 20 people there at one time, it'd be insufficient, but there were 2 of us so it was fine. The glass was a standard red wine glass. They sell wine skins there, these are great for taking your wine back with you in your luggage.
Service: We were helped by their finance person, she was lovely. The bathroom was clean and had some biodynamic information for reading material that I thought was kind of funny.
Something special: They have the Vin Glace, an ice wine that is heavenly! More importantly they are Biodynamic. They use BD preparations 500-508 and use only native yeasts that grow in the vineyard.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 89
Stats:
Cooper Mountain Vineyards
Chehalem Mountain AVA
Address:9480 SW Grabhorn Rd, Beaverton, OR 97007
Tasting room is open from noon to 5pm daily
$7 tasting fee for 5 wines
Website: http://www.coopermountainwine.com/
Wines: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec
Wine: Their Old Vine Chardonnay is a great wine. They do 50/50 fermentation in oak and stainless so it was definitely something to talk about. I am a big, big fan of the Vin Glace, this is an Ice Wine and they do a great job. Very sweet and almost creamy in texture. I wasn't impressed with their Pinot Noir as much. I am learning about Malbecs and found theirs to be interesting and flavorful. I am not a Pinot Gris fan, but I found theirs to be the best I'd had in a long while - and it wasn't chilled. They do a Reserve Gris and an Old Vine Gris, both were pretty tasty.
Vineyards: Many of their vineyards are 30 years plus. They have a great windy drive that goes right through one of their vineyards. The vines are gnarly and old looking and made me excited to taste the wine. The rows were pretty
wide, but they don't do any mechanical harvesting.Tasting Room: Their tasting room is cute and is an old barn made into an office. It doesn't seem large enough to accommodate too many large groups. If there were 20 people there at one time, it'd be insufficient, but there were 2 of us so it was fine. The glass was a standard red wine glass. They sell wine skins there, these are great for taking your wine back with you in your luggage.
Service: We were helped by their finance person, she was lovely. The bathroom was clean and had some biodynamic information for reading material that I thought was kind of funny.
Something special: They have the Vin Glace, an ice wine that is heavenly! More importantly they are Biodynamic. They use BD preparations 500-508 and use only native yeasts that grow in the vineyard.
Overall Wine Experience Score: 89
Stats:
Cooper Mountain Vineyards
Chehalem Mountain AVA
Address:9480 SW Grabhorn Rd, Beaverton, OR 97007
Tasting room is open from noon to 5pm daily
$7 tasting fee for 5 wines
Website: http://www.coopermountainwine.com/
Wines: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wine Tasting
I don’t care JUST about the wine. I have an agriculture background and I work in customer service. These are both things that are of great importance. I like to know the back story on a wine and the winery and vineyard it was made in/from. I like to create a relationship and have a well rounded experience wherever I go. I may be 23, but if I haven’t made it clear yet, I don’t go wine tasting to get drunk. I care about the whole package a winery has to offer. I care if the tasting room staff is knowledgeable, if the vineyard is well kept, if the wine is served in a specific glass, etc.
I want to help others understand what I'm looking for in a wine tasting experience. Therefore I will keep score for you. I will score on a 100 pt scale (like Wine Spectator).
The 5 categories for tasting in wineries include: Wine, Tasting Room, Vineyard, Service, Something Special.
Obviously the wine is important. Equally important is that there is a good space to have the tasting take place. I don’t want to be in a spare closet, but if it is a boutique winery and they are using a part of their house as their tasting room, that’s very cool. As long as it fits. It should be warm and inviting.
I also want to see the vineyards. I want them to be well groomed and when there is fruit on the vines, I want it to entice me to enjoy the already harvested goodness of the vines. If there are vines by the drive as I pull up and they are diseased, I don’t see how that would be desirable or appetizing to guests.
Service refers to just that – the service. I don’t require valet and a cheese platter with 5 different years of aged Gouda. But I do expect there to be a clean restroom, friendly educated staff, accessibility, and assistance when needed.
Something Special is the most subjective category, but it’s my rating system and my blog so it’s my rules. I want to find something about each winery that is unique and a great conversation starter at a dinner party. I want to say something like “Archery Summit has the only wine caves in Oregon that are mined into the hills not back filled” or “Kramer’s wine dog Cassie saved the winemaker, Trudy, from a cougar one time.” This requires great service and a bit of delving into the history of a winery, but I think you’re worth the extra work. Unfortunately, I have already found several wineries that don’t have that “something special.” Doesn’t mean they aren’t wonderful in several other aspects. They just don't have that something special that catches my attention as being unique. That’s why there’s 5 categories for my scoring.
I want to help others understand what I'm looking for in a wine tasting experience. Therefore I will keep score for you. I will score on a 100 pt scale (like Wine Spectator).
The 5 categories for tasting in wineries include: Wine, Tasting Room, Vineyard, Service, Something Special.
Obviously the wine is important. Equally important is that there is a good space to have the tasting take place. I don’t want to be in a spare closet, but if it is a boutique winery and they are using a part of their house as their tasting room, that’s very cool. As long as it fits. It should be warm and inviting.
