I have taken a neutral to positive approach in documenting my wine findings and waxing on Oregon Wine Country in general. I believe this is the best position for me in this project for many reasons. BUT something has stuck in the back of my mind for the last few weeks, so I figure it is worth sharing. It has to do with the price of tastings. I am 100% behind charging a tasting fee at wineries and tasting rooms. For many in this business the profit margin is thin and the tasting fee can help offset the cost of keeping the doors open to the public. I believe the system of charging a fee that is waived with purchase is smart. It encourages patrons to buy wine, which is part of the point, right?
I spent a good week tasting wine in Sonoma in August and there were tasting fees at every winery we visited, almost all of them waived the fee with purchase. Shockingly, we came home with cases of wine in our trunk. The most expensive tasting we did on the trip was at the sparkling wine house Domaine Caneros (in Napa). It was $15 for a flight of 3 sparklings, with more expensive tasting options offered. I guess it is because of this relatively recent trip, and all of my Oregon wine research as of late that I am a bit put off by the $20 tasting fee at Bergstrom Winery in Newberg. It has been at the top of my list, but I just can't bring myself (or anyone who is with me) to pay that amount. I am not sure what the tasting includes, but I do know the price of a 2007 bottle of Pinot Noir ranges between $55 and $75. I realize this is a limited production winery, dedicated to producing exceptional wines, and there is no doubt in my mind they are exceptional, but $20?!!!! That is 4 tastings at several other wineries in the area.
I wonder, are the tasting fees a deterrent for people to visit Oregon Wine Country?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Wine Bible Disclosed
I realize now I should probably share my Wine Bible with the rest of you, and honestly, Wine Trails of Oregon becomes more biblical in my world by the day.
I was perusing Powell's wine section earlier this summer and found 3 used books to help with my R & D. Before I went to check out I headed up to the travel section, where I inevitably wander on every trip to Powell's. It was here I saw Wine Trails of Oregon, it was on the "staff recommended" shelf. I had told myself used books only for this project, but when I saw this book-already substantiated by a discerning staff, I couldn't afford NOT to buy it. Simply put, Steve Roberts took on the daunting task of visiting all 200 open to the public wineries in Oregon and then neatly organized his journey in an easy to use, extremely comprehensive guidebook. Ask anyone who has sat shotgun with me to wine country, this book is essential. Check it.
I was perusing Powell's wine section earlier this summer and found 3 used books to help with my R & D. Before I went to check out I headed up to the travel section, where I inevitably wander on every trip to Powell's. It was here I saw Wine Trails of Oregon, it was on the "staff recommended" shelf. I had told myself used books only for this project, but when I saw this book-already substantiated by a discerning staff, I couldn't afford NOT to buy it. Simply put, Steve Roberts took on the daunting task of visiting all 200 open to the public wineries in Oregon and then neatly organized his journey in an easy to use, extremely comprehensive guidebook. Ask anyone who has sat shotgun with me to wine country, this book is essential. Check it.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I like Thursdays!
Man, although wine country is all a flutter with harvest, I must say Meghan and I felt like we had the region to ourselves!
We were excited to check out Lenné in Yamhill. From what I have heard, this vineyard is producing top quality grapes and the Pinots are duly noted. We did some shuffling of schedule on our way and ended up at Lenné a little before noon. The long drive up to the tasting room was steep and I tried not to be distracted by all of the horses in the adjacent field. As luck would have it, the gates to the property were closed. We realized we were there before they opened. It was a great photo opp, so here you go!
Within a few minutes a car pulled up behind us and the proprietor of the estate let us eager beavers in. Let me tell you, this tasting room is stunning. Definitely an aesthetic I love, very French country home with a ton of Northwest accents. It sits on a gorgeous piece of land and it was nice to have it all to ourselves. Steve opened up the tasting room and the Pinot started flowing. I was excited about the Le Nez, french for nose, and a play on the name of the estate. Meghan did the tasting and from the looks of it, was very happy. Steve told us a lot about the evolution of Lenné and how they currently operate. I had read that for a time Steve and his team were looking for 15K investors to help take the business to the next level. At the time this was fairly public (I read it in my Wine Bible) . He told us, unsurprisingly that people really came out of the woodwork-lets face it, wine is sexy. If you've got 15K sitting around, it'd be nice to be associated with such a fun business.
After waxing on the erroneous way some (unmentioned) wine publications choose editorial features/ratings, it was time to move on. A bottle of Pinot each and we were off!
Next stop: Trisaetum. One thing I have noticed in all of this winery research is how many "combo" names are out there. Nearly every winery has a story behind the name and Trisaetum is no exception. A blend between Tristen and Tatum, the children of the vineyard owners. Trisaetum sits up on Ribbon Ridge Road, which is scattered with some notable wineries. Once again upon arrival, Meghan and I were the only ones there. Trisaetum is a new and very nice winery. The tasting room is vast and houses and art gallery which showcases the art of one of the owners James Frey (not to be confused with the author/embellisher). The art was interesting. A lot of it played off the terrior of Oregon wine country.
We were lucky enough to have Courtney, the tasting room gal offer to give us a cave tour. It was right below the tasting room and it was awesome! Of course the first question Meghan and I asked "Do you have parties down here?!" Answer being yes, BUT you must be a club member. This is a great perk if you ask me. She said they are hosting a dinner for 50 in a few weeks being catered by the Art of Catering. This no doubt will be fabulous. Although with the temperature hovering around 55 degrees, the dress code is very North Face meets Uggs.
