Wine label design

Ok, it's time to get serious about wine label design. For my homemade wine, I worked on a simple script label with my neighbor. I like it, but it's not complete and it's too similiar to a California winery that has Vincent as part of its name. They're cool with me calling my wine Vincent, but we both agree the look shouldn't be too similar.

As much as I like the simple script label, I want some graphical element in the label, something that can translate to other uses in print and online. Rather than just tweak the font and add in that little something, I think it's smart to rethink the whole thing from the start. There wasn't a lot of thought in the first place.

What am I going for? Something classic rather than trendy, elegant rather than busy, classy without being ostentatious, quiet but bright rather than loud and brash. Really, something that reflects the wine I want to make. Marketability is a concern of course, but I know that my wine won't appeal to everyone. A wine label doesn't need to either. It does need to appeal to the people who will enjoy the wine.

I don't really like most wine labels out there, to be honest. What do I like? From the old world, things like Tempier and Bastide Blanche from Bandol, Lapierre's Morgon, Baumard's Clos St. Yves, Leroy. All classic. From the newer school, Texier and Breton.

Here in Oregon, simplicity -- Ayres, McKinlay, Andrew Rich, Evesham Wood.

That "little something" I'm going for? Scott Paul's rabbit is a nice example of the kind of thing, though it's usually not so big as seen here.

What labels do you like?

Winemaking update

With January done, it seemed right to check in on the wines down at the winery. Sure enough, we see that malolactic fermentation in most of the pinot noir barrels is done. One barrel is strangely lagging, but no worries. I'd rather see a longer, slower ML, but that will come with time.

The next steps? Have the lab analyze barrel samples to make sure all the malic acid has been changed into lactic acid. Once that's confirmed, it's time to add sulfur to let the wines age in barrel until the end of summer. I think there will be one racking around June to show the wines some oxygen and get the wine off the sediment. Until then, it's nice to have the new wines settle out and benefit from continued contact with the lees that collect at the bottom of the barrels. They add some richness to the wines and actually help maintain freshness. By June, it will be time to siphon the off the sediment, clean the barrels, refill them, and allow the wine to drop any more sediment before bottling at the end of summer.

One other issue now is to check for ph, to see how strong the acidity of the wine is, how effective any added sulfur will be in the wine. The lower the ph, the less sulfur you need to keep things good. In a hot vintage like 2009, ph will be higher and the wines typically softer and more lush. People like that, but how high is the ph? We need to know, so that's on the docket to check too.

In all, things continue to go very well. I can't help but be terribly excited about it all. Sure, in time the thrill will fade. I just hope it doesn't fade too much. Somehow I think that will take a very long time, if it ever happens.

Berserker Day on Wednesday -- Get your Vincent barrel tasting

Wine Berserkers, my pick for wine story of 2009, celebrates its 1 year anniversary this week on Wednesday, January 27. The Vincent Wine Company is very pleased to offer a free barrel tasting of 2009 pinot noir here in Portland as part of the many prizes and special offers that will be available on Wednesday, what's being called Berserker Day.

The whole point of the day is to get more and more people to know about and visit the Wine Berserkers site. As I wrote a few weeks ago, it's the fastest growing wine discussion site on the internet. It's also doing more than any other site to break down the barriers between us regular wine enthusiasts and, well, us regular wine industry types. I'm sort of in both camps, so I think I have a unique perspective.

I go to Wine Berserkers to learn about the latest wines from all over the world, to share and read notes on wines spanning decades, and to connect with other winemakers to talk about winemaking science and technique, equipment, weather, and whatever else you can imagine. There's even a forum dedicated for wine flaks, for all aspects of wine sales and marketing. The beauty is that non-industry types are welcome to chime in too. There's great Q&A, and we all learn from being there and participating.

Berserker Day is a celebration of all that, with unprecedented participation from from producers like Biggio Hamina, Loring, Kosta Browne, Holdredge, Cameron Hughes, Cargassachi, and several others, including Vincent. Then there are deals and giveaways from Hi-Times in Costa Mesa, Heater-Allen Brewing, Graperadio, even a tasting of Chateauneuf du Pape over in Chateauneuf or Geneva, whatever's easier for you. This should be cool.

So check it out. I'm going to be visiting frequently as I expect various offers to happen all day long. For the record, our deal is to have a small group taste at the winery, along with some surprises to make it a memorable event. Win but can't make it here? We'll figure something good out. Hope to see you at Berserker Day and maybe here in Portland.

Winemaking update

I went down to the winery today to check in on the progress of my barrels of 2009 pinot noir. Things have been pretty hands off since harvest. Not a lot of looking in on the wines, just some attention to make sure nothing's going wrong. Smelling and tasting samples from each barrel today, nothing's going wrong at all. I'm excited about what we have in barrel.

The Domaine Coteau vineyard barrels, six in all, are a mix of brighter red fruit and darker black fruit wines. The two fermenters seem to provide the distinguishing mark here, with the first fermenter the brighter and lighter wine, the second the darker, meatier wine. It's interesting that this difference has been there since late in the fermentation back in October.

The third fermenter was from Zenith vineyard, and it's more red raspberry and nicely long in the mouth. This is the wine I intend to bottle separately as a single vineyard offering, one barrel or two. It's not as intense at this point as the Coteau lots, but it's more refined and longer flavored. Essentially, more pretty and pinot than the burly, masculine Coteau barrels.

All the wines show the warm 2009 vintage -- ripe, though not overly so, just full flavored and needing time to reveal more earthy complexity. I like the tannic structure of the wines. They aren't glossy and full of sheen, rather there's a savory note that I'm looking for. The wines aren't through malolactic fermentation, so any specifics really should be taken with some pause. The key now is that things are progressing well, the wines are healthy, and things are on track.

We're doing chromotagraphy to assess progress on the ML fermentation, to get a sense of where the wines are. Once they are complete, we'll sulfur them and probably rack them around June to begin the clarifying process, separating wine from sediment. The first bottling should be in late August or early September, with one or two barrels held over until next winter for a late bottling of the single vineyard wine. I came home full of renewed hope for the vintage. This period of elevage, where the wines essentially cure from raw wine into a finished product fit for your table, can be nerve wracking. Tonight, I'll sleep well knowing everything's on track and good. I can't wait for people to try these wines.

2007 Horsetail Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Talking with yet another retailer the other day, we spoke about how the 2007 Oregon pinot noir vintage is overlooked and misunderstood. Yes, there are some weak, underripe and otherwise lacking wines. You are missing out if that's all you think about the vintage. Add in some dramatic discounting and there are not only terrific wines for enjoying and cellaring. There are some terrific deals out there, too.

Tonight I opened the 2007 Horsetail Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. This wine comes from Mike and Jared Etzel, sons of Mike Etzel of Beaux Freres and wife, the sadly, recently late Jackie Etzel. The grapes come from the Broadley vineyard, far south in the Willamette Valley near Eugene, and the Wahle vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton District up here close to Portland. Readers will remember that I got some Wahle fruit in 2006 for my homemade wine. I was in line to get fruit in 2007 but got shut out. Same thing in 2008, at the last minute actually, so unfortunately this terrific site is now off my radar. It shouldn't be off yours though, and this wine shows why.

Thanks to information from the Avalon site, the wine is a blend of Dijon clones from Broadley and Coury clone from Wahle (pronounced Wall). Dijon clones typically give lots of fruit, and in a cool year like 2007 they were pretty successful. This wine shows it, with nicely ripe berry fruit right in the center of the aroma and flavor. The Coury clone is known as UC Davis 22, an upright "pinot droit" that has a reputation for productivity but not distinction. Turns out experienced producers from this site, including Belle Pente, prize the old vine Coury - planted in 1974 - for its aroma and acidic spine.

When I worked with this vineyard in 2006, the Coury saved the blend of fruit I got. While the Pommard and 777 (grafted on old chardonnay roots) were pretty ripe, the Coury picked at the same time was fresh and bright, a few weeks behind in ripeness but already ripe enough. It added great lift and freshness to the finished wine. Old man Coury himself is an Oregon wine legend. He got the Wahles to plant their site in the first place and supplied them and many others with plant material. We all owe him a debt, though I hear he was a rascal. Seems fitting.

So this 2007 Horsetail. What do the sons of the famous Beaux Freres maker produce? To my taste, one of the best 2007s I've tried. This wine has it all, including value at a $25 price tag. The color is translucent medium ruby with a fresh sweet berry and earthy, soil and spice aroma that lacks no ripeness, offers lots of fruit, but also conveys terrific finesse and delicacy. In the mouth, the Dijon clone fruit is obvious, with lots of cherry and spicy raspberry notes. But it's not sweet and candied. There's great acidic freshness that carries the flavors a long way and refreshes the palate for food or another sip. I don't pick up too much oak in this wine, and the finish turns mineral rather than sweet and caramel. In sum, this is excellent Oregon pinot noir and something I think will last in the cellar for several years, gaining aged sweetness and fat to hang on the nervy acid structure.

I've been on record saying that 2007s typically are so pretty and delicate, they drink well now and probably for another 4-5 years. I don't see this as a long aging vintage, exceptions notwithstanding. This wine could easily be at $40 -- in a better economy anyway -- and live up to the expectations of ageability that you might have for a wine at that price. Well done fellas. Nice package and cork too. This one is all class, and a nice buy if you hunt for it.

2005 Holleran Riesling Chehalem Mountain Vineyard

I've been saving this bottle for a couple years to see what a little age would do for a nice local riesling. In short, not much. This wine is gorgeous and will last a lot longer and maybe even improve.

The 2005 Holleran Riesling Chehalem Mountain Vineyard is light gold in color with a pretty peach, pineapple and diesel aroma. There's great freshness here even after a few years in the bottle. The flavors are penetrating and precise, with minerally acid and terrific cut to the pineapple and diesel flavors. The long finish even has bits of raspberry, something classic to great Mosel riesling. It's still on the simple side, but so full of character. Age should soften it a bit and add earthy complexity to the whole package.

