Oregon Day 3: Meeting a Pinot Pioneer

31 Monday Oct 2016

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WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OR. – Saturday was a day of Pinot, great luck, and fabulous food.

Four wine dudes traveling for the first time together in Oregon’s Willamette Valley rocked it with great wine, friendship, and a bit of good luck. We’re here for three days of wine tasting and other adventures.

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Amy and Lynette – the Jam ladies.

When you go to wine country it’s all about great tasting experiences, learning about the vineyards, and getting acquainted with the wonderful people of wine country. But a great trip should include more. You should explore the area’s restaurants, sites, and the unique businesses.

 

We started our Saturday with one of my favorites – The Republic of Jam. Lynnette Shaw’s brainchild is now six years old and thriving as tourism continues to boom in the valley. Yes, they sell jam. They also sell cocktail enhancements, flavored ketchups and mustard.

Marionberry, Pacific berry, strawberry basil, and so many other combinations really test your taste buds. Republic of Jam is in Carlton nestled in the middle of the main street of the small village. The jams are a wonderful experience for the taste buds. Lynette and Amy have a unique business that has become a must-stop when visiting. I bought six! The have a small jar for $7.50 and larger one for $10. It’s a real taste of Oregon produce with a twist.

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Winderlea co-owner Donna with Dude Patrick T.

We made our first winery stop at Winderlea in the Dundee Hills. Co-owner Donna Morris was hosting a wine club pick-up reception and she invited us to join in the fun. Great food bites and a tasting of their new 2014 vintage wines was a treat.

 

Winderlea is truly boutique at about 6,000 cases. Veteran winemaker Robert Brittan uses the well-sourced fruit to make beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The Chardonnay is soft, round and has real depth. Tasting through the new releases was a great experience of really well-made wines. Brittan was winemaker for Napa’s Stags Leap before moving north.  Winderlea wines run from $38 to $85. And since we’ve been talking about costs and tasting fees, it’s nice to note the Winderlea makes an annual and  substantial contribution to a local charity providing health care to vineyard workers.

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David Adelsheim shared a few moments with us.

This weekend is my fifth trip to the valley and another of the guys has been here four times. Two of the guys are making their initial visit. With about 500 wineries now, it’s hard to get everywhere. But through my five visits I had missed two important wineries. We visited Bergstrom Friday and Saturday we had a great visit to Adelsheim.

 

Adelsheim is one of the valley’s pioneers. The tasting room offered several different tastings at the $25 level. Adelsheim, like most here, waive the fee if you buy wine.

We had a very “Oregon experience” during our stop. Our friendly tasting room associate Sandy was telling us all about the wines we were tasting and someone came up behind us to introduce himself. Yes, it was David Adelsheim. He talked about changes in the valley and the future of his winery for a good 15 minutes. It was an awesome experience. He then called Sam Schmitt, head of marketing, over to give us a full vineyard and winery tour. Adelsheim’s Pinot runs roughly $60 to just over $100 a bottle. They have a couple of different whites including a $25 Pinot Blanc that I thought was terrific.

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Schmitt talking vineyard with our group.

Next was a quick visit, by our standards, to Trisaetum Winery. A couple of the guys are big Reisling fans and Trisaetum is widely praised for their efforts with the German varietal. I tasted the Pinots and a couple Reislings. The guys assured me Trisaetum lived up to its billing. I drank a lot of Reisling when I started getting interested in wine but not much of a fan as my palate has evolved. I could tell they were well made wines and priced at an affordable $20-$30 range.

 

Saffron Fields was our final stop of the day. I’m a club member so a big fan. Their wines are made by Tony Rynders, who rose to fame making wines for Domaine Serene. It’s a beautiful setting and great Pinot. There price points range $40-$60. Saffron has a nice Chardonnay, one of the best Rose of Pinot I’ve had in the valley, and their reds.

Now, a note to newbies. I’d never recommend more than three wineries a day for someone making their first or second wine country visit. Frankly, I’m most comfortable with just three. You get palate fatigue and even if you take small sips or spit, you are absorbing alcohol. But our group knows when to say when and is anxious to visit several of the iconic wineries and the quirky ones.

