Wine Bid

So here is my safely guarded secret. I buy wines on WineBid.com. Okay, so not that big a secret, an easily Googled website. But it is a site where for $5 you can get a perfect bottle of Hanna 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon, properly stored in a wine cellar, and in excellent condition. I know because that's one I bought. (It was so heavenly, and if you've read even one post you know I don't grab for Cab often.) Wine Bid has realistic prices on iconic wines, and you run the same risk with Wine Bid that you do with any other wine purchase, maybe even less because dusty bottles at a bottle shop may not have been stored as well as you'd hope. Yes I had a corked bottle, one leaked in transit once, and sometimes the wines are too old. But I have dumped more expensive bottles from bottle shops and wineries for the same reasons. I have accumulated several bottles from my birth year and even my siblings birth years. It's fun to see the wine produced in the year I was born, some of us are aging very nicely I might add.

You can access Harlan, Sin Qua Non, Screaming Eagle and other cult wines here, but I find the "$25 and less category" to be a more realisticly priced treasure hunt.

So, now that I have shared my WineBid.com secret with you, I hope you check it out. And if you see someone has bid on the item by the name of "NatyE" DON'T BID, THAT'S ME!! !

Wine Tasting: Oswego Hills

This winery is housed in an old horse stable. The buildings have all been fixed up and painted bright white, everything looked so beautiful I felt I should have been wearing a big floppy hat and white gloves. The vineyards were very well groomed but because of the harvest year, there was a lot of dropped fruit.

Wine: They poured 14 of their 16 wien portfolio, if I counted properly. There was a Chardonnay and Syrah that were aged in American oak that were both really nice. The Oak was actually Oregon White Oak, a rare specie to be coopered I'm sure. The Marechal Foch was lacking, it had an unpleasent earthiness to it of wet forest floor but the floral nose was nice. It had beautiful color too. The big reds were all alright, we bought the Syrah but I think it needs another year before we'll open it. They had 3 ports, a Foch, a Petite Syrah and the Tempranillo that they were not pouring. The Foch was thin and more like a tawny port but the PS was smooth and had a hint of coffee to it. We purchase the PS and the Tempranillo. I hope the Temp is like the PS not the Foch for our party.

Vineyards: There was a lot of sacrificed fruit which makes me sad. The 2011 vintage will be a beautiful one but a small on in the Willamette Valley. Very nicely kept, the vines were tall but spaced narrow enough they probably hand pick.

Tasting Room: They have a different clientel. They are right outside of Lake Oswego and they don't charge for tasting. They had a lot of West Linners that just sit infrom of the tables so no one else can get to the next wine. I think they should reduce the number of wines and pour a full ounce of each, I never quite got a second taste of those ports. The number of people would probably have been more manageable if they were open more than just Sundays from noon to 5pm.

Service: The owners and winemaker are their pour staff. They were nice and had great information about the wine.

Something special: They have Moonstruck Chocolate make their logoed dark chocolate circles for pairing with the Foch, that was fun.

Overall Wine Experience Score: 75

Stats: Oswego Hills
Address: 6750 Breyman Orchards Rd. Dayton, OR 97114
Tasting room is open Sunday noon-5pm
Tasting Fee: Complimentary
Website: http://oswegohills.com/
Wines: Everything - Tempranillo Port, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel

Christmas in October!!!

I am such a dork, the UPS man just dropped off my wine.com wines and I couldn't wait for him to go away so I could squeal with delight over my new case of vino. This makes my second package of wine in as many days.

Working in the Oregon wine industry I drink a lot of Pinot. Not that this is a problem, on the contrary, love me some pinot. But I am determined to branch out and try some of the delicious stylings of other growing regions around the world. We love Tempranillo and hope to travel to Spain in the next 5 years to experience the Riojas of the Old World mpre studiously.

Back to my wine shipment though...

The man in brown brought me my case of 6 bottles that included 3 different Tempranillos from Spain. They weren't expensive bottles but they are all going to be poured this Saturday for our wine pairing event "Tamales & Tempranillo" we're having with friends.

The case included 4 bottles of Protocolo 2009 Tinto, rated 89pts by Wine Enthusiast and #2 on their 2011 Best Buys list ($7.99 at wine.com). I also bought 1 bottle of Montebuena 2009 Rioja (all Temp). Google is now telling me it was rated bt Robert Parker at 90pts, awesome! The last bottle is a Marques de Riscal 2006 Tempranillo. It sounded good in the description and I couldn't help but purchase one more bottle so I could get $10 off my shipment. So that one was really only another $.29. Oh the joys of wien buying.

Yesterday I also got a package from Quilceda Creek. My allocation finally came through this summer. If you're still on their waiting list, I signed up in the winter of 2009. I can't get the good stuff yet, just the "Red Wine" but only time will tell how long it takes at purchasing a few bottles of red wine each year.

On the Hunt!

We've been on the hunt for Tempranillo for months now. We've found that more than just Purple Cow in Forest Grove makes good Temps in the Willamette Valley.