How long will that take? I'd guess another five to ten years, and it will probably last a lot longer than that. Having had Oregon riesling back to the '70s, I suppose it should be no surprise. Excellent wine.

2008 Biggio Hamina Melon de Bourgogne and Dungeness

It should be a one line blog post -- f***in Biggio Hamina Melon and Dungeness crab is a meal of the gods.

But I must elaborate. Stop now if brevity is beauty.

I first tried Biggio Hamina Melon (the grape of Muscadet) last year at a terrific dinner at the Zenith Vineyard for all producers of pinot noir from that excellent vineyard. The BH Melon shocked me. So austere, so challenging to the senses. That is, until we had crab cakes. Oh my god it was all so good.

Fast forward to Todd Hamina's recent pouring at Storyteller Wines in Portland, which I wrote up here with glowing praise. Biggio Hamina wines aren't going to win prizes for color or extraction. They will tantalize you with complexity and subtlty. This humble 2008 Biggio Hamina Melon de Bourgogne from the Deux Vert Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA is no exception.

Todd didn't pour this wine that night, but there was a lone bottle left for sale and I grabbed it. When should I open such a solitary treat? How about when the new Whole Foods is practically giving away big, delicious Dungeness crab as part of their opening week promotion? Yes, I am a little drunk on crab at the moment.

The wine is pale with a somewhat neutral aroma at first. With time there's a stone fruit and mineral scent, and it grows more pronounced when paired with the crustacean. The flavors develop similarly, particularly with food. Where the flavors are subtle on their own, the meaty crab with its oceanic flavors brings out the wine's fruit. I'm not talking about a top heavy, candy fruitness. Rather, fruit of temptation. Think garden of Eden, except full of this delicious wine and not the alleged wrath of god.

In sum, this isn't profound wine that will blow your mind with its power and depth. Rather, it's fresh, precise and authentic, and utterly delicious with tonight's dinner. Nevermind that the price is well under $20.

Chidaine Vouvray

I read with interest the recent post by David McDuff on his McDuff's Food and Wine Trail blog about Francois Chidaine Montlouis. David finds that Chidaine white wines may be aging more quickly than expected, and apparently he's not alone. Vintage variation could very well be an issue here, but if Chidaine is not using much sulfur, as some people suggest, perhaps that is a factor.

My data point is probably controversial. First, it's not Montlouis, but rather Vouvray, across the Loir river to the south and the more well known village of high quality dry and sweet chenin blanc wines. The technical difference aside, Vouvray should probably age more slowly than Montlouis, so that's not an issue to me.

The real issue might be that I'm trying a 2003 vintage wine, from the "vintage of the sun." If any wine would show advanced characteristics before its time, '03 wines should. Right? Well, maybe. I've tasted a number of '03 whites from various regions of France, all similiarly hot in this vintage. No wine has seemed as advanced as this Chidaine. There could be "bottle variation," the excuse any odd showing begets. Or this could be indicative of Chidaine's style, razor sharp in youth but relatively soon giving way to the roundness of age.

I didn't have this wine young, to be clear. This bottle of 2003 Chidaine Vouvray Le Bouchet appears perfectly intact, and the wine is quite good. But the color is medium gold in color, the fragrance is quite mature with lots of creme brulee notes, baked apples and pears and a round, rich spicy jelly candy aroma. The flavors are fairly sweet and low acid, not unexpected in this vintage, but rather than simply ripe, rich fruit and mineral flavors, there are apricot and honeyed notes of a light dessert wine and some significant age. Again, this is delicious wine, but dessert level moelleux in character and fairly advanced at that.

This wasn't a typical vintage for any Loire producer, or any European producer. Still, I'm left wondering if Chidaine wines in fact are aging uncommonly soon. What I'm tasting sounds a lot like what David describes. Again, I've tried plenty of other '03 whites that are big and rich, but not yet this advanced. Perhaps it's the bottle. Or perhaps not. I want to investigate this further, so next I'll pull out a bottle of '01 Montlouis Les Truffeaux. The last one, several years back, was indeed razor sharp and gorgeous. Will it still show that with some age? Or a significant change to "old" wine? Anyone else had experience with aging Chidaine wines? They are delicious, but most curious.

Edit 1/17/2010 -- I've continued to enjoy this bottle over several days and it's remarkable for its interest and durability. Reading more about the Le Bouchet bottling, I learn that this wine is usually rich and sweet, and it's ability to hold up for days after opening suggests there's no sulfur issue. It's just the character of the wine.

I see that Huet's Clos du Bourg was perhaps a part of the Le Boucher vineyard at one point. Writing in the Wine Advocate, David Schildknecht notes that Fouquet harvests a moelleux wine from this botrytis-prone site. The wine is variously described as a demi-sec wine, or "rich" demi-sec, whatever that means, or moelleux. I'll opt for the latter, which can be surprisingly sleek with some producers, or clearly botrytis-affected as this wine is. Read more from the Wine Doctor. I'm enjoying his post with another glass of Chidaine Le Bouchet.

Vinography and how wineries will fail

I enjoy Alder Yarrow's Vinography blog from time to time. Recently he wrote about his experience researching information from Sonoma and Marin county producers in California for a new wine atlas he's contributing to.

He was surprised at how so many wineries are so unresponsive to phone calls during business hours, emails asking for confirmation of addresses and other basic information, and the like. It's basic stuff, right? Be responsive, especially when someone is trying to help publicize you.

Alder's point is that wineries need to be even more responsive in the new century as consumers want a relationship beyond simply giving money for goods. I get all that, and am putting money where my mouth is by starting my own small wine business. I love to make wine and am a total wine geek. That's the easy part. I see a market opportunity for a business that makes a huge effort to be responsive and accessible to customers and wine lovers in general. That's what got me to get serious about turning my passion into a business.

Still, I'm hardly shocked at what he's found. For crying out loud, he's writing a book. That's hardly Web 2.0 and he's certainly not the first person to come calling as he prepares his manuscript. They probably wouldn't have called back anyway, but someone they probably haven't heard of (even if they should have!) who's writing a wine book? Meh.

Also, I don't predict so many producers will go out of business because they aren't with the 21st century program. To me it's not "do it or die." It's "don't do it and you miss out on an opportunity." And you miss out on the fun of connecting to people and making a real difference in their lives and your own. We're social animals. You don't need to be a raging extrovert to get out there and mix it up with your people. Do it, be real, have fun, you might find business follows. Don't do it and it might hurt you, but maybe you don't notice it too much.

Every industry and pursuit has this issue. People should have their shit together and return your calls and write you back. But they don't, whether it's work related, church related, or even to someone who's volunteering his time to coach another person's kid's sports team. I know. And it's not just because people are so busy. There's a lot going on, sure. But people are just flakey.

All this social connection isn't really new anyway. We haven't just begun to want relationships with the people and places we patronize. Similiarly, people haven't just begun to be flakey with their communication. I don't think things have changed so much that people who don't bother to return calls are finally really going to feel the pain in a huge way. They'll go on pretty much as usual. Meanwhile, those who do return the calls and emails and generally make themselves available will find things to be better, and more fun.

Technology isn't inventing a need for us to connect. It is, however, providing a better opportunity than ever before to separate yourself from those who don't want to make the effort to connect, for whatever reason. I for one welcome that opportunity, but I won't be surprised when those who continue to bumble along still manage to stay in the game. I do expect to be smiling more than they do, and that's what really counts.

New year changes

Yes, it's a new layout for elevage as we near our five-year anniversary of wine writing. I suppose "new" layout is stretching it. Blogger still has pretty much the same options as five years ago. Only this one seems inspiring to me, especially to add some features and make best use of the space on your screen. Yes, I know there are lots of free blogger templates out there. I just can't find one that fits. So here we are. I like it. Let me know what you think.

Lovely wines in Portland

I had a great opportunity to taste a number of lovely wines last night, as a farewell to Brianne who's heading to Argentina for harvest. My highlights in no particular order...

1988 Rapet Pernand Vergelesses first smelled like old Piedmont wine, floral and tarry. Still tannic but quite nice older red burgundy. The 2002 Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir, from good friend John Grochau whom I partner with on my wine project (full disclosure), was delicious from magnum. Earthy and a bit roasted, but still elegant and aging nicely. This was the best showing of John's first commercial release of the few times I've tried it.

NV Marc Chauvet Champagne, blanc de blancs I'm sure, was so crisp and green apply, just lovely. 2007 Eyrie Chardonnay Reserve "Original Vines" was similarly tight and a bit oaky as when I tried it in November, but obviously good and ageworthy stuff. I hear Stephen Spurrier calls this grand cru in quality, the best new world white he's tried. Maybe so, maybe so.

2007 Cameron Pinot Noir Arley's Leap was atypically rich and a bit strapping for the delicate 2007 vintage locally. Some high toned notes, but quite good and my favorite that I've tried of several years of Arley's. The 1995 Drouhin Pommard was nicely mature but not very generous in the mouth. I just had a small taste.

Then some extra special wines. First, the 1974 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon from the legendary California vintage. This was great. Tons of cabernet cabernet character, some bottle sweetness and definitely still tannin, but all in balance. This can last a while yet but is excellent. As a younger comparison, the 2000 Ducru Beaucaillou from St. Julien, also full of cabernet with lovely gravel and uncured tobacco notes. This is nice already but will last a long time. Very excellent Bordeaux and, to my taste, not at all tricked up or otherwise messed with as so much Bordeaux these days seems accused.