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Rabbitt, Pork, with rockfish in middle.

We wrapped up Saturday with another great dinner. We dined at Thistle in McMinnville. We had planned on having the chef’s tasting menu but the manager just convinced us to have ‘everything.” So that’s exactly what we did. Thistle is a chef-driven, farm-to-fork, hipsters and upscale eatery at affordable prices.

 

The food was wonderful. We enjoyed a chicken liver and a pork pate’ as well as some squash soup and a couple of salads. We shared on dish of about everything. Entrees were pork, rock fish, and rabbit. The chef weaved interesting flavors and ingredients. It was a very enjoyable meal.The dinner came to about $50 apiece. We brought our own wine and the restaurant waived the $20 corkage fee.

Oregon Day 2: Oh That Pinot Noir!

29 Saturday Oct 2016

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Dudes Alex, Patrick B., Jesse Lange, me, and Patrick T.

YAMHILL, Or. – I’ve always loved datelines. We’re near Yamhill, Oregon, up a windy road, at the top of a big hill, in the woods, a small herd of deer camping in our yard, and traces of Bigfoot out back.

All four of us on our wine buddy weekend are wined out, tired, and have convinced each other that smell really isn’t a Sasquatch.

Yes, our red farmhouse on a hill is remote but quite nice. Three bedrooms up, one down, a great kitchen, wrap around porch, and all for less than $300 bucks a night. The recent Air B&B movement and other such rental homes provide a homey feel without a Hilton price.

For most of the day we got our wine geek on. Our first stop was up in the Dundee Hills at Lange Estate Winery. Lange was my first stop in 2007 on my first visit. It’s a personal tradition I’ve continued and my three fellow travelers were happy to keep it going.

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Jesse Lange

We all stopped to enjoy the view. In five stops at Lange, Friday was just the second when the skies were clear enough to see Mount Hood. With the withering and golden vines, the scene set the stage for a fabulous sunny day in the Willamette Valley.

We tasted our way through Lange’s lineup of a fabulous Pinot Gris and four Pinot Noir. The two tasting room attendants were very knowledgeable. We talked vineyards and aging and much more. It was a wine geek’s delight.

Even better, Jesse Lange joined us for a great discussion about vintage, marketing, family tradition and technical versus artisanal – – gut instinct – type of winemaking. Jesee has always been generous with his time during visits. And let’s acknowledge that not everyone gets access to the winemaker. But when visiting tasting rooms, don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more you learn about wine, the detail, the grape growing, aging, and more – the more you’ll enjoy your wine.

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Bergstrom’s vineyard, barn

Bergstrom wines have a long history in the valley and I had never visited, neither had any of our group. So, we made our way up to the tasting There are many wineries in the valley that qualify as “boutique,” meaning small production and high-end wines. Bergstrom is simply one of the best. We tasted mostly their single vineyard Pinot Noir. They are fabulous wines. Bergstrom owns great vineyard sites and buy from some of the valley’s top spots like Temperance Hill and Shea.

Rebecca, our tasting room guide and 20-year veteran of wine sales, talked us through the difference from vineyard to vineyard. Bergstrom is also well known for Sigrid Chardonnay. The Sigrid bottling is in honor of founder John Bergstrom’s mother. John’s son Josh now runs the winery and makes the wine. Sigrid Chard is the best I’ve ever tasted in the valley and there are more and more great bottles. It is a multi-vineyard cuvee that is Chablis Grand Cru like with a bit less acidity.

A word about tasting room fees. Lange and Bergstrom charge a $20 tasting fee. In Oregon, the long tradition of waving tasting fees if you make much of a purchase lives on. In comparison, at many Napa tasting rooms where you’ll pay much more than $20 – forget about getting the tasting fee being waived. While Napa hospitality is the best in the world and extraordinarily professional, it often lacks the genuine warmth of the folks in the tasting rooms here.

We topped off the day with McMinnville visit. The town of 33,000 is the heart and historical center of Oregon Pinot Noir. Downtown is a bit hipster-ish but filled with great restaurants, tasting rooms, and quirky shops. The three other guys tasted through several wines at the Willamette Valley Vineyards tasting room while I appreciated the live jazz.

