Long Shadow - Distinguished Wineries & Vineyards

I've said it before but one of the perks of owning your own wine business is the chance to taste wines you've seen on a wine list but never had a chance to taste.  Today was the Galaxy Wines Portfolio Pre-Holiday tasting at Montgomery Park.  First, one needs to understand the number of distributors in Portland.  Distributors are the group of companies that buy wine from the producer or importer and then wholesale "sell" them to people like me, Safeway, your local wine store, etc.  Each Distributor offers portfolio tastings and wine classes throughout the year.  Although I've featured and sold wine from Galaxy, I had never attended their portfolio tastings.

Phew!  You walk into Montgomery Park and there are 26 tables featuring a minimum of 8-10 wines per table.  You do the math!  That comes out to around 275 bottles of wine for you to sample!!  Impossible!  So, you take a stroll around the grounds and narrow down the ones you want to try - some old favorites like Abacela, Dom. Serene, Barnard Griffin, and L'Ecole No. 41.  Then you branch out and try news wineries like Ransom, Matello, Tamarach and Syncline Wine Cellars.  Oh, and did I tell you about Long Shadows??

Long Shadows is a constellation of individual wineries in the heart of the Columbia Valley:  Each winery is individually owned and managed as a separatge entity yet are part of a larger, collaborative effort.  I am featuring every one of these wines in my next newsletter because I did not, absolutely did NOT, sample a wine I didn't like. 

Armin Diel, one of Germany's most acclaimed Riesling producers creates Poet's Leap, an Alsatian-style Riesling.  And it only goes up from there.  Yes, these wines are a little spendy (like $50/bottle) but The Bordeaux-style "Pirouette", the New World blend "Chester Kidder", the Super Tuscan-Style blend "Saggi" from one of the oldest and most presitigious wine families from Italy, the "Feather" from Napa Valley Vintner Randy Dunn, the "Sequel" Syrah and the "Pedestal" Merlot, are unparalleled in excellence. 

If you buy one of these from me, you'll get a killer price of 20% off retail.  But if you find one of these in your local wine stores, BUY IT!  And save it for a special meal.  These wines would easily go for $150 per bottle at any fine restaurant and, believe me, if you walked in to Blue Hour, Paley's Place, Wildwood, or Departure, you may pay a $15-20 corkage fee but you'll still be way ahead of the game. I love these ones and YOU will, too!  Check them out.

Cheers!

And I thought I knew most Oregon wineries......

Good day!

Sometimes you "stumble" upon something that's been right in front of you, and you are mighty glad you did!  Cindy and I were out in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA picking up wine for the Medical Teams Great Adventure auction last Saturday when we came across the Bryn Mawr tasting room.  At the top of the gravel road, we hung a left entering an open space that is visually one of the most sensational views I have ever seen in wine country.  Truly the view toward the coast and the coast range is unsurpassed.  The tasting room may not be a "Dom. Serene" type facility but the wine rivals their selections at a much more reasonable price and the "hosts" are helpful and attentive.

The estate vineyards are some of the highest in elevation in the Eola-Amity Hills area.  They are primarily planted in Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay and, believe it or not, Tempranillo, the latter of which is not produced every year because of the elevation and late ripening, but I was lucky enough to taste the 2009 (a hot vintage) and then buy it!  All of the fruit used by Bryn Mawr are grown on their property - so all the wine is Estate bottled.

We started our tasting the 2010 Chardonnay.  I was quite impressed with the nose of primarily white peach and apple and the similar flavors that followed with a hint of unsweetened cream and marzipan adding complexity.  This was not a heavy Chardonnay - it was, dare I say it, perfect!  A lovely cross between the austere Burgundian Chardonnay and the rich California Chardonnay.

We then sampled the 2011 Rosé of Pinot Noir followed by the 2009 Estate Pinot Noir.  The color is lovely on the former - and has a quick burst of sweet stone fruit with a hint of spritz.  It compares nicely with the Dom. Sorin out of Provence that I had recently - although the latter is a Rhone-style Rosé.  And for $20/bottle the Estate P. Noir was deep in color, bright ripe cherry, tobacco and an expressive, warm finish.  Incredible value!

Then the big "brother/sister" taste-off occurred with the 2009 Jeffrey's Block and the 2009 Krista's Block Pinot Noir.  These siblings are soccer aficionados and you can tell a "friendly" rivalry exists as the hash marks on the concrete wall will attest - "IIII" for me.....only III for you!"  These wines were stellar - less than 14% alcohol which is amazing for a 2009 Pinot Noir - where having a high-elevation and cooler temperatures come in handy, I guess.  $32/bottle is an incredible price for a Pinot Noir that easily rivals the White Rose Pinot Noirs.  Rich, deep, full flavored, aromatic in all the "right ways", simply delicious! 