Then two farewell whites from the late Didier Dagueneau, both Pouilly Fume from sauvignon blanc. First, the 2001 Dagueneau Silex, full of passion fruit and hints of creme brulee, young and lively in the mouth and so flavory and good. There's a reason these wines are so prized. Then the 2000 Dagueneau En Chailloux, more waxy and almost semillon in character, still very fresh and lively tasting. These wines have obviously been stored well and will last for several more years, I'm sure.

Thanks to all for the great, great line up, especially our generous host Michael. Bon voyage Brianne!

The old Book of California Wine

I've seen the Book of California Wine many times over the years but for the life of me don't know why I never bought it, much less looked at it. This morning, a neighbor who's a local chef and a bit of a wine geek lent me his old copy of this Bible-sized tome, published by UC Press and Sotheby Publications in 1984. Looking it over tonight, I'm struck by how interesting it looks, on so many levels. It's no quick read, but I can't wait to begin wading through its dozens of articles by an amazing array of wine and food writers.

For now, some immediate thoughts on what's peaking my interest.

First, the price. The inside of the original dust jacket lists a price of $55, "until Dec. 1984." Fifty-five dollars. That must have been an enormous price for such a book back then. Was that just for the first edition? Did it go down after that? Very interesting.

Second, the three editors of this collection are Doris Muscatine, of the Park-Muscatine vineyard bottlings from Ridge no doubt; Maynard Amerine, the dean of winemaking in California at UC Davis; and wine writer Bob Thompson, a California legend. The foreward by Doris tells of making second crop zinfandel from her vineyard and getting help from Bernard Portet at Clos du Val for crushing and destemming grapes at home using chicken wire and foot treading. There's even an article on the subject of home winemaking. That's very cool.

Third, how about this for a sampling of the contributors:

M.F.K. Fisher with the preface
Hugh Johnson on an international view of California wine
Zelma Long and Carole Meredith on grape growing
Walter Schug on vinification
Tim Mondavi on barrels
Paul Draper on zinfandel
Darrell Corti on dessert wines
Alice Waters on food

There's extensive history of California wine from the mission period to prohibition, then to what was the modern day. There's consideration of geography and climate, cultivation and winemaking. There's an entire section of articles on topics like the literature of California wine, label art and tasting groups. There's even an article on the medicinal value of wine, written by no less than William Dickerson, MD, of the famous Dickerson vineyard in Napa Valley. This whole wine and health thing isn't new, you know.

Which gets me to a final point. Some people talk about older wine books as being out of date, and surely there is lots of information here that's understood differently now. Yet I read a book a few years ago called California Wine, a collection of interviews of the state's winemakers by Bob Thompson in the 1970s. You'd think it was out of date, but the information was so valuable, in part to learn techniques that have fallen out of favor in the name of advancement, in part because so many things haven't changed a bit.

I expect the same here. Lots of perspective that wouldn't read all that differently if written today, perhaps more valuable to me because I find I'm more interested in how the Californians were doing things 20 and 30 years ago, not so much lately. What better way to learn but read the thoughts of so many top people in the world of wine, even if the book is nearly 30 years old. So off I go to visit my native state in this document. I'll try to write up some thoughts as I go.

1995 Old Knucklehead - best beer ever?

My neighbor took me to a wonderful winter beer party at her friend's the other day. There were lots of people and beer I didn't recognize, but everything worked out wonderfully. Of particular note was perhaps the oldest and likely the most delicious, entrancing beer I've ever consumed.

Some kind soul brought a 12 oz. bottle of the 1995 Bridgeport's Old Knucklehead, the annual barleywine from this legendary Portland brewery. I don't always enjoy aged beer, which often shows me a gluey aroma that may be interesting but also a little revolting at the same time. From my modest pour in an Oregon pinot glass from Riedel, I got a whiff of that at first here, and then things turned remarkable.

Deep bronze color and aromas of maple syrup and roasted everything good. Then similar flavors, which were good enough. But the texture and balance were perfect. I'm not usually this way, but I felt speechless. Was I carried away? This was early in the party, but no one else seemed in rapture like me. I mentioned my thoughts to a few others who thought, yeah, this was good. But I could still taste it and recall the way it felt, and I still can. That's remarkable beer (or barleywine, for the pursits out there), and I'm left wondering if I've ever had any other so good. Thanks Alan.

2004 Edmunds St. John Roussanne Tablas Creek

I heard from Steve Edmunds on Facebook that January 1, 2010 was the 25th anniversary of his winery, the California Rhone variety legend Edmunds St. John. What a perfect excuse to drink the 2004 ESJ Roussanne Tablas Creek Vineyard with my seafood bowlfest of Dungeness crab and langostino.

What a gorgeous wine! At first, it smelled of petrol like a nicely maturing riesling. Then with time more lemon and honey notes emerged, along with that petrolly minerality. This perfume makes me think of nectar oozing from fractured rock, if that makes any sense to you.There's incredible balance of richness and finesse here. I could smell this a long time, and happily I saved some and even two days later it's lost nothing.

In the mouth, the wine is appropriately oily in texture, coating the tongue with lemon and petrol flavors with subtle toast nuance that all linger for a minute. There's excellent balance of flavors and citrusy acid, at once satisfying you and making you salivate for more. Some roussanne from the golden state can be a bit rustic and unrefined, interesting but not necessarily delicious. This is incredibly detailed without undo polish or sculpting, and simply excellent now and surely for years to come.

Old Bordeaux

I got into Bordeaux back when I first really got into wine in 1991. Maybe that stemmed from a visit I took to St. Emilion in October 1989 with my then girlfriend while we were both studying abroad. Here I was in California but all I could think about was that day trip to St. Emilion two years earlier, walking from the train station up the road to the hilltop town, past what I now know was the famed Ch. Ausone. We toured at least one cellar in town and otherwise spent an idyllic day wandering the streets and shops, eating and enjoying the view. I remember buying a three-pack of bottles to bring back to London. Who knows what they were, aside from not being anything expensive.

Over the years I've fallen out of love with Bordeaux. The wines can be excellent, of course. There's no question about that. It's the whole aristocratic noblesse of Bordeaux that just isn't me. (Modern Bordeaux often leaves me cold, but that's another story.) Where Bordeaux is all about big business and big production, I'm more into the smaller scale wine scene in so many other regions in Europe. Here in the U.S., it's no surprise I'm more into the small scale of Oregon vs. the largesse of Napa Valley. Prices play a factor to, but it's more than that. Exceptions abound. Generall, I just find I typically enjoy wines more from smaller producers.

That said, I still enjoy good Bordeaux on occasion. I even enjoy lesser Bordeaux that won't wow anybody but make me reflect on what originally got me interested in the region so long ago. Take the 1983 Ch. Fourcas Hosten from Listrac that we opened the other night. This is non-classified stuff, nothing fancy, just old school cabernet-dominated wine from the under the radar 1983 vintage. Back when 1982 was all the rage stateside, making Robert Parker's reputation and sending prices soaring, 1983 came in successfully but without such ebullient praise.

The '83 Fourcas Hosten is now a bit long in the tooth. Still, I found its old book aroma and silky texture surprisingly pleasing, pairing nicely with a simple broiled steak and cornbread. It didn't have much varietal character, just satisfying if frail old wine Reading professional notes on this wine, you'd think it was long dead. Not at all. Neither I suppose is my interest in Bordeaux. Good, because I have more than a few bottles from there downstairs. They probably should make their way to our table this coming year.

Wine story of the year: Wine Berserkers

For me, the internet wine story of the year isn't Cinderella Wine or Cellartracker's impending redesign (maybe that's 2010's). No, the biggest internet wine story of 2009 was the creation of Wine Berserkers, now the fastest growing wine discussion site that I know of.

Wine Berserkers is not an ordinary wine discussion site. It's not based around a magazine (Wine Spectator), high powered critic (eRobertParker.com) or longtime wine journalist (Robin Garr's Wine Lovers Discussion Group). It's more like the offbeat site Wine Disorder, founded by users for users tired of the rules or lethargy elsewhere. (Disorder is restricted to those chosen for entry, so it seems more a niche thing. I really like the discussion there, but don't seem to have what it takes for entry.)

When it launched last January, Wine Berserkers was an alter-ego of eRobertParker.com's fourm. The founders were largely cast offs from that site, banned or otherwise restricted for a variety of reasons, some perhaps warranted, some more for simply rocking the Parker boat. In fact, eRP moderator Mark Squires unwittingly gave the new site its name by referring to critics of his heavy handed editorial actions as "berserkers."

Yes, there is an ongoing shadow relationship on WB. You'll see constant reference to things going on over at eRP. Some people seem to revel in the meta-commentary. Others hate it and though "open letters" have begged everyone to get over it and move on.

That hasn't exactly happened, but in many ways it has. At least, as the site grows, to me the original raison d'etre fades in significance. Instead, with nearly 2,000 registered users and now more than 200,000 posts in barely 11 months, the differences between eRP and WB are growing.

There's great wine discussion on WB between lots of seasoned wine enthusiasts. There are more and more international contributors, though this remains an American-dominated site. There's also less editorial oversight, so people are more free to challenge the status quo and be reigned in by the group, not as much by moderators.

What's really emerging on the site, to my mind, is a breaking of barriers between individuals and industry. That's always been a side benefit from wine discussion. I've written here that I never would have gotten into making wine and launching a wine business if not for wine discussion online, where I connected with so many industry types with relative ease.

Where Wine Berserkers seems to be reaching new ground is in attacting and catering to discussion and networking for wine industry types, and to connecting that growing pool to enthusiasts in a non-commercial way. Where eRP is essentially tailored to connecting users to the Wine Advocate writers, WB seems tailored to connecting wine consumers to each other and all aspects of wine industry. You see better integration of sites like Cellartracker in the WB interface. You see better understanding from site administrators of how blogging and social networking are changing wine for the better. You see industry types more willing to be involved in the success of the site. Pay attention to the upcoming one year anniversary of Wine Berserkers in January. Big things are happening.

