Our Winemaking Dream Coming True!!!

After years of making wine for others, we're finally on our way to making our own Willamette Valley wine. The Willamette Valley has been forging a reputation as home to some of North America's finest cool climate wines over the past 40 years. It is now widely recognized as one of the world's premier Pinot Noir producing regions. The contracts are signed and we are sourcing Pinot Noir from the McMinnville AVA and Riesling from the Chehalem Mountains AVA...YAY!!! The wines will be made by us using the techniques we've learned during our travels. We've started a fund to help with the process and are asking for donations. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Plus, it's a great way to try our wines :) Check out our link for additional information @ http://www.gofundme.com/6nlx88

For those of you who are unfamiliar with our background, we met in Australia 2 years ago and discovered we shared a passion for wine. We then traveled the world together, working vintages and honing our winemaking skills. As for our work backgrounds, I am a Certified Sommelier who has worked vintages in Australia, Germany, New Zealand and France. Jason has worked 12 vintages in France, Portugal, South Africa, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. He is currently working a Viticulture Internship in the Willamette Valley. 

Chehalem Mountains vineyard...and our upcoming 2014 vintage!

Vintage 2013 in Alsace, France

Vintage 2013 in Alsace, France

Vintage 2012 in Martinborough, New Zealand

Our visit to Alsace after working vintage in Germany 2012

Vintage 2012 in Pfalz, Germany

Willamette Valley, Oregon

All great wines reflect their time and place. So now may be the biggest change in the range of wines produced. Due to the effects of global warming, many 'cool climate' growing regions of the world, which typically struggle to ripen some grape varieties are becoming major wine producers. There are many recently planted vineyards and relatively new wine producing regions in Tasmania, New Zealand, Canada and Oregon and among them are many rising stars.

In the midst of such a worldwide development, the Willamette Valley is a particular stand out among the crowd. In just four decades, Willamette Valley has transformed from a quiet, pastoral country into one of the world’s top Pinot Noir producers. In its early years, Willamette Valley produced a range of unpredictable wines, from mesmerizing to disappointing, but with time and improved practices the quality of Willamette Pinot Noir became more consistent and ethereal. Its elegance, structure and style has set Willamette Valley’s Pinot Noir apart and given this once sleepy countryside an impeccable international reputation and accolades from around the world.

The special character of Willamette Pinot Noir is created by no one factor. A unique blend of location, soil and climate all contribute to the quality of the wines. Willamette Valley is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and has naturally breezy conditions. Willamette’s range of soil types is derived from a series of massive ice age floods creating many mineral-laden vineyard sites. The cool climate allows for cool nights and warm days over many months, which builds depth and intensity of flavor. These conditions not only create spectacular Pinot Noir with excellent concentration and complexity but also distinctly fruity Pinot Gris and elegant Chardonnay.

Comparisons can be made to Burgundy, the classic home of Pinot Noir. Not only do Willamette’s Pinots have the ripe cherry fruit components of typical New World Pinot Noirs but also a savory and earthy quality traditionally associated with the great Pinots of Burgundy. Better priced than most Burgundies and have the aging potential with the best of them. Willamette Pinot Noir has a wide range of food pairing possibilities and can go well with roasted or braised pork belly, chicken in a mushroom cream sauce or poached salmon. If you haven’t already, pick up a bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir today. Cheers!

Some geeky facts...Soil types & flavor profiles of Willamette Valley Sub Appellations

Chehalem Mountains

Soil: every soil type: combination of Columbia River basalt, ocean sedimentation and wind-blown loess derivation soil types

Taste: light red fruit to black fruit, brier and everything in between

Yamhill-Carlton/Ribbon Ridge

Soil: young, fine, marine sedimentary soils, over sandstone and siltstone

Taste: powerful black fruit aromas and color, minerality and highly structured

McMinnville

Soil: uplifted marine sedimentary loams and silts, with alluvial overlays

Taste: dark, powerful, black fruit and earth

Eola-Amity Hills

Soil: shallow well-drained basalt and marine sedimentary

Taste: bright acid and firm structure

Dundee Hills

Soil: drought resistant, volcanic Jory soils

Taste: primary red fruit; strawberry, cherry and raspberry

Stolpman Vineyards Syrah

Check out my new article about Stolpman Vineyards Syrah for the Scoop San Diego!

Stolpman Winemaker, Sashi Moorman...I look forward to meeting him next 

time he's in Oregon for his other project, Evening Land

Best NZ Winery Restaurant

Pegasus Bay has been awarded the Cuisine Magazine New Zealand Winery Restaurant of the Year...for the past 5 years in a row. No small feat, especially coming from the less known region of Waipara Valley, meaning 'muddy water' in Maori, and just 30 minutes north of Christchurch. Not the most appealing name for a wine region in my opinion but Waipara's proximity to the ocean allows for warm days and cool nights resulting in a prolonged ripening period. This, combined with its terroir, promotes great flavor development while retaining natural acidity making wines from the region a true pleasure to drink and Pegasus Bay is a prime example!