Here are some of our findings:
Vidon - purchases from CA but it's beautiful. I wish they would have left their current release in the barrel a bit longer and maybe with a bit more new oak on the wine but with a few years I think this one will make me cry. Dave said they will be planting some Estate Temp this year or next year. Can't wait for that!

Stoller - we bought 3 bottles of their 2009 Estate Tempranillo over Memorial Weekend. I can't believe it, a Willamette Valley Estate Temp. We had one bottle on International Tempranillo Day, 9/1/11, and can't wait for a good day to start a fire in the living room, snuggle up with a blanket, the cat and a good chick flick. This wine warms my heart and I really should go back for a few more bottles before it's sold out. They have a one acre triangle on their estate that is west facing and, in my opinion, a perfect spot to grow Temp.

Oswego Hills - We had to buy their Temp Port just to try it. They only had a few cases so they weren't tasting it at the winery but we needed it for our Tempranillo tasting party on the 15th (more about that later).

Purple Cow - We always love their wine. We joined for the Marechal Foch, it was a varietal we knew nothing about but it tasted amazing and so different than the Pinots we'd been drinking. They will have their first Estate Tempranillo for the wine club this fall. We've been waiting for this for a long time now, we've watched the vines grow for several years and are so excited to taste the fruits of their labor. (Puns always intended.)

On October 15th I will be hosting a Tempranillo and Tamales dinner party for several of our wine and foodie friends. I promise to post about the party, I promise!!!

Going Mushrooming

We went mushrooming this morning and it was awesome!!! I can't believe I've never done this before. I can't wait to select a few wines to drink with these little beautiful fungi. I will post more details including recipes and pairing as we use them. They dry very nicely so I will be able to use them over the next few months to a year.

We're going wine tasting

My hubby and I don't go tasting nearly as often as we'd like to. But this weekend we're going to Oswego Hills and August Cellars to check out some local Marechal Foch wine, as well as their pinots of course. There are over 420 different wineries/labels in Oregon now. I can't believe how many have popped up in just the past few years. I think I'm going to have to start a check list to make sure we get out there to try as many of them as possible. So much wine so little time.

My apologies - Long Time, No Writing

My apologies to anyone who reads my blog, all 6 of you? I have had an insane year+ and my wine cellar has changed dramatically. So here's a quick catch up...

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We are still members of Purple Cow Vineyards, we love their unique take on wines and ability to find crazy varietals. I no longer work for the winery I was working for when I thought I was a wine snob. I have since learned that it is much more important to drink wine that you love rather than what Bob Parker says is the be all and end all. I don't get much wine from Grocery Outlet but I do poke my nose in every once and a while just to see what's up. I've found a few gems in there, Woodbridge Port and a few Botrytis wines from Australia, but other than that I just get my goat cheese there anymore.

I have started working at another winery. I am the Direct Sales and Hospitality Manager. That means Tasting Room Manager but doesn't it sound pretty? I won't disclose the name of the winery, I'm not bias or anything. Don't get me wrong, I love the wine we serve and it's the reason I don't purchase a whole lot of other wine anymore. But since I am not the best of writers and I can me snarky, I don't want to put the winery I work for in the wrong light.

Hoepfully I will be able to write at least a blog post every month, especially with all of the wine tasting I'm able to do now that I don't work weekends all of the time.

Cheers!

Guilty Pleasure: Buying Bargain Wine

I like good wine, who doesn’t. If you had an endless supply of money you’d probably be sipping on reserve labels and vintage wines every day, even cooking with it. Maybe you can, but I certainly cannot. So every once and a while I take a detour on the way home from work and stop off at the local Grocery Outlet (Bargain Market).

I have found some real treasures there. My first great find was 2 years ago, a 2005 Johan Pinot Noir for $8.49, retail $25.99, at the winery here in the Willamette Valley it was in fact $27 at the time. I wish I would have gotten a few more of them because it was such a great deal for an ’05 Oregon Pinot. Probably not something I’d have paid retail for but a good value at $8.49.

Now, I don’t think the Marilyn Merlot wines are too spectacular, but my father gets a kick out of collecting them. So when I found a Norma Jean young merlot for $6.99, I had my Father’s Day present for him. That was 2 years ago and since then I’ve found 2 vintages of Marilyn Merlot and 3 vintages of the Norma Jean. All of which I buy 3, 1 for him, 1 for me, 1 to drink. Someday they may be worth their retail prices of $25-35.

I never thought I’d buy a case of $3.99 wine, but I never thought Crimson Wine Group or one of their distributors (who knows who it really was) would dump the Domaine Alfred line into the bargain market. When I saw DA Red I grabbed a bottle, bought it, ran out to my car to taste it, capped it then went in to the store and loaded up a case of it. I then proceeded to tell everyone in the wine aisle that this was a $16 wine (and who it’s new sister wineries in Oregon and California are). It is amazing, it is my go to Grey’s Anatomy-Thursday night wine and I will probably cry when I run out. I think I have 4 bottles left and I am rationing them out cautiously.

The really cool thing is that another wine from DA was there just a month ago or so. It was the 2006 Syrah, not as good as the 3.99 DA Red, but at $6.99 ($20+ value) still a great find.