We left Trisaetum with a bottle of dryish Reisling each (being stored for the next Racelette dinner party) and headed for Dundee Bistro for some much needed nourishment. The weather was gorgeous and we nabbed a table outside. Food per usual: excellent.
Another successful wine country voyage! Geez, at this rate I will have made my way through my wine bible in oh, 2 years?!
Lesson learned: Thursdays are a great day to go wine tasting-do it.
We were excited to check out Lenné in Yamhill. From what I have heard, this vineyard is producing top quality grapes and the Pinots are duly noted. We did some shuffling of schedule on our way and ended up at Lenné a little before noon. The long drive up to the tasting room was steep and I tried not to be distracted by all of the horses in the adjacent field. As luck would have it, the gates to the property were closed. We realized we were there before they opened. It was a great photo opp, so here you go!
Within a few minutes a car pulled up behind us and the proprietor of the estate let us eager beavers in. Let me tell you, this tasting room is stunning. Definitely an aesthetic I love, very French country home with a ton of Northwest accents. It sits on a gorgeous piece of land and it was nice to have it all to ourselves. Steve opened up the tasting room and the Pinot started flowing. I was excited about the Le Nez, french for nose, and a play on the name of the estate. Meghan did the tasting and from the looks of it, was very happy. Steve told us a lot about the evolution of Lenné and how they currently operate. I had read that for a time Steve and his team were looking for 15K investors to help take the business to the next level. At the time this was fairly public (I read it in my Wine Bible) . He told us, unsurprisingly that people really came out of the woodwork-lets face it, wine is sexy. If you've got 15K sitting around, it'd be nice to be associated with such a fun business.
After waxing on the erroneous way some (unmentioned) wine publications choose editorial features/ratings, it was time to move on. A bottle of Pinot each and we were off!
Next stop: Trisaetum. One thing I have noticed in all of this winery research is how many "combo" names are out there. Nearly every winery has a story behind the name and Trisaetum is no exception. A blend between Tristen and Tatum, the children of the vineyard owners. Trisaetum sits up on Ribbon Ridge Road, which is scattered with some notable wineries. Once again upon arrival, Meghan and I were the only ones there. Trisaetum is a new and very nice winery. The tasting room is vast and houses and art gallery which showcases the art of one of the owners James Frey (not to be confused with the author/embellisher). The art was interesting. A lot of it played off the terrior of Oregon wine country.
We were lucky enough to have Courtney, the tasting room gal offer to give us a cave tour. It was right below the tasting room and it was awesome! Of course the first question Meghan and I asked "Do you have parties down here?!" Answer being yes, BUT you must be a club member. This is a great perk if you ask me. She said they are hosting a dinner for 50 in a few weeks being catered by the Art of Catering. This no doubt will be fabulous. Although with the temperature hovering around 55 degrees, the dress code is very North Face meets Uggs.
We left Trisaetum with a bottle of dryish Reisling each (being stored for the next Racelette dinner party) and headed for Dundee Bistro for some much needed nourishment. The weather was gorgeous and we nabbed a table outside. Food per usual: excellent.
Another successful wine country voyage! Geez, at this rate I will have made my way through my wine bible in oh, 2 years?!
Lesson learned: Thursdays are a great day to go wine tasting-do it.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Prepare for more tourists
Trip Advisor, the largest international trip planning community website (so it says) has recently published the top 10 wine country destinations in the US and Oregon shows up not once, but twice on the list. The Willamette Valley follows the easily guessed Napa and Sonoma to take the #3 spot.
Here it is. Trip Advisor does Wine
Thoughts?!
Here it is. Trip Advisor does Wine
Thoughts?!
In Action
Harvest is in FULL swing! From the sounds of it, this is going to be an epic year for wine. I thought this video, from one of Oregon's coveted wine makers Ken Wright, was worth sharing. It's easy to overlook the massive amount of labor involved in getting just the right juice in a bottle.
Check it!
Check it!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Oregon A Taste of Wine
I took an internet marketing class yesterday and as we went around the room introducing ourselves, I realized I knew one of the other students. When Janis started talking about his business as a world renowned photographer with clients like National Geographic under his belt, I was brought back to my babysitting days in Lake Oswego. I had watched this guys 2 boys a time or two. Well, fast forward a good 20 years. Janis's most recent project ironically is a beautiful book on Oregon Wine Country! Needless to say I ran straight to Powell's after class. I can honestly endorse this book, not only as a gorgeous lens into the vast beauty of wine country, but also a very informative book, as it contains interviews with many of the pioneers and key figures in the world of Oregon wine as it stands today. Oregon A Taste of Wine would make a great gift or, if you're like me, a great addition to an ever-growing library of books capturing the beauty of Oregon's Wine Country.
Check it. Janis Miglavs, Oregon A Taste of Wine
As an aside, you may have noticed that there is no wine country visit on the agenda this week. In preparation for the Portland marathon Sunday, I am abstaining from wine this week. This might actually trump the training!
Check it. Janis Miglavs, Oregon A Taste of Wine
As an aside, you may have noticed that there is no wine country visit on the agenda this week. In preparation for the Portland marathon Sunday, I am abstaining from wine this week. This might actually trump the training!
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