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Rich, hot crab lasagna

We dined at the iconic Nick’s Italian Café – a James Beard award winner. A wonderful charcuterie board and meatballs got us started. The other guys had a sausage plate, fire-roasted game hen, and our youngest dude had an intriguing pasta with sausage and kale pesto.  I had one of their signature dishes – unbelievable – Dungeness Crab Lasagna.

We enjoyed a single bottle of Italian Rosso di Montepulciano which was a nice change of pace after all that Pinot Noir.

Today is our busiest day. We’re going to start off at the quirky and interesting Republic of Jam, visit wineries Winderlea and Saffron Fields and then make a few wineries visit decisions while out on the road. We’re back to McMinnville for dinner tonight at Thistle – a chef-driven newcomer getting lots of attention.

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Really cool view of Mount Hood from Lange tasting room.

Oregon Day 1: Getting There

28 Friday Oct 2016

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Grapes are gone this late but we’re hoping to see great fall color.

PORTLAND, OR. – And so the adventure begins. Four wino buddies spending an extended weekend in Oregon’s Willamette Valley tasting, tasting, dining, and then probably tasting some more.

I’m going to journal about these days in Oregon. The idea is to share ideas of cost, planning, and the actual experiences that might provide some wine country touring perspective and maybe advice. So, let’s go:

All four of us live in Central Indiana. All of us flew out of Indianapolis but separately. In this day and age, with frequent flyer miles and bonus points, it’s a great way to travel. The guys who bought tickets paid slightly less than $400 for the round trip. I used flyer miles and paid $11. For the record, I used 32,000 points for my flight.

Interestingly enough, all four of us flew different carriers through different cities to get here. My flight was something of the traditional short hop to Chicago’s O’Hare then straight to Portland. One of our group actually had a connection from Houston. Yes, THAT Houston – as in Texas. I did that once through Dallas – never again.

If you’re flying to the Northwest, several airlines offer good connections going through Chicago, Denver, and Minneapolis.

We’re all staying near the airport since arrivals are late. I booked a Hilton Garden Inn for two of us with Hhonors points. I recall the normal room rate being $229. Obviously, near an airport all hotels are a little pricier but the convenience can be worth it.

The other two guys are just down the road from here. Tomorrow morning I’ll jet back over to the airport and pick up our Alamo Rental car. We have a midsize for Friday through Monday for $180. A tank of gas at the end of the trip and not a bad rental cost.

Friday morning we head to the valley. We’ll stop off and pick up a UPS wine shipping box or two to hold our purchases. Then Monday when we leave the valley we’ll each ship our wine home. I’ll elect UPS Air … so my wine will probably arrive Wednesday or Thursday after I get back Tuesday morning. I forget the exact cost from last trip but a full case by air is going to run $70 or a bit more.

I’ll write about the winery stops each day. We have done some pre-arrangment, maybe 40 to 50 percent of our stops. Friday we start off at Lange Estate Winery. I reached out to Jesse Lange who I’ve met several times and he’s going to join us for the tasting. After that, we head to Bergstrom wines – where we hope to have a little time with Josh Bergstrom. And we’ll cap off our first day winery visits by going to one of the real pioneering wineries, Adelsheim. Dinner for our first night will be at the iconic Nick’s Italian Cafe in McMinnville.

I’ll update Friday night our winery visits, dinner, and a bit about our farmhouse rental near Carlton.

Our Saturday and Sunday plants are a little bit less structured. Friend Patrick and I have been out here numerous time while our other two travelers are making their first visit. We want them to help shape the experience.

So today’s travelogue will be followed by Friday’s real wine geekiness.

 

 

 

 

Join My Virtual Oregon Wine Tour

24 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Food & Travel, Newspaper Column 2016, Oregon, Uncategorized

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Grape Sense was born in October of 2007. This column is my 207th since No. 1, which was an introduction. I’ve written about wine, food, wine travel, documented my wine travel, and much more.

grape-sense-logoI’ve heard from lots of readers the past nine years and have enjoyed watching circulation peak at approximately 300,000 homes at one point. Most of the papers carrying Grape Sense are in Indiana. I always pause in October to contemplate how well this effort has worked out. I also try to think of something different for the column.