I also want to see the vineyards. I want them to be well groomed and when there is fruit on the vines, I want it to entice me to enjoy the already harvested goodness of the vines. If there are vines by the drive as I pull up and they are diseased, I don’t see how that would be desirable or appetizing to guests.
Service refers to just that – the service. I don’t require valet and a cheese platter with 5 different years of aged Gouda. But I do expect there to be a clean restroom, friendly educated staff, accessibility, and assistance when needed.
Something Special is the most subjective category, but it’s my rating system and my blog so it’s my rules. I want to find something about each winery that is unique and a great conversation starter at a dinner party. I want to say something like “Archery Summit has the only wine caves in Oregon that are mined into the hills not back filled” or “Kramer’s wine dog Cassie saved the winemaker, Trudy, from a cougar one time.” This requires great service and a bit of delving into the history of a winery, but I think you’re worth the extra work. Unfortunately, I have already found several wineries that don’t have that “something special.” Doesn’t mean they aren’t wonderful in several other aspects. They just don't have that something special that catches my attention as being unique. That’s why there’s 5 categories for my scoring.
Monday, September 29, 2008
20-something wine drinkers - we're out there!
Not only are we out there, we have a pallet for wine and in many cases, the money.
Greetings all. I am a 20-something wine drinker. I'm not really a snob, but it got your attention right?
Here's a quick 10 facts about me to get this blog started right.
1. I am 23 years old.
2. I like wine.
3. I drink wine regularly.
4. I like good wine.
5. I age good wine.
6. I am a woman who likes big, bold, spicy, earthy, wines. (I'll get into those bias later)
7. I am sarcastic, cynical, and a bit bitter.
8. I'm mostly bitter because when I go wine tasting I am looked down on and ignored because of my age and maybe even because of my sex.
9. I live in Oregon and have been drinking Oregon Pinot Noir for 5 years. (ignore that I'm 23)
10. I don't believe that age has anything to do with drinking wine. I work in the industry and see 25 year olds spend $2,000 on wine without blinking and have 45 year olds freak out about the price of a tasting fee. I meet middle aged people going wine tasting for the first time, while myself and other 20-something colleagues have years of experience AND education.
I hope to share my experiences in wine drinking, tasting, and share my opinions about the industry as a whole. I too have an opinion on corking and closures. I also want to share the info I have on different regions and details I find interesting.
Please be sure to read my blog with a grain of salt. I am not really a bitter person, just a sarcastic one. I'm told sometimes it is taken other than how I mean it.
One goal I have is to expose the public to the great wineries of Oregon, but more important than that I hope to encourage wineries to focus on creating memorable experience for their guests.
Being I live in Oregon wine country and go tasting a lot, I want to share my tasting notes and what I feel about each place I travel to. I have a background in agriculture, so it's important to me to see the beauty of the vineyards. They are lovely even in the dead of winter. I hope to post pics too.
I hope you'll check back often to see what's new in Oregon. As it's almost harvest time, I want to get out in some vineyards and snap some shots of grapes for sure.
Cheers!
Wineries I will blog about soon:
I will be evaluating my most recent tasting outings at Cooper Mountain, David Hill, Purple Cow, Domaine Droughin, Domaine Serene, White Rose, Archery Summit, & Kramer Vineyards.
Greetings all. I am a 20-something wine drinker. I'm not really a snob, but it got your attention right?
Here's a quick 10 facts about me to get this blog started right.
1. I am 23 years old.
2. I like wine.
3. I drink wine regularly.
4. I like good wine.
5. I age good wine.
6. I am a woman who likes big, bold, spicy, earthy, wines. (I'll get into those bias later)
7. I am sarcastic, cynical, and a bit bitter.
8. I'm mostly bitter because when I go wine tasting I am looked down on and ignored because of my age and maybe even because of my sex.
9. I live in Oregon and have been drinking Oregon Pinot Noir for 5 years. (ignore that I'm 23)
10. I don't believe that age has anything to do with drinking wine. I work in the industry and see 25 year olds spend $2,000 on wine without blinking and have 45 year olds freak out about the price of a tasting fee. I meet middle aged people going wine tasting for the first time, while myself and other 20-something colleagues have years of experience AND education.
I hope to share my experiences in wine drinking, tasting, and share my opinions about the industry as a whole. I too have an opinion on corking and closures. I also want to share the info I have on different regions and details I find interesting.
Please be sure to read my blog with a grain of salt. I am not really a bitter person, just a sarcastic one. I'm told sometimes it is taken other than how I mean it.
One goal I have is to expose the public to the great wineries of Oregon, but more important than that I hope to encourage wineries to focus on creating memorable experience for their guests.
Being I live in Oregon wine country and go tasting a lot, I want to share my tasting notes and what I feel about each place I travel to. I have a background in agriculture, so it's important to me to see the beauty of the vineyards. They are lovely even in the dead of winter. I hope to post pics too.
I hope you'll check back often to see what's new in Oregon. As it's almost harvest time, I want to get out in some vineyards and snap some shots of grapes for sure.
Cheers!
Wineries I will blog about soon:
I will be evaluating my most recent tasting outings at Cooper Mountain, David Hill, Purple Cow, Domaine Droughin, Domaine Serene, White Rose, Archery Summit, & Kramer Vineyards.
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