This winery may be a bit out of the way - you won't pass it going anywhere else - you actually have to plan for it (5955 Bethel Heights Rd. NW, Salem) - but you will be abundantly pleased.  It truly is in my top 10 at the moment! 

So much has happened.....

Seriously? I haven't written in my blog for 10 months? That seems impossible! So much has happened. First off the Medical Teams auction was held on October 31 and we raised over $1.35 million dollars! Can you believe it? And over $80,000 was raised in wine-related items - that makes a real difference in the lives of those who are desperate for help. And here we are again.....procuring wine cases, wine verticals, wine dinners....and on and on....for the 2011 Great Adventure Auction. Let's hope we can get close to $100K with wine items.

My daughter leaves for Europe/Asia in three weeks. My god, I'm going to miss her. She is my most sweetest heart. She has such an adventure ahead of her....I shall pray for her safe journey.

Many fun wine events have transpired as well. I had a wonderful time with Terri Stevens-Rader over Memorial Day. Some friends you meet along the way and the friendship is instant.....you can go a long time without seeing them and then - zap! - you pick up where you left off. She's a dear heart with a fun spirit! And another friend in that very special category is Pat Nelson - my friend from Markowitz days. We have traveled together, been a part of a wine dinner club together, cried together and a whole lot of laughing together. Oh, my women friends - how I love you!~

And my darling sweet Vienne and sweet Claire....my two most lovely granddaughters! You have grown so much over these past several months. Amazing to watch!

Oh yes, this is a wine blog! Amazing wine has graced my table this year. And, did I tell you that Custom Wine Marketing's wine club - Cellar Select - is one year old this past July! And I've gone from 6 "charter" members to 19 members!!! This is my greatest thrill! It's so great to know that there are folks who trust my palate and know that I'm going to choose great wine at great prices....such fun!

My favorite wine this past year? Too many to choose from. But I have had fun putting together a case of 2008 Pinot Noirs and a case of 2009 Pinot Noirs. I want to hold them for awhile and see how they develop. For someone who swore they didn't "like" Pinot Noir (said very snottingly some years ago!), I really enjoy it now! The complexities and fine nuances are amazing!

By the way, I've meant some nice wine acquaintances this past year. Jane Morrell is a new friend. She represents a wine brand in Washington. I met her at a tasting at Mitchell Wine Group, and we hit it off. I look forward to getting to know her this next year. And then there is Kathy Hermann. She is a new member of the MTI wine procurement committee - neat woman. Very creative, energetic, persistent. A perfect fit for an Aires!

Okay, so I digress! But like I said at the outset....so much this year. I invited you at the beginning of this blog to take this journey with me. I hope you are still there. :-)

Fall Soiree - Food and Wine Pairing - Oct. 2 - 2010

Had a great time on October 2nd with Cellar Select members at the Fall Soiree – Food and Wine Pairing at Whole Foods. It was a perfect venue – very cozy and intimate – sort of like being in the kitchen space of an Italian villa. We poured through some amazing wines paired with very tasty nibbles – like a 1999 Mumm DVX Santana (retailed for $50-55 – no longer available) with gravlox, capers and crème fraiche and the 2008 Sinister Hand with little beef tenderloin sliders – absolutely YUM! Already planning my Spring Fling – probably some kind of vertical tasting with a local winemaker paired with a light meal. Stay tuned – or e-mail with your request to join Cellar Select – too many benefits to list here!

Thanks everyone for making our first Fall event such a blast – each one of you added to a great time!

Joseph Phelps, Staglin, and other tasty Reds!

Oh boy……I love this business! Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the California Trade Tasting Event sponsored by Lemma Distributing and tasted some of THE most amazing cabernets and cabernet blends EVER! The highlight was the 2006 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cab (retail $270/bottle!). Absolutely frickin’ awesome! It was juicy, flavors of blackberry, a little spice, really a perfect wine. Not that I would ever spend the wholesale cost for this spectacular wine, but I am grateful I get to at least taste it in my lifetime. Other highlights were the 2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia Red Blend and the 2005 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon, both Bordeaux style blends and both retailing for a little over $200/bottle.

I also enjoyed sampling a few affordable, yet full bodied and flavorful reds out of California. I loved the 2008 Ridge Vineyards East Bench Zinfandel out of Dry Creek ($26.50/bottle) – juicy and jammy, rich and luscious. The 2008 J. Lohr Syrah out of Paso Robles was quite good – dark crimson in color, rich ripe aromas of blueberry framed with flavor of blackberry and boysenberry and a nice peppery finish (only $15.00/bottle).