A cynic might say that such industry involvement is sheer marketing on their part. That same cynic probably sees social networking platforms like Twitter as babble and marketing, failing to see how they are connecting people in new and complex ways. Talk about not seeing the forest for trees. You want marketing? Look at critic-centered sites that shut down much of the discussion of competition or challenges to the critic. What's the goal there? Then you see a site that's not selling a brand, but focused on connecting people across the wine spectrum. That's where Wine Berserkers is succeeding. It's not rocket science, but this site seems to be doing it the best and, to my mind, is the internet wine story of the year.

Dinner with old friends

Last night we had the pleasure of hosting two couples, and their young children, who we hadn't seen for years since our San Francisco days. These couples themselves are old friends and back in the later 1990s Jennifer and I connected with them through our mutual love of wine and food. We scattered across the country and lost touch, but lately we've reconnected and it just happened that we were all here in the San Diego area at the same time. So, a reunion of sorts.

While the food was take out pizza, not the extravagant meals we used to share, the wines were top notch just like the old days. For starters, the NV Pierre Bouchard Champagne Inflorescence, a blanc de noirs that was crisp, refined and less red fruited than expected, but no less delicious than its reputation. Then a wine I picked up last week in Woodland Hills, the 2008 J.P. Brun Morgon. What a tremendous Beaujolais, full of lovely spicy raspberry and mineral gamay flavors, juicy and fairly rich. I'd love to age this a few years and see it gain even more breadth. Already it's really good.

Then onto bigger reds. First, the 1985 Ch. Pradeaux Bandol brought in by Premier Cru about a decade ago and stored well since. This was simply excellent, with great mourvedre raspberry fruit and tree bark aromas, and perfect aged sweetness on the palate. As you should expect from good Bandol, this had great freshness at almost 25 years old. A good bottle like this was great now but could easily last another decade or more. Thanks Paul for bringing this among all these great wines.

Then some new world mourvdre dominated blends for comparison. First, the 2006 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel "Panoplie," a 68% mourvedre blend with grenache and syrah that's apparently a domestic hommage to the Beaucastel "Hommage a Jacques Perrin" bottling. This bottle seemed fruit dominated and soft, certainly tasty and dense wine but lacking complexity and maybe the structure to allow age to bring out that complexity. Not as exciting as other Tablas Creek wines I've tried over the years.

Then the 2007 Carlisle Two Acres bottling from nearly 100 year old vines in the Russian River Valley, off Olivet Lane. Paul and I helped out here back in 1999 so we feel a particular connection to this bottling. This year's example has all the usual Carlisle ripeness but at a moderate 13.7% alcohol. The aroma showed a little more youthful sweetness than I was expecting, but the flavors had a nice savory, peppery spiciness and good acidity. This should age nicely.

And if that wasn't enough, we opened a wine totally foreign to me, the 2007 Passopisciaro from Mt. Etna in Sicily. Paul mentioned this area can produce the most Burgundian in style of southern Italian reds that he knows of. I would agree based on this taste. Pretty ruby color with a perfumed aroma, maybe more Rhone like with a whiff of volatility that lifts the aroma. Nice tannic structure and sweet savory red fruit, this was quite good.

In sum, a great night of reconnecting with old friends and all of our children, watching the sun set into the Pacific and taking a liesurely time sampling all these excellent wines. Hope we do it again, this time without waiting another decade.

Good news on my wine name

Good news lately on the name I want to use for my commercial wine project starting with the 2009 vintage. To this point, I've called my homemade wine "Vincent." However, lots of wineries and wine labels have "Vincent" in their names.  Would there be an issue? People I talked to said either "find a new name" or "no, write them a letter and see if there's a problem." Before taking the first advice, I thought I'd try the second.

So, recently I wrote letters to producers like Stephen Vincent Wines, Vincent Arroyo, and Gruet, which has a second label called Domaine St. Vincent. I stated that I am producing Oregon pinot noir starting with the 2009 vintage, may branch into other grape varities from the Pacific Northwest, and wanted to name my wine Vincent. Would they have a problem with that? If so, how did they deal with others (which I named) who have Vincent in their names.

Last week, on the same day, I got calls from Stephen Vincent and Gruet. Both were absolutely clear there would be no issue. Stephen was totally cool, even giving me some good advice about the business and offering support if I wanted it. He even mentioned that there's a Stephens (or Stevens?) wine out there. Names happen. I asked about French producers using the name Vincent, but he said there wasn't a concern there either. Gruet was clear that, as long as I didn't use "Domaine St. Vincent" there was no issue. For what it's worth, I have also talked with an Oregon producer that has a Cuvee St. Vincent and they have no issue either.

I haven't heard from Vincent Arroyo, but as of now I'm going full steam ahead with this name: Vincent Wine Company. The wine will be known as Vincent, with Vincent Wine Company being the full name. My business has a different name for legal reasons, VF Wine Company, LLC. The idea there is to keep that separate and possibly have other label along with Vincent as we grow and figure things out.

Of course, I could still hear an objection from Vincent Arroyo or who knows who else out there. But it doesn't seem likely, and I think the others' lack of objection would mean something. This shouldn't be an issue. It's a name I want. It's unique but related to some others. If someone's going to object, we'll deal with it.

So, 2009 closes with the launch of Vincent as my commercial label. Email me if you want in on my list. My first offer will be out in the late spring. First wine will be released in fall 2010. I can't wait.

2006 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch

I don't drink a lot of California wine anymore. I started on French wine back in the early '90s, then got into California wines in the mid to later '90s as I explored my native state. Then I moved from California to Oregon in 2000 and I settled into a diet of mostly European and Oregon selections. I simply prefer the racy freshness of even the richer wines from these areas, compared to the stereotype of hulking fruit and oak monsters of the golden state.

Readers of this blog will know that there are plenty of exceptions. I love the wines of Edmunds St. John. I've also written favorably about wines from several California producers like Tablas Creek, Mt. Eden, Ridge, older Ravenswood, and recently Windy Oaks. Most of these wines fit a more scaled down version of the California excesses, full of what California can offer but usually not over full. Then there are more mainline California producers that I enjoy, including Carlisle and Siduri, mainline not in the sense of general quality but definitely in terms of ripeness and opulence. These wines don't tend to be shy, and yet I find delight and even nuance in the best example. They show to me that generalizations are only so useful, and sometimes overblown to the point of being ridiculous.

Case in point, A.P. Vin. Andrew Vignello is famous for being an internet wine geek full of passion for California wine (and beyond) who threw his day job aside some years back and got into the wine producing business feet first. I've never met Andrew but he's an inspiration to me, that someone full of passion for winemaking can dive in and produce quality wine that finds an audience. I also love that he makes wine in an urban facility in San Francisco. Urban wines are the new wave.

Today I found a bottle of his 2006 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch from the Russian River Valley at a local LA wine shop. I'd never tried his wine and bought it with curiosity of what this producer might have done with grapes from this acclaimed site. The results were surprisingly nice. I actually expected a dark colored, highly extracted show piece of a pinot noir. Instead, there was a pretty ruby color with a pleasing herbal cherry and earth aroma. Had I smelled this blind, I would have quessed high quality New Zealand pinot, which seems to give more herbal expressions of pinot than the pure fruit Cali style I commonly find. Was there whole cluster here? No, apparently, but the spicy peppery notes gave that kind of complexity.

The flavors were more fruit centered with some oak toast, but the acids were bright and the tannins provided a lovely texture and grip. This isn't too tannic, rather it's not sweet and cloying. I loved the balance in this wine and the relative restraint. There's some alcohol on the finish. This isn't lightweight pinot. Sitll, this wine had terrific grace and interest. And where so many people criticize "big" wines for lacking perfume, this wine had terrific perfume. Nice job Andrew.

Marcarini barbera

We're visitng my mom in LA and went out to dinner at Dante here in Pacific Palisades. They make really nice Italian food. I always have a good meal here. Nothing super fancy, but very solid and pretty consistent.

From the basic list I picked a Castello di Verduno Barbera. Of course they were out of that, but for the same price we had the 2007 Marcarini Barbera d'Alba Ciabot Camerano. It was too warm (obviously stored in the kitchen, which is too bad), but they brought an ice bucket and it cooled off quickly.

This is a delicious barbera, as usual. Fresh and berry scented, then lightly floral and spicy. I didn't pick up any new oak but there may be some barrique aging here. The flavors were simple and pure with tangy fruit and a nice tannic texture, and a great savory note on the finish.

Barbera is so often the best way to go with Italian food. Reasonably priced, easy to drink young, delicious with so many different dished and with mouthcleansing acidity that slakes your thirst and still brings you back for more. I still have a bottle of this wine from the 2003 vintage back home in the cellar. Time to get that out to see how a few years have changed it.

Nice basic Evesham Wood Pinot Noir with a little age

My friend John recently found a bottle of 2002 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Willamette Valley for $20 at a local shop, Great Wine Buys, in NE Portland. Apparently the good folks at Great Wine Buys will occasionally put something like this away for a while and then bring it out to the shelves. That there's a good wine shop, if you ask me. Not sure if there's any still there, but it's worth a call or visit.

John opened the bottle this afternoon and offered me a glass when I stopped by to hang out before the holiday break. I don't recall this wine specifically from its youth, but remember this bottling being pretty crunchy, fresh and pretty at release. Now it's a touch oxidized, mature and a bit meaty for its age along with nice cherry fruit. It's still fresh and bright on the palate, with juicy acid and woodsy cherry fruit, then fine tannin on the pretty decent finish. Consider this good Bourgogne rouge, Oregon style.

I was lucky enough to bring the rest of the bottle home and it seems a touch more fresh with the extra air time. I find that to be true of wines at this point, where air can bring out a more youthful character when you might think the opposite, that air would cause the wine to show more age. Am I alone in noticing this?