I’ve written here. and for a couple of other publications, quite a bit about wine travel. I have not written much about social media but do refer to this wine blog quite often – http://www.howardhewitt.net.

So this may sound crazy but let’s try this together. I want you to come along with me to the Willamette Valley Oct. 28-31. No, don’t go packing a bag because it’s going to be a virtual wine trip. I have gotten lots of questions through the years from Grape Sense readers about wine travel and many people would like to make a trip.

I am headed to Portland for a long weekend with some wine drinking buddies. I have documented these trips in the blog previously. But this time I’m going to take a different approach. I shall use my blog to journal more than just post a few photos and maybe a few observations.

I’m going to detail the kind of places our group of four is staying, how we’re getting around, where we’re eating, and of course our winery stops. I’m going to include what things cost, the distances traveled, and describe each experience with details beyond the glasses of wine.

I’ve never tried this approach but have seen others do it. The posts will be long but I think it will be a fun writing challenge. As a writer, you’ll notice much of this column is written today in first person. I seldom do that but I want you to come with me to Oregon and enjoy the food, wine and sites. I want you to do that on your home computer not as a passive observer but with me.

Visit the blog and read my “journal” entries then press the button at the top labeled “Leave a Comment.” Share what you think, or ask a question, get in on the experience by participating. Want to know anything about wine travel, just leave a question. I’ll answer in the comments section and hopefully we establish a dialogue.

You have a chance to understand our budget, our planning, and come away with a blueprint for a wine vacation of your own. Just go to howardhewitt.net on Friday, Oct. 28 and join my three friends and me in the Willamette Valley. I’ll be posting Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’ll post a wrap-up of some nature late Monday. We’re taking that day to do some sight-seeing in the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood.

One more thing, let’s make sure everyone understands the reach of our conversation. When you leave a comment the first time, leave the name of the town where you read Grape Sense.

Off we go on a wine adventure; come along with me.

Related Oregon blog content:
Archived Oregon-related posts
2014 Oregon  Wine Tour Photos

 

 

 

We’re All Searching For Good QPR

15 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in California, Paso Robles & Mendocino, Uncategorized

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There are magic words and terms in the wine world. One classification every wine drinker needs to know is QPR. QPR stands for Quality to Price Ratio.

grape-sense-logoQPR represents what every wine drinker is looking for regardless of the wine budget. Every wine drinker is or should be looking for wine which tastes above, or way above, its price point.

QPR wines can be found on grocery shelves, liquor stores, wine shops, and really fine wine shops. How about an example? Robert Mondavi has a couple of different labels for Napa Cabernet in the $20 price range. The wines taste like you should pay more.

Some of the best examples of QPR wines are second labels. Wineries selling their grape juice at higher price points sometimes have a second label for value-priced wine. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting less quality but it might mean you’re getting a little different fruit or perhaps grapes from a region other than the one the winery might be known for normally.

duckhorn-decoy-2011-merlot-sonoma-countyA great example of second labels from Napa is Decoy. Decoy is the number-two label for Duckhorn wines. Duckhorn is known for its marvelous single-vineyard Merlot wines. Those usually sell, full retail, for $95. But the Decoy label features a wonderful Merlot for $19.99.

Many of the famous French chateaux have second labels, a common French practice. It takes some research and work but second labels are well worth the effort.

But many Grape Sense readers buy most of their wine from groceries or local liquor stores with an occasional outing to a wine shop. So what’s on the shelf there that’s a good buy?

A recent discovery widely available in Indiana is Chronic Cellars. Chronic wines come from Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast. The background for Chronic Cellars is a good story. Two brothers who were raised in the heart of Paso wine country attended college and returned to Paso to work at Peachy Canyon winery, one of Paso’s best.

One of the slang terms often used by the brothers was “chronic” when referring to things they liked. They decided to set out on their own and offered up their first vintage in 2008. What you won’t find on their website is their wine-making pedigree. When they returned to Paso to work at Peachy Canyon they were returning home.

chronic-labelBrothers Josh and Jake Beckett’s parents own Peachy Canyon Winery. So again, pedigree matters. Chronic, now owned by Winery Exchange as of 2014, was a totally separate operation – not a second label. But the two brothers remain at the winery as winemaker and in marketing.