Since I've been in New Zealand, I've learned about The Family of Twelve, which are 12 family owned wineries throughout New Zealand that strive to produce great New Zealand wine with the help and support from each other. Pegasus Bay is one of the 12. All are well respected and have great reputations for making consistently great wines. From the few I've tasted, I'd have to agree. I would love to taste at all 12 some day...9 down, 3 to go!

Not only does Pegasus Bay take special care of their wines, but they also take great pride in their restaurant cuisine. One of the beautiful things about the Pegasus Bay Restaurant is the menu is created for the wines they actually produce and each dish is matched with a recommended wine. They also use locally grown ingredients and change their menu regularly to utilize seasonal ingredients allowing for variety. Their highest rated dish by Cuisine Magazine is the whole Muscovy duck braised and crisp fried with fig jus. It's meant to be shared and served with roasted beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, arugula, butter crunch, mint, orange, ricotta, fennel, pistachios, raspberry vincotto. It's a complete meal for two at only $98.00. It's suggested pairing is with the Pegasus Bay PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir or the MAESTRO Merlot/Cabernet blend. Sounds amazing! However, we did not order the duck because we wanted to taste a wider range from their menu and we were not disappointed.

The Lineup: We had an amazing tasting at Pegasus Bay and were able to taste their entire range. Absolutely beautiful wines! You can really tell they take great pride in their craft. All wines had great balance, elegance and minerality.

One of the stand outs: BEL CANTO Dry Riesling 2011. The nose was rich with hints of botrytis, ripe stone fruits and slightest hint of green tea, which added an interesting component to this already complex wine. It was developed and reminiscent to German Riesling from the Pfalz. It's one of the highest compliments I can give because the Pfalz produces some of my favorite Rieslings.  

Our appetizer: The Golden Bay cockles, chorizo, fennel, garlic and parsley paired beautifully with the 2011 BEL CANTO Dry Riesling.

Sent out compliments of the chef...thanks! Smoked venison carpaccio, pinot cherries, horseradish cream and parmigiano reggiano. Yummy! Matched with VIRTUOSO Chardonnay or PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir. 

Main dish: Char grilled Angus/Hereford 350g, 30 day aged rib eye with roast shallots, watercress, red wine butter, jus and served with a selection of mustards. Recommended pairing with PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir or MAESTRO Merlot/Cabernet. This was my favorite out of everything! It was so tender, juicy and packed with flavor...it melted in your mouth! Went beautifully with the MAESTRO.

Main dish: Marinated Canterbury lamb cutlets with cavolo nero, chorizo, borlotti beans, ricotta, lemon and olive dust. Recommended pairing with PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir or MAESTRO Merlot/Cabernet. I preferred it with the MAESTRO.

And our dessert was the pear tarte tatin, cardamom ice cream, pistachio praline. I asked the server to surprise us with dessert. The tarte tatin was secretly what I wanted and I was so excited when it came out that I forgot to take a picture...oops! We enjoyed it with the FINALE Semillon. Superb!

And our very happy faces enjoying one of the best meals of my life!

Later, I got to taste the 2010 vintage at Wine Tastes, a wine shop in Queenstown. Dare I say, better than the 2011?...yes I do! :)

Tickets booked...France here I come!!!

It's official! I'm working next vintage in Alsace for Domaine Mader. It's one of my favorite wine regions in the world and the first I ever truly appreciated. I had the pleasure of meeting with the winemaker, Jerome Mader, and tasting their full range last year while touring the region. Their wines are incredibly elegant with excellent texture and packed with minerality. I'll be working in the vineyard by day and winery by night...pretty perfect if you ask me. I'm so excited to learn more about this amazing wine region and the extraordinary wines they produce!

L'Ecole No 41 Semillon

Check out my article for L'Ecole No 41, a Washington State Semillon [pronounced semi-on], at Mission Valley News!

Fallen Giant

While I was traveling the South Island, I happened to hear about a beached whale from a local. We were told the whale had washed ashore in the night just a short 15-minute drive from where we were staying in Greymouth. Once we arrived at the location at Kumara Beach, we spoke to other locals who were very disturbed by this event, informing us this was the third beached whale in the past week. The Department of Conservation had inspected the whale and shortly released, "It's certainly unusual and it may just be coincidence. There were some major storms at sea…that's the only likely reason I can see at the moment." But I think the real question, is what’s causing the storms? New Zealand has had its wettest year to date with many floods and other environmental issues throughout. And unfortunately, a week later another beached whale washed up in the same area. It makes me wonder, is global warming becoming a real concern?

Locals gather to witness the third beached whale in one week

15 meter [50 foot] sperm whale awaiting the traditional Maori burial

The cause of death is still undetermined

Terribly sad but a once in a lifetime chance to be this close to a fallen giant