Really nice Cali pinot noir from Windy Oaks

Last year around this time, I was sort of gifted a bottle of 2005 Windy Oaks Pinot Noir Estate from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Gifted in that a generous guy from the wine boards brought this and another wine to dinner, thinking we'd open this one and I could have the other for another time. Before I knew that, I'd opened the other wine and this never got opened. It was one of those faux pas that wine geeks loathe. You bring a nice bottle, it doesn't get opened. Dang. Worse yet when you're the host. So apologies to Stu. Thanks for your generosity.

I was so intrigued by this wine, I wasn't sure when to open it. Tonight, with a nice fire roaring and the family for an early Christmas at home before we travel...this seemed like the time. Wow, is this an impressive, delicious California pinot noir.

Here in Oregon, Cali wine gets little respect. None less than Cali pinot. THIS is pinot country. California pinot? Isn't that zinfandel? Well, of course not. Sure, lots of pinot noir from the golden state is big fruited and lush. That's not true of everything, though. Case in point here.

The Windy Oaks is from California's Oregon, the Santa Cruz mountains. Rugged, fir covered, full of hippies and other greenery, you could drop me in Soquel and I might think I were in Oregon's coast range somewhere near Manzanita. So it's natural to find a kindred Oregon spirit in this wine.

The color is a nice ruddy ruby, befitting delicate, beginning to age pinot noir. The aroma is perfumed, showing lots of herbaceous whole cluster fermentation notes, integrated wood spice and bright raspberries. At first it seemed a little too herbaceous, even green peppery with a candied note. With time that morphed into peppery stem and finely woven fruit and spice notes. This is nice.

The flavors are nicely focused with raspberry, cured meat and lovely wood spice notes. Everything's well knit, bright with fine tannic texture and good length, finishing with nice savor that leaves you thirsting for more rather than full of "flavor" and a dulled sensibility.

This is simply one of the nicest new world pinot noirs I've had in a while and certainly the best from California I've tried in a long time. Not that I try too many these days, but this is clearly special. I've heard good things from this producer and this bottle alone suggests those reports are right on. Windy Oaks is something I want more of. Thanks Stu, I owe you.

Wow - 2007 Clemens Busch Riesling Marienberg Rothenpfad Grosses Gewachs

I had a chance to taste this incredible, dry German Mosel riesling the other night. Talk about blind tastings. I had never heard of the producer, had no idea what region in Germany it was from and no sense of the what the wine would or should be. I did know it was a Grosses Gewachs bottling, essentially Germany's recent Grand Cru designation for dry white wines. I'll admit this is my first taste of a "GG." It won't be my last.

2007 Clemens Busch Riesling Marienberg Rothenpfad Grosses Gewachs
The color was a brilliant greenish gold, making me think of an Austrian riesling. Then the aroma. Green peas? Is there gruner veltliner in here? It's hugely complex aromatically,with honey, mineral, apple and intense tropical aromas. In the mouth it's leaner than the rich smell, not some complex at this stage but with great finesse, purity and length. This is verrrry interesting wine.

I googled the producer and found Lyle Fass' terrific write up on Rockss and Fruit from his visit to the Clemens Busch estate last year. Check out the pictures of the Marienberg vineyard. It must have been an old quarry. I was pleasantly surprised to find Lyle's references to the tropicality of this wine and the "Austria meets the Mosel" aspect of the producer. I can see that in this one wine.

2005 Montaribaldi Barbaresco Palazzina

Winter means it's Barba-
resco season here in Portland. I think back to last Decem-
ber's heavy snows and wines like the 2003 Produttori di Barbaresco normale bottling that I enjoyed so much.

 Tonight it's cold and now icy rainy, but there's homemade pizza of three varitiies and the 2005 Montaribaldi Barbaresco Palazzina. Life is good.

The wine is young as you'd expect, dark ruby with a hint of rusty orange when held up to the light. The smell is pure tradition, with seasoned oak and chestnuts, dried flowers, almonds and pie cherries, but some volatility that adds a rustic edge.

The flavors are classic nebbiolo with firm tannin and fresh acidity, perhaps a bit blocky and country, not refined but so honest and authentic, and delicious with the meal, that refinement is beside the point. This is authoritative, flavorful Barbaresco that should age a while but will always favor the bold over elegance. And that's fine.

We're spoiled in Portland, with Barbaresco like this available for the mid-$20s before discounts or special purchase. These days, that's pricing for good Nebbiolo d'Alba, but there's more intensity here, if not the refinement of the best examples of Nd'A. I'm glad to have another bottle to try in a few years to see how it develops.

Beer trials and Heater-Allen Isarweizen

Tonight it's nearly 20F in usually mild Portland, OR. What a better time for a glass of sunshine? So with dinner I opened a bottle of Heater-Allen Isarweizen. Yes, that's an Oregon Pinot Noir Riedel glass. Not beer mug will do for this local lager. Rather, something that allows me to enjoy the aroma of this excellent wheat beer. You can see the golden color. I should have shaken the bottle a touch first to get more yeast in suspension, as the later pours were gradually cloudier. The aroma was all wheat and citrus, though I didn't add any lemon to my glass. I felt right back in an Austrian beer hall. Yum

Thinking about beer, I reflect on my experience two days ago down at the Green Dragon with friend Seamus Campbell, author of The Daily Wort. With the help of several friends and the Dragon, Seamus conducted a beer trial. Two flights of three beer samples, double blind. We had no idea what we were trying, or even if each sample was a different beer. Seamus is writing a book called The Beer Trials to investigate taste and perception of quality vs. price, like that. With a neighbor friend, I tried the first three samples and quickly was convinced that the first two were identical. They tasted like Pilsner Urquell to me, but turned out to be Czechvar, the old Budweiser Budvar, the "real" Budweiser that was an old favorite back in my Europe days when I could drink it fresh. Or maybe I didn't have a very evolved taste in beer. Here in the US, it's no good. The third sample was Heineken. Sweeter, maltier but still bland and industrial.

Then a second flight of three more samples. Quickly samples A and C appeared identical, malty and a little sweet. They made me think of Sam Adams Boston Lager, which I haven't had for years. I just associate it with mass produced "craft" brew. Turns out it was Fat Tire Amber Ale, which makes perfect sense. I never liked that beer. Too malty sweet. Sample B was obviously darker and seemed fresh hopped and a little green. I thought it might be Bridgeport's fall Hop Harvest release, a big fresh hopped beer. Turns out it was Ninkasi's Believer, Oregonian but not fresh hopped. I didn't quite like this one either. Just too vegetal and green like the latest Hop Harvest.

All in all, give me a Heater-Allen anytime. But I think I did pretty good in the blind tasting. The beers could have been from anywhere, and essentially were. How do you think you'd do?

Great Biggio Hamina tasting

Friday night at Storyteller Wine Company in Portland, Todd Hamina from Biggio Hamina poured a mess of  wines from 2007 and 2008. First were a trio of 2007 Pinot Noir. The Momtazi was the leanest, fresh and bright but perhaps a ltitle tight still. The Deux Vert was notably more fruity aromatically. Then the Ana the deepest and richest of the three, more fruit with a lovely soil note. I thought this was Pommard clone, but apparently it's all 777. I've written elsewhere that the best 2007s are pretty and fragrant, and have come a long way in the past year. Most I wouldn't think need more than a few years aging, though they should last longer. These wines might be exceptions, where they'll reveal even more with time. Very interesting, cerebral wines these. Delicious too.

Then a pair of 2008 Pinot Noir. First the Willamette Valley, lighter in color than 2008s I've tried from other producers and delicious. That's typical here. Todd uses a lot of stems and ferments cool, and the wines stress perfume and finesse rather than color and fruit extraction. Then the Zenith, the darkest and richest of all the pinot here (still not that dark and rich). Lovely black cherry fruit here and great texture.

Next came two 2007 Syrah from the Deux Vert vineyard, a warmer climat in the Yamhill-Carlton District here in the Willamette Valley. The first was the Willamette Valley Syrah, and I've written it up favorably here. Tonight it tasted like peppered bacon. There's 7% viognier co-fermented in this one. Then the 2007 Syrah XX, with 20% viognier. I hadn't tried this one previously, and I found out that not only does it have so much viognier, it's all from one new Oregon oak barrel. There's serious smoke here, maybe too much right now but this is wine to age I think. Not black and highly extracted wine, rather this is medium bodied, structured and fragrant. If good Oregon pinot has Burgunian qualities, these Biggio Hamina syrah definitely take a local spin on classic northern Rhone syrah. What a treat to try so many different ones in one line up.

Unusual Oregon white wine: auxerrois

There's not a lot of the auxerrois grape grown in Oregon. At a holiday party this evening, I had a taste of the newly released 2008 Adelsheim Auxerrois from the Ribbon Springs Vineyard on Ribbon Ridge. What a delicious and interesting wine. I think Oregon whites are underrated, and this is another great example of that.

What the heck is auxerrois? It's pronounced ohk-sair-wah and it's common to the Alsace region of France. I looked it up in Jancis Robinson's classic text Vines Grapes & Wines without much success. Wikipedia suggests it's a cross of gouais blanc and pinot noir, the same parentage of chardonnay. Adelsheim's site suggests this cross is from medival times and responsible for aligote, gamay and 10 other varieities. I don't understand how that works, but I find it fascinating.

How did the wine taste? As the Adelsheim link suggests, there were lots of pear and honey aromas and flavors, with softer acid than I expected. One taster suggested it was a little sweet. I found it to be dry, with a fruity impression, so I can understand that. What was remarkable here was the finesse and length. It's not the moxt complex wine, just so delicious and enticing. Thanks to our hosts for taking the wine steward's recommendation at a local shop and picking this up.