But the colorful labels and great value wine proved to be a hit, particularly with younger consumers. The winery makes 14 different wines.  The wines are very drinkable and surprisingly affordable. Take, for example, one of their best is Purple Paradise – a Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Sirah, and Grenache blend. The wine has a satisfying dark fruit and chocolate taste with a balanced finish. Better yet, the suggested retail is just $14.99.

Chronic Wines are all over the state with a big presence in a couple of the supermarket changes. The wines stand out because of their labels but you’ll remember them for your taste. Chronic Cellars is one of the best value labels I’ve found in several years.

 

Boxxle Pricey, Elegant Idea

09 Sunday Oct 2016

Posted by in Gizmos & Wine Gadgets, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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Wine writers get sample wine, often unsolicited, and wine gadgets on a fairly regular basis. Just a few weeks back Grape Sense featured a look at Black Box and Bota Box wines. Shortly after that column was published a pitch for the Boxxle appeared in my inbox.

grape-sense-logoThe few of the boxed wines available in Central Indiana are decent enough wines. Boxed wine is great for that single glass on a Tuesday night with whatever is for dinner. The boxes aren’t particularly attractive but most buy the wine for convenience and not as a fashion statement.

But for some folks the tacky box is just a bit much. So leave it to a North Carolina banker to come up with something a bit more elegant. Tripp Middleton, the inventor, developed a taste for boxed wines. But all that marketing was apparently too much for his kitchen counter.

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Easy pour for boxed wine

So in 2011 Middleton invented the Boxxle. Let’s get to it – essentially the Boxxle is a stainless steel container for your boxed wine and your kitchen counter. Slide the Boxxle in between the food processor and coffeemaker and it looks like any other shiny kitchen appliance.

Here is how it works. The consumer removes the bag of wine from the box. The flip-up lid on the Boxxle opens and a spring loaded platform provides the necessary mechanism to make the whole thing work. The platform is pushed down to near the bottom of the Boxxle and locks into place. The wine bag is inverted with the spigot at the top.

The spigot on almost all wine bags can be rotated. A simple 180-degree rotation of the spigot, a closing of the lid, which releases the depressed platform and the Boxxle is ready to go. The platform pushes up against the bag forcing the wine out the spigot at the shiny top.

It takes a bit of an effort to lock that platform down in place but it only took me two tries.

boxxle1Inventor Middleton struggled with funding the first few years when he tried to start manufacturing and bring the Boxxle to market. But since then plenty of money came on board and the Boxxle is widely available at spots like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Amazon, Brookstone, Sharper Image, and more.

Anyone who has shopped for major appliances in recent years know stainless steel isn’t cheap and neither is the Boxxle. The suggested retail price is $99.99.

Do you need a Boxxle? Well, it’s probably not needed any more than a $200-$300 Riedel crystal decanter. But wine drinkers do like gadgets. It is pretty cool gadget. It’s easy to see how restaurants would love the Boxxle. A restaurant bar could use the Boxxle for a house wine without all the marketing there for every customer to see.

If you buy a lot of boxed wine and want a great looking dispenser, Middleton came up with one. With holiday season approaching, it would make a great gift for a wine drinking friend who buys their juice by the box.

Another Winery Distilling Spirits

18 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016

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Distilled spirits like whiskey, bourbon, brandy, and more have become the rage in the adult beverage world of late. Indiana has been part of the boom with distilleries starting to pop up and more on the drawing boards.

French Lick Winery is the second Hoosier winery to jump into the fray with initial releases of their Spirits of French Lick products this fall.

grape-sense-logo“Ted Huber and I have been talking about this for about 10 years because we both wanted to make bourbon,” said John Doty, owner of French Lick Winery. “I’ll be honest, Ted has a lot more pull in the legislature than I do so he did the lion’s share of getting that law changed in July of 2013. Our distillery has been in the planning ever since.”

Huber’s Orchard and Winery has been in the business for some time and built a building specifically for the distillery. Earlier this year, Ted Huber confirmed more construction is going to be needed for his booming business.

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Fench Lick’s still.