Keep checking my blog from time to time to see what other little gems I find out in the world of trade events and winemaker dinners. Next up – a review of the CWM Cellar Select Fall Soiree on October 2. Should be a blast!

A Wine Tour to some New "Favorites!"

Saturday Cindy and I went wine tasting with a co-worker and her husband, Jennifer and Randy Hunt. They are both foodies and winies so it was fun to share this experience. We each packed a picnic to share and, as most potlucks go, it all seemed to work out great!

We started our tour with a nice drive into the Dallas countryside to try the wines of Illahe. I became acquainted with Illahe because the son of one of my instructors from Chemeketa Viticulture Center, Pat Lundeen, is the winemaker (along with Brad Ford) for Illahe. (Michael also has his own label - Genius Loci - and I look forward to trying these wines.) We were really taken with the white wines we tasted (Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Gris, and Viognier). I was especially taken with the Viognier primarily because unlike most examples of this varietal, I didn't find it to have that viscous quality to it. The nose was as heady as most Viogniers but I liked the texture and finish so much better. I can hardly wait to try it on one of the really hot days I'm counting on before the summer is out!

From there, we made a quick left hand off 99W to turn into the driveway entrance of Left Coast Cellars. Again, this took me to my Viticulture Center days, as one of the students I met there, Devon, is the main marketing person at Left Coast. Devon left Dom. Serene for Left Coast a few years ago, and I thought it would be fun to say "hi" and taste what they are making there. Unfortunately, Devon was not there but fortunately I found a yummy Pinot Noir (Suzanne's Reserve). Suzanne's is a study in subtly in an otherwise flashy vintage (very warm weather). Darker, mysterious aromas of blueberry and black currant are intensified by distant smoke, white truffles and rich earth. I really enjoyed the setting of this winery - as you drive the long road to the winery, you pass a small lake on your left, continuing on past wild flowers, grasses, yard art, etc. This winery also has a small little cafe so you can have a nibble before heading on to your next destination.

Finally, we really enjoyed our experience at Maysara. I have wanted to taste here for a couple of years - especially on holiday weekends - as I've been told they have some amazing food! But Saturday, the pleasure was really in meeting the youngest daughter of the Momtazi family - Hannah. She was a delight. She is way tooo young to be so wise. And she knows her family's wine! Apparently her older sister is the winemaker. At Maysara, they are committed to holistic farming, employing practices from both organic and Biodynamic® agriculture and to gentle winemaking techniques to allow the wine to express their own characteristics from the vineyard. Had the pleasure of tasting a lovely Pinot Gris, a dry, crisp Rose', and a couple of outstanding Pinot Noirs. It is here we paired our picnic with Maysara wines - what a great idea it was for us to wait as the food tasted especially delicious with these accompaniments!

Well, I could go on and on but I'll stop for today. I'd love to put together a wine tour for you. Give me a call or e-mail me, and I'll see what I can do! Cheers and until next week.....

A Day at Owen Roe is Unlike Any Other Tasting!

What a fantastic day for wine tasting - 95+ degrees in the valley, 65 degrees in the winery! And to make it even sweeter, I was at the Owen Roe winery near Champoeg Park in St. Paul. My appointment was for 2 p.m. to taste through their current wines but I had no idea what Rose had in store for me! Started with the DuBrul Riesling - absolutely fantastic! You could tell it would be very food friendly - a bit viscous on the palate, .4% residual sugar but not sweet. Fruit and acidity was perfectly balanced. On to the Chardonnay - admittedly not my favorite white variety - yet I could see how it might pair with a poached chicken salad. The Merriman Pinot Noir was beyond delicious. I love a Pinot that has a little more oomph! than some of the more lighter in color and flavor Pinot Noirs. It had a slightly smoky, earthy aroma with full flavors of dark cherries. Yum! Had the pleasure of another DuBrul masterpiece - the 2006 Cabernet Sauv. Fantastic! I actually have one in my cellar at home so this let me see how it might be showing right now. Although I loved it on Saturday, I may let it sit a while longer. Finished with a "killer" Zinfandel and couldn't leave without trying The Parting Glass, a lovely Semillon dessert wine that would be orgasmic poured over grilled peaches and vanilla ice cream - Yikes! As the sun was setting over the vineyards - well this is getting a little too poetic - actually spent nearly 3 hours, lazily tasting and chatting with other visitors.

Enjoyed meeting some folks who were also there for tastings - from Indiana, San Francisco, Tualatin - new and old fans of my personal favorite - Owen Roe! If you get an opportunity this summer or fall, call Zoe or Rose at 503-678-6514 and set up a tasting appointment. You'll thank me for it! Guaranteed!!