Beer trial at the Green Dragon this weekend

Attention wine drinkers:

I've been meaning to blog about this for a couple days. Blog reader, homebrewer and author of The Daily Wort blog Seamus Campbell is doing research for a book on tasting beer. He needs your help. He wants input from a variety of tasters, us wine lovers included. It's one thing to hear from hop heads. Calling all cork dorks.

This Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1-5pm, Seamus will be at the Green Dragon, 928 SE 9th, at Belmont in Portland. What you need to do - show up, taste about a pint's worth of free samples, and complete a survey. Should take about 15 to 20 minutes, and while you're at the Dragon, why not buy another pint or two?

It's going to be cold this weekend. Beer drinking weather I say. Hope to see you there.

1999 Texier Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes

Tonight, an older wine to pair with some steak and the big college football game between Oregon and Oregon State. The winner goes to the Rose Bowl, and wouldn't this be a fitting wine. The color of the 1999 Eric Texier Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is rusting a bit but still fresh. Then there's an almost rose-like floral perfume on top of deep, intense game, raspberry and old wood aromas. Did this see some barrique? Any fresh wood notes have integrated nicely. Those more sensitive to brett will notice some mild leather and band aid notes in there. Overall, this is unusual Chateauneuf, more northern Rhone in character than the stony, grenache-dominated cherry and herb infused wines we see most often.

In the mouth this wine is less impressive. It has nice raspberry and spice notes with some drying tannin but good length. There is more brett on the finish in the form of cheese rind and horse blanket flavors. They stand out a bit when you taste without food, but with a steak, potatoes and broccoli meal this is nice if not spectacular wine. The brett averse might hate it, and I'm less and less tolerant of brett. Still, I like this, especially aromatically and with a nice, warm meal on a cold December night.

2007 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

I wrote months ago about seeing this wine on sale in Portland, [perhaps a victim of the economy and some mixed reviews on the 2007 vintage locally for pinot noir. Everybody seems to have lowered their prices on 2007s. There are some great buys still out there, even this one if you look carefully.

Did I ever write a tasting note for the 2007 Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills pinot from Jim Arterberry Maresh. (For the record, it's pronounced Marsh.). I don't think I did, so here goes.

First you see the translucent ruby color. Then there's the senuous perfume of dried flowers, cherries, strawberries, clay and spice. I don't pick up any intrusive oakiness, just subtle wood spice that marries beautifully with the grape. This wine is pure silk in the mouth, with tangy cherry and light raspberry flavors, complex spice and a lovely, soft tannic texture. There's good length and this matches nicely with homemade turkey and roast vegetable sandwiches. I really like this, and around $20 locally, it's a bargain.

I read a decent review of this wine in a commercial publication that suggests it's almost rose in hue and probably best served lightly chilled, like a pink wine. That seems like faint praise and simply off base to my experiences with it. I love rose, but this is red wine. This is what good Oregon pinot noir is all about. This will cellar for a few years. I wouldn't lose it in the basement for too long. So many of the good 2007s are already fragrant and silky, I'm not sure how much they'll gain even if they last a while. But this wine isn't some afterthought, to be lost among black hued, excessively oaky local wines. As Jimmy Maresh would put it, this is the shit. Don't miss it.

Thanksgiving weekend in the northern Willamette Valley

I managed to visit some wineries yesterday in McMinnville, Carlton and then up on Ribbon Ridge. The day couldn't have been more beautiful, and the wines and beer at each stop were excellent. This was one of those really good days in wine country.

I started with the long drive to "Mac" to visit the Eyrie Vineyards in the wine ghetto near downtown McMinnville. What's this? There's a sign for Westrey Wine Company just before I get to Eyrie. I've never visited here but like the wines, so in a go for a quick taste. The whites are lovely, with fresh pinot gris and toasty chardonnay that's still elegant. The '07 pinot noirs are lovely, with the '07 Pinot Noir Reserve reminding me of the '07 Oracle Vineyard. The newly released '08s are the highlight. The '08 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is nicely intense with grippy tannin. The '08 Justice Vineyard is darker fruited and structured. The '08 Oracle the pick here, with great perfume, high toned with great intensity. I'm coming to love this vineyard.

Quickly I move to the Eyrie Vineyards, this being my first visit to the holy grail of Oregon pinot noir. This old  dairy processing plant has thick concrete walls so the barrel cellar is nicely dank and humid. I start with the '08 Muscat Ottonel that's dry, floral and crisp. Then the '08 Pinot Blanc that's lemony and pure. I have a bottle of the '07 in my fridge that I'm excited to try. Then the '07 Pinot Gris, so smokey and pure. I love this.

Moving to the next station, I try the 2008 Chardonnay that's lovely and subtle, with just a hint of oak and great purity. Then the 2007 Chardonnay Original Vines Reserve from the old block, with lots of toasty notes, hazelnuts and young chard fruit. I prefer the 2008 right now, but the 2007 is for keeping.

Then the reds in the main tasting room. The 2008 Pinot Meunier is fresh and peppery, almost like gamay. The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir is lovely, ripe and pure, and should age nicely I imagine. Then the 2004 Reserve Pinot Noir that's earthy and a little animal with great length. Finally, the 2003 Reserve Pinot Noir that's also earthy but nicely fresh and not at all "hot year" in character. Should I admit I recently passed up a chance to buy two bottles of this at $25 each, thinking 2003 just wasn't a very good year? When will I learn. Buy producers, not vintages.

I'm due to meet up with a group of friends, but what's this? Heater-Allen Brewing right down the street? I can't pass it up. So I taste through the Dunkel, Pils, Sandy Paws and Schwartz beers and buy a six pack of 22oz. bottles, mostly the Sandy Paws. I love Heater-Allen beers, so honest in the Germanic tradition but clearly local and "Oregon." Seek out this beer. It's that good.

So, up to Carlton to meet up with friends at Cana's Feast, where I'm friends with the winemaker Patrick Taylor, so consider that if you're worried about subjectivity. Readers know that I'm not a huge fan of big, new world wines, and Cana's Feast makes some pretty big, new world wines. But exceptions abound, and I really appreciate what's going on in this cellar. The '06 Nebbiolo is a little toasty, but authentically ruby in color with terrific structure. I really like this. The '06 Reserve Sangiovese is pretty toasty, but nicely varietal with great bitter almond and cherry fruit flavors. I may prefer the regular Sangiovese for the lower oak profile, but that's a matter of taste. The '06 Syrah is big and rich, but was indeed a nice match with the chicken liver pate as the pourer suggested. Speaking of food, the spread at Cana's Feast is the best this day by far. Pork loin, sections of huge wheels of Italian cheese, that pate, foccacia, and so on. My group of friends really like this stop and I'm glad to meet up with them and not miss out.

Then to Ribbon Ridge to close the day at Brick House Vineyards. The crowd at Cana's Feast is big, and the town of Carlton is absolutely hopping with tasters. Then out at Brick House there are cars everywhere. We head in to the crowded cellar and get a taste of the 2007 Chardonnay, not short of oak toast but really nicely rich, balanced and long. The first pinot noir is the 2008 Select, not as dark as other '08s I've tried elsewhere and softer in structure, but delicious all the same. Finally, two 2007s that provide a great counterpoint for the vintage. First the '07 Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais, all Dijon clones and my preference, so fragrant and lacy in the mouth, this is really good 2007 pinot noir. The '07 Cuvee du Tonnelier is only less in comparison. It's all Pommard clone, something I usually prefer but here it's not quite as graceful and complete. I like it well, but Les Dijonnais is exceptional. To close, I tasted some lovely honies from Andrew the Bee Man and then goat cheeses from Monteillet Fromagerie out of Dayton, WA. I buy some unsalted fresh cheve with herbs and a small round called Larzac that's ripe and lucious.

Then outside to say goodbye to friends at dusk and head back to Portland, my head clear from spitting (mostly) and taking my time over this excellent day. Ah, Thanksgiving weekend in Oregon. Few things are better.

Post harvest dinner, with wine

A bunch of us affiliated with the winery got together last night for perhaps the best pot luck I've ever attended. Homemade pickles, butternut squash and cheve tarts, provencal beef stew, cous cous with butternut squash, farro with chantrelles and spicey delicata squash rounds, asparagus with garlic and parmasean, homemade tart tatain and chocolate tart. I'm feel full just remembering all the goodness.

Of course, there were wines involved, pretty much all excellent but different in style, some more pleasing to me than others. For whites, a 1996 Amity Rieling Willamette Valley with petrol aromas and tangy, fresh flavors. A 2003 Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Blanc "Mule Blanche" that showed the heat of the vintage with lovely, round apple and honey flavors. It perhaps could use some acid, but it was delicious.

For reds, a bevy. The 2006 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, restrained for the hot vintage, pretty cherry and slight animal notes. Young and delicous. The 2006 August West Pinot Noir Graham Family Russian River Valley was spicy and fragrant but very lush and broad in the mouth, maybe too much soo. The 2002 Elk Cove Pinot Noir Wind Hill was mature, perhaps a bit early but still delicious and one of my favorites of the night. Then a 1989 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir that was still rich and a bit woody but lovely, with time to go if you happen to have any (not likely I'm guessing).

Moving away from pinot noir and Oregon, the 2002 Domaine Tempier Bandol classic was predictably young, a little bretty, but so lovely, peppery and raspberries, animal but nicely balanced. The 2006 Unti Grenache Dry Creek Valley was so California, spicy and woodsy smelling but so lush and rich on the palate, good but not my style. Then a 2003 Tedeschi Amarone that wasn't as huge as the hot 2003 vintage would suggest. I love this producer and this basic bottling is always more authentic to my taste than the Monte Olmi "cru" bottling. No barrique here, or at least you can't tell. Certainly raisiny, but that's Amarone. Nicely fresh and lithe, I like this.

Finally, one couple brought their homemade Nocento walnut liqueur that was dark brown, intense and simply wonderful. One of the couple is a terrific winemaker, so it's not surprise, and I want to try more of this. Wow.