I have had some fun tasting various vintages from the Barossa Valley and other parts of Australia on a tight budget in the past few months, but nothing I’d say is worth stocking up on. Especially if you’re not looking for daily drinking wine. Collectors need not waste time at GO, it is for drinking not saving.

Recently there have been more Oregon labels that have filtered into the mix but I am hesitant to really recommend grabbing them as I believe we are about to enter into a glut where Oregon Pinot Noir is no longer the sexy wine but the over abundant, easily accessed, and over rated wine that is on every shelf and no longer the premium choice for shee-shee. However, if you find a pinot that is a 2005 or 2008 from Oregon, you might find a tasty treat at a better than reasonable price.

(NOTE: You do have to be careful when buying wine at GO because it is a dumping ground. Domaine Alfred was being removed from circulation because they changed the name of the winery and ownership, but some wines are just dumped to get them gone. If there is dust on the label, the labels are banged up or somehow “just not right,” pass on it. Anything that seems too good to be true probably is. You’ll find a lot of $3.99-$9.99 wines but remember, but most of them really are only worth what you’re paying.

Cross Your Fingers For Us!

So the Willamette Valley has been blessed to be skipped by all of this crazy weather. However, we haven’t been below freezing since December. All of the vines, and other plants, are in their final stage of dormancy that is regulated by temperature. To stay dormant the temperature has to stay low. We are seeing a lot of trees pushing new growth and the vineyards may too.

This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but Oregon is known to have frost days up until mid May. If we get a cold snap and all of these vines start sprouting, we could see a dramatic decrease in yields. Of course for this blog I am most worried about the tasty goodness that is Willamette Valley wine, but we have a lot of nurserys in Oregon and if this does happen a lot of young and bare root trees could die as well.

So please, cross your fingers our good weather stays good through till May! I know it’s a lot to ask, but there is a lot at stake.

Wine & Religion

As a christian I find it absurd when people are confused that I drink wine, beer, and (God forbid) spirits. I think my friends are watching way too much Big Love on HBO and have too many JW's knocking on their doors. We aren't all black and white on alcohol. Here are some of my babblings on wine and it's many biblical references. (Read with a pinch of sarcasm and of course a glass of wine.)

We’ve all heard this story about Christ attending a wedding and the wine running out. So what did he do? He turned the water in to wine. Sure wine back in the early ADs was not your 14.5% alcohol, chewy big reds. Probably more along the lines of 3%, or at least just enough that it was safer to drink than water. Although if Christ was your bartender it probably was some of the early mutations of Pinot Noir with bright cherry flavor, soft tannins, full bodied, aged 4-6 years. I think he would have great taste in wine and shared his cellar openly with the happy couple and his friends.

But the connection wine has to the Christian faith goes beyond Christ’s social circle. It has been adapted through centuries of the faith. I am referring to Christians, is not meant to exclude Judaism or Mormons, but to talk about Christ is to accept that he is the Son of God, and the first example is about the star of the New Testament after all.

There are a few Christian religions that do not consume alcohol as a practice of their faith. However there are so many more that believe that God wants us to enjoy the fermentation of the fruits of our labors. Catholics believe you should have the blood of Christ running through your veins at all times by attending mass daily and taking Holy Communion. Most religions that practice communion use wine, even for the children. My First Communion was in 8th grade, for Catholics I think First Communion is in 4th grade. For Lutherans, Catholics, and probably other religions First Communion is a big deal. It was bigger than 8th grade graduation for those of us in private school.

Consumption of wine was very important from a health stand point in Biblical times too. Let’s think about it, wine has antiseptic properties (that God gave it). It would have been a way of decreasing parasites and reducing bacteria loads in the GI tract as there was very little running water in the Holy Land. Wine acts as a preservative, so does vinegar (a sad but still usable end to wine). God not only knew this, he created it.

The first wine makers for many countries were Monk’s, this is because of the fact that countries outlawed alcohol for consumption other than communion. This was usually because of the debauchery taking place throughout the world due to intoxicants.

You can see religion with wine every day (well probably for special occasions) when you see large formats. These bottle sizes are not just big and tasty, most of them were kings spoken about in historical references. Mostly in the Bible. Jeroboam was the first king of ‘Northern Kingdom.’ A Jeroboam is a 3.0 L bottle of wine. Methuselah was the oldest man in the Bible. It is also a 6.0 L bottle. And Balthazar was one of the 3 wisemen, he stand proudly at 12.0 L. There was also Nebuchadnezzar, Biblical King of Babylon and 15.0 L. Melchior, another wise man, 18.0 L. And Solomon, Son of David and King of Israel, the mac daddy of them all at 20.0 L. I do not find in any of my research that there was a competition as to who could have the largest bottle of wine named after them. . But somewhere along the way people named these large capacity vessels with religious icons and it stuck. In all practicality no one really uses anything bigger than a Jerobaum at the table. You’d need a pump and a decanter the size of a swimming pool for your Solomon, not to mention 100 years of aging.

So next time I ask for a glass of 7 Deadly Zins, please remember, Christians have a great sense of humor, at least we do if we have a great sense of our faith.