All told, a great dinner and evening. Happily I was modest on my wine tastes, but not on the food intake. Talk about food hangovers. Yikes.

Cinderellawine.com

I don't have a lot of rules in life, but one is that any reference to Cinderella in pop music is strictly forbidden. The whole concept of Cinderella makes me a little ill. Just seeing the name makes my stomach turn a bit. Apologies if that's true for you.

Nevertheless, wine internet king Gary Vaynerchuk of the Wine Library in New Jersey is behind a site launched last month called Cinderellawine.com. The idea is that one ridiculous value in wine will be offered per day. Why that awful name? The deal ends at midnight, east coast time anyway. Maybe a little earlier it turns out. For us on the west coast, each evening there's a new deal to consider. Read more about the site on Wine Berserkers.

What's tonight's deal? How about Guiseppe Mascarello's 2003 Barolo Monprivato for a little less than $39? Not cheap wine, but for a cru Barolo of that level, that price is a giveaway. Buy three and you get free ground shipping. All that I can't resist.

Yes, it's 2003, the notorious hot vintage all over Europe. But I've been more pleased with 2003s from Italy's Piedmont region than just about anywhere else in Europe. Call me naive for tolerating ripe nebbiolo. I don't care. I'm sure this is terrific wine. Remember, buy producers, not vintages...even in 2003. Well, sometimes. Guiseppe, I'm in your hands.

So, if you're like me, be careful if you check Cinderellawine.com each night. Sickening name, but there are absolutely sick deals.

edit - I see now that when a "Cindy" wine sells out, it turns into a pumpkin. Really? A pumpkin? That should be banned.

2007 Badia Alle Corti Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

What's the best cheap red wine I've had in months, possibly this whole year? The 2007 Badia Alle Corti Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, hands down. This might even be better than my longtime favorite from this DOC, the basic bottling from Masciarelli.

There's nice freshness here, with a deep perfume that's typcial for this region and good, savory and sweet and surprisingly complex for such inexpensive wine. The cherry fruit flavors have the classic leather, meat and roast almond notes that make this much more interesting than simply fruity wine, so nice with a warm plate of pasta or lasagna.

Some people might find this "dry," but to me the rich savory notes and bright acidity are like bacon compared to the simple pork chop of so many domestic red wines in this category. There's a place for pork chops, but bacon is the stuff of life. Here, the depth and savor of a wine with cured flavors like this one make for much more interesting drinking and pairing with food than simple oaky, fruity wine so common to our store shelves. Locally, this goes for as little as $8. That's absurd value, if you want it.

Elevage and Thanksgiving

In my recent post wrapping up the 2009 Vincent Cellars harvest, I wrote that elevage had begun. Elevage is what winemakers call the time from the end of primary fermentation at harvest through to bottling. In the case of pinot noir, that's typically one or two years where the new wine cures into a finished beverage.

During elevage, red wine is typically in wood barrels, occasionally being moved from barrel to barrel to aerate the wine and draw it off its sediment. In some situations, red wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in tank before barrel aging. Otherwise, during elevage the only time wine is usually not in barrel is when barrels are combined and wine held in tank to mix properly mixing prior to bottling.

Malolactic fermentation tends to happen pretty quickly after new wine has been fermented. "ML" fermentation is the natural process where sharp malic acidity in new wine ferments into softer, creamy lactic acid. Before ML, red wine usually tastes sharp and raw. After, the wine tastes more finished and rounded, adding more roundness and polish through further barrel aging.

A few weeks now from harvest, my new wines in barrel are beginning their ML fermentation, which should be done in a month or two. ML is helped by warmer than usual cellar temperatures, so the barrel room is kept near room temperature until ML is finished. Then things are cooled down, the new wines sulfured and left to age quietly in a chilly cellar.

Each barrel is topped up every couple of weeks, to account for evaporation that slowly takes place during elevage. The first topping just happened, and it was significant as the newly filled barrels quickly soaked up about a liter of wine each. Topping regularly is key to keeping the wine from turning to vinegar, and happily the amount of wine needed to top your barrels each isn't nearly so much as here at the beginning of elevage.

Tasting the barrels is also essential as you go through harvest. A key thing we're looking for at this point is reduction, which is a fancy way to say "stink." You know how some things, like a sleeping bag, need to be aired out every once in a while, to somehow magically get rid of stinky aromas and otherwise freshen things up? Wine's like that. Wines in barrel sometimes start to smell funky, and usually moving the wine from its barrel into another fresh barrel and help air it out and let some funky, "reduced" smells air out and go away. Sometimes things get more complicated, but that's more complicated than we need to get into here. We don't wash the wine, but like you would wash a really stinky sleeping bag, there are things to do in the winery to help a really stinky wine regain its freshness.

All in all, it's a great time for winemakers. Harvest is done, and it was a great harvest at that. Everyone I talk to is legitimately excited about the quantity and quality of the 2009 harvest here in the northern Willamette Valley of Oregon. No marketing shtick there. Just honest passion about a successful year.

Now everyone's getting ready for Thanksgiving open houses, the traditional time for Oregon wineries to open their doors and host crowds of happy tasters. Blends are being assembled for wines soon to be bottled. Open house crews are being scheduled. Those who aren't already living it up on holiday in France (ehem, Scott Wright!) are planning their travels. Winter pruning crews are probably sharpening their tools but waiting until the new year to get to work.

And I'm collecting names for my mailing list and looking at a ton of tasks to complete before spring, all exciting and just what I want to be doing. None the least of which is planning for harvest 2010. It's never too early.

2001 Loosen Riesling Auslese Wehlener Sonnenuhr

Talking with a friend recently about German riesling, I was reminded about the great 2001 vintage. For me, 2001 was the revelatory year for me regarding the riesling of Germany's Mosel Valley and beyond.

In particular, I remember a trade tasting in spring of 2002 that I was able to attend at the warehouse of then-importer Ewald Moseler, featuring newly bottled 2001 rieslings from several Mosel producers in Ewald's deep portfolio. Among them were the wines of Ernie Loosen, head of legendary producer Dr. Loosen.

Those 2001s were in general exceptional. My only complaint was that most Kabinett bottlings were a bit heavy and sweet, instead of light and lean. I remember Ewald telling me how many of them were havested at Auslese ripeness levels, which seems good in theory but not as good in practice. Such ripe year Kabinett seem to lack the acidic cut of "real" Auslese in those vintages.

Thinking again about 2001, I got out a half bottle of 2001 Dr. Loosen Riesling Auslese Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Wow, what gorgeous riesling that's still young but already showing some signs of maturity. Light gold in color with a strong pineapple and mineral, then green apple and some emerging petrol aromas. This smells sweet and ripe, but not dessert sweet. Then the flavors, ripe and rich green and golden apples, pineapple and simply excellent acidity that those Kabinett seemed to lack. There's great length and purity, I love this and am glad to have a little more waiting down in the basement.

Aging beer: Abyss vs. Top Sail, and more

Though I'm mostly interested in wine, there's a place for serious beer in this blog. Last night I attended an annual winter beer and cheese gathering hosted by my friend and blog reader Dudley. The event attracts local brewers, vintners and regular folk like me, though I guess I've moved into vintner category.

When I arrived the crowd was packed around a dining room table full of mostly west coast U.S. beers and domestic cheeses. My contributions were 22oz bottles of 2007 Deschutes Abyss and the 2008 Top Sail Reserve from Full Sail Brewing. I paired them with an Oregon produced Perrydale cheese, recommended by Steve's Cheese in NW Portland.

I was curious to see how the Abyss ages, and how it compares to another oak aged beer in the Top Sail. I've heard the the Abyss, for all its youthful intensity, might not necessarily improve with age. Sure enough, I found the roasted coffee and chocolate tones in the 2007 Abyss to be a bit muddled with age, especially compared to a 2009 edition of the Abyss at the tasting that showed better to my taste. The 2007 was no slouch. It's still very enjoyable. I'm just not sure it requires or rewards aging. It think it's better to enjoy these bottlings in their exuberant youth.

In comparison, the 2008 Top Sail -- purchased nearly two years ago on release in early 2008 -- showed beautifully. There was much more nuance in the aromas and flavors, without the heavy roasted notes of the Abyss. Instead, lots of sweet bourbon caramel and spice, thanks to aging in bourbon casks. I thought this might make the beer a little vulgar and obvious, but there was no denying the delicious flavors and long finish. Matched with the slightly fruity and caramel sweet Perrydale, which the Abyss trounced, the Top Sail was excellent. I think you could hold this beer longer still, but it's already in a great place. I'll look forward to the 2010 release that I imagine should be out around the new year.

Otherwise, the gathering was an excellent chance to taste intense beers and sample a wide range of impressive domestic cheeses. Another great match with the Perrydale was a 2008 (I believe) Goose Island Bourbon County Stout from Chicago. It was black as night, roasty and rich, but impeccably balanced. I would think the Perrydale wouldn't have stood up, but the pairing worked.

Finally, someone brought a magnum of the 2003 Anchor Christmas Ale, but it seemed a little tired to me, especially compared to a delicious 2009 edition. This is another beer I find not so great with more than a year of age. Thanks Dudley for another great event.

Cowan Cellars and "Florida" Jim Cowan

There are several stories of internet wine geeks making the leap into commercial production. The common one, if anything like this is really common, is a younger guy following his passion for wine, leaving the day job and, with significant help from contacts made in the online wine community, committing himself fulltime to learning the craft of winemaking on the job and starting his own business. The best known examples include Andrew Vignello of A.P. Vin, Jamie Kutch of Kutch and Jeff Ames of Rudius, all Calfornia-based producers.

I've written about the exceptional story of Ray Walker, who's taking things a step further by moving to Burgundy to produce his Maison Ilan wines from the Cote d'Or. I'm hesitant to include myself among such characters because I'm not leaving the day job anytime soon. But it's clear that without the online wine world fueling my interest and providing lots of great industry contacts, I don't know how I would be doing what I'm doing in launching my own wine label Vincent.

Then there's Flordia Jim Cowan, an online wine legend whom I've only had the pleasure of meeting once several years ago here in Portland. Florida Jim first came to my attention in the 1990s on the original incarnation of the Wine Spectator discussion forums. Along with a merry band of travelers from all over the country who came together for Russell Bevan-led "Bacchus Wine Tours" in Napa and Sonoma counties, Jim developed into a serious wine geek known for frequently posting modest but nuanced accounts of the wines he drank and food that accompanied them.

Somewhere around the late '90s Jim experienced a palate shift away from the most lumbering of California wines to more lithe and perfumed wines of France, Austria and elsewhere in Europe, wines that often cost a fraction of what he previously preferred. What a great thing, no? Actually, there was some surprising backlash in the online community. Was Jim under the spell of geeky wine snobs who disdain overoaked wines with erudite condesention? These world class bargains Jim wrote about - would he turn his back on them a year from now as he appeared to do with wines he previously favored?

Of course, the suspicions were as unfounded as they were off base. Jim's an independent thinker and that wasn't changing. He called them as he saw them, and it made sense that his evolving taste in wine might marry with another aspect of himself that we knew well online -- his writing. So gone were the notes of Napa cabernet, and in came reports of cru Beaujolais and Austrian gruner veltliner that I, for one, found deliciously inviting with their nuance and delicacy.

Years passed and Jim's reports of wine and food and life with wife Diane as they traveled between homes in  Florida and western North Carolina became internet favorites. I met Jim on one of his well documented road trips with Col. Bob Couzzi across the U.S., visiting online wine friends and sharing wines from all over the world. Jim's travels often led back to California, and as his old friend Russell Bevan himself made the leap from internet wine geek to serious wine producer, Jim began working harvest and learning the craft himself. Jim also connected with Steve Edmunds of Edmunds St. John, whose atypical California wines because Florida Jim favorites. You can't learn from a better source than Steve Edmunds.

Back to present day and the lastest post from Florida Jim on life after his latest harvest in northern California. This is classic Florida Jim, and if you find it interesting, dig around the archives of that or several other internet wine forums for more. Or try this link. Today's post inspired me to document here what I know, or think I know, of Jim's journey in wine. Jim has a way of simply conveying the essence of his experience, what's important and meaningful to him, without much fluff. His Cowan Cellars wines -- syrah and sauvignon blanc from the Dry Stack vineyard in the cool Sonoma country AVA of Bennett Valley -- sound reflective of their maker. I've yet to try them, but look forward to an opportunity. Maybe you too?

Odds and ends

Nothing so pressing for a full post, so let's hit it three dot style...

There's another train wreck over on the Robert Parker bulletin board today with unspecified allegations of additives in zinfandel and unreported blending in pinot noir. Of course these things happen, but it gets tiring seeing insinuations that such things are common, without proof, then endlessly beat to a pulp in an alleged defense of one's character. Have the proof but don't feel comfortable divluging online? Don't bring it up online. Especially if you don't want to risk your brand. You can really help yourself by being online, but here's an example of a pretty classic pitfall you need to watch out for...

Found a crazy sale at a local Whole Foods (NE Fremont) this past weekend. Single vineyard Produttori Barbaresco from 1999 and 2001 for $25, half bottles of Dom Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs and Rose for $19, even a few bottles of 1999 Grange for $150, which is ridiculoulsy cheap for that label. I don't play at that level, but the Produttori is gone and most of the Ruinart too. Lots of other things but nothing quite so interesting to my mind, but it's all still there if you're in the area...

Dumpster diving continued...the local Hollywood Grocery Outlet has some Cameron Hughes bottlings for $5 or so. Hughes buys bulk wine around California and bottles them by "Lot" to sell at Costco and the like for $10-$15 usually. People seem to love the wines. The 2006 Cameron Hughes Lodi Petite Sirah Lot 70 wasn't bad, especially for marinating steaks. Typical oak and fruit profile, but for party wine this could be a hit. Then there's the 2002 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz "Cliff Edge" from Victoria, Australia, for $8. Not bad, not bad at all for a budget wine from a storied producer. White pepper aromas and mature syrah notes, pretty full bodied and chunky flavors. Call if plonk because it's at the G.O., but bargain hunters should love it...

Finally, do 15% alcohol on the label and Louis/Dressner Imports go together? Apparently so, on the 2000 Clos de Caveau Vacqueyras "Lao Muse" from the southern Rhone. This $50 luxury cuvee (Dressner? really???) from an all organic producer is aging nicely, with broad ripe aromas and flavors, lovely earth and red fruit flavors and some sweet notes of maturity. With the price and ridiculously oversized bottle, I expected the wine to be inky black and over the top, probably sporting lots of new oak. But Dressner doesn't let you down. He picks good stuff and this is translucent and, though aged in barrique, very nicely integrated and "real" tasting. Not sure what happened to this bottling or if Dressner even carries this producer still. But Lao Muse is the real deal...

2006 Crowley Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard

After tasting the oh my god good 2007 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard, I came home to homemade butternut squash soup, wheat levain and apple, gruyere and walnut salad for dinner. With that Dundee Hills inspiration, what else to try but the 2006 Crowley Chardonnay from the same Maresh Vineyard (pronounced Marsh).

Tyson Crowley's a friend, but I'll still recommend his wine because it's that good. 2006 was a warm year, and this wine is large scaled compared to the more taut 2007. Still, this is fresh and delicious Oregon chardonnay, with sweet cream and golden delicious apple aromas, a soft texture and bright apple, mineral and subtle oak flavors. I loved this one with dinner and on its own afterward. The 2007 is in the Portland market still. For around $20, it's a bargain in top quality Oregon chard.

Southern Oregon Wineries Tasting last night at the Governor

Where was everybody? I went to the Southern Oregon Wineries tasting last night and didn't see anyone there I know, aside from a couple of producers. There was a good crowd though. Lots of happy tasters, some totally blitzed.

The event featured more than two dozen producers from the Umpqua valley and south to the Rogue and Applegate valleys. There was some pinot and chardonnay, but the typical line up was some mix of viognier, syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo and red blends. Overall the wines were hit and miss, with some unexciting but perfectly decent wines amid some pretty exciting, very well made wines. I'll hit the highlights here as I saw them. I didn't try everything, by any means, so if I don't mention producers who were there, it's not necessarily because I didn't like the wine.

From Abacela, the 2008 Albarino was nervy and fresh and the 2006 Tempranillo Estate was nicely structured if a little alcoholic. I can see why this winery has such a cult following. The wines have personality and are generally very true to their varieties, many of which they painstakingly pioneered here in Oregon.

I'd never heard of Folin Cellars out of Gold Hill, but I enjoyed all three wines they poured. First, the 2007 Estate Viognier was true to the variety and fresh. The 2006 Estate Syrah was nicely varietal with meat and gum notes. The best wine for me was the 2006 Estate Tempranillo, nicely varietal with tobacco and berry notes. None of these wines showed excessive oak and seemed relatively restrained. Definitely check these people out and see if I'm crazy or on to something.

Girardet's 2008 Baco Noir was my first example of this grape, I think. It wasn't stellar but a lovely drinking wine with nice acidity and balance. I'd definitely try this again.

Quady North is doing some great things out of Jacksonville. The 2007 Viognier was nice and floral, though this variety can be a little over the top for me outside of the northern Rhone. The 2007 Syrah 4,2-A was my favorite, a low oak, gamy syrah that I've tried before and liked just as much. The 2006 Arsenal (Cabernet Franc) was California huge, and very good in that idiom. By the way, the name comes from guns, not the Gunners of north London. Chelsea fans rest easy. Finally, I had a special syrah bottling that I didn't get the name of. Like the Arsenal, it's not my style, but very nice in the big, rich idiom. Herb Quady manages a bunch of vineyards down south and he's obviously got a nice touch in the cellar too.

Another new name for me was Rocky Knoll out of Medford. I really liked their 2005 Rocky Knoll Claret, with good structure and coil, this wine had a cool profile and seemed nicely balanced and worth cellaring a bit. So many southern Oregon reds can be a bit too softly structured for me, but this was a bit more taut and upright. Apparently from vines planted in the 1970s with fruit that was sold until 2005.

I'd never tried wines from Spangler in the Umpqua Valley, but the Petite Sirah is a nice example of the variety. Dark and dense, perhaps a bit monolithic but you don't drink petite for nuance. This is authoritative, robuse petite sirah and quite good.

Trium has a great label, but again I'd never had a chance to try any wines until now. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was nicely textured with fine tannin and good cassis and mineral flavors, not too soft, just right. Good wine.

Finally, Troon Vineyard from Grants Pass had a bunch of wines and a big crowd. I tried only the 2005 Old Vine Meritage and it was big and rich but obviously well made and without too much polish for my tastes. Some of the cabernet blends at this tasting were just ho hum, a little soft, sort of herbal, but this was serious stuff. Sure enough, Herb Quady of Quady North (yes, part of the Quady family of CA Central Valley wine fame) is the winemaker. Herb seems like the real deal and a terrific guy. I'll have to check out more of these wines.

Events like these always have a downside, especially late in the event hours when I was there. At one table, an obviously drunk, overly made up person came up, poured out a glass into the water pitcher and haltingly asked for "your highest...end wine." The expensive stuff gets you messed up just as easily as the cheap stuff, it seems. I backed away from the table and hoped the producer could cut her off without creating too much of a scene. Talk about a no win situation. Overall, this was a fun event and it looked like there were lots of wine buyers, which had to make the drive home a little better for the producers.