French Lick is uniquely positioned to do just as well as Huber’s, a tourist destination near Louisville but with few other attractions in the area. The French Lick Winery and Distillery is just across the street from the fabulously renovated West Baden Springs and French Lick Springs Hotels. French lick also boasts a a casino, prestigious 18-hole golf course, and a water park.

“A lot of distilleries specialize in just one or two spirits,” Doty said. “We’re going to be unique in that we already have an Italian restaurant and have the winery. We have so many people who come in and want beer or cocktails so we’re going to make a wide selection of spirits so we can pour them in our restaurant.”

John and Kim Doty started small in 2008, and have grown, with the wine lineup now reaching 23. “We’ve always been customer driven with our wines,” he said. “We visit so many wineries and so many wineries are guilty of making wines the winemaker or owner likes. You go to distilleries you see the same thing.

“It doesn’t matter what I like, it’s all about what the customers like. When you come in we want to have something you will like. We want the same with our distillery.”

spirits-of-french-lickTo achieve that goal Doty is determined to offer a variety of spirits. “We’ll concentrate on what we think we can keep up with like the vodka, Aquavit, and specialty bourbons.”

He wants to do some unique offerings like oak whiskey and buckwheat bourbon. “We won’t make a lot of these but enough for our tasting room. Most of our whiskies and bourbons are 51- to 60-percent corns and rest of the flavoring will be these flavoring grains.”

Doty was able to hire a master distiller Alan Bishop who hopes to see the product line expand to fully occupy the 18,000 square feet set aside for the distillery.

The Doty family is growing some of the grain and plans to grow even more. What they can’t grow they plan to source locally whenever possible.

During a late summer visit the vodka was on the winery shelves while other products were tasted for a VIP preview event. The winery plans an Oct. 15 grand opening for the Spirits of French Lick .

 

Black versus Bota Box Wine Battle

04 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by in California, Gizmos & Wine Gadgets, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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You’re a wine drinker and you’ve passed them in your local grocery. You look at them with curiosity, puzzlement, and perhaps even disdain.

Grape Sense LogoIt’s time to lighten up to box wines and enjoy the often tasty and economical solution to wanting just one glass some nights. Boxed wines are better than ever before and shaking off the past negative images of swill in cardboard.

There is no point trying to convince anyone the grocery boxed wines are super, high-premium wines because for the most part they are not. Some brands will advertise that way but it’s misleading. Two of the most prominent in the Midwest are Black Box and Bota Box.

A definition or two is in order before going any further. The boxed wines come with an air-tight plastic pouch inside with a pour spout attached. Generally, once opened, the wines will last a month. The container holds four bottles of wine.  Different companies do offer different sizes and various price points.

IMG_1521Now some advice about handling the boxed wine. I suggest refrigerating it after opening to make it last as long as possible, particularly if you’re going to keep it four or five weeks. If you’re a regular wine drinker, it’s probably less necessary to stick it in the fridge. The wine is in a sealed plastic pouch so it gets no air whatsoever. No air is a very good thing for storage but not so much for drinking. Pour your glass of wine from the box and let it set a bit before you drink. The box contains 20 five-ounces pours.

Black Box has been a long-time player. Black Box got its start in 2002 with the promise of super-premium wine in an environmentally friendly box. Black Box is a leader in the business and sells for around $23. You can find it for as low as $19.99 in many places.

The Black Box menu includes Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec, Shiraz, a red blend called Red Elegance, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvingon Blanc, and Reisling. The wines have been listed by Wine Enthusiast 27 different times as a “Best Buy.”

Go online for lots of reviews and you’ll see the Merlot is often the highest rated. In small market Indiana, all I’ve found is the Cab and Chardonnay. The Cabernet is a satisfying glass of wine with soft fruit, correct Cabernet flavor, and an ever-so-light hint of tannins. It’s quite drinkable.

The Delicato Family Vineyards company of brands from Manceta, Ca., offers Bota Box. The Bota lineup includes Cabernet, Merlot, Old Vine Zin, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Chardonnay, a blend called Redvolution, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato, and a second blend called Blackhawk.

The Bota Cabernet was a bit sweet but probably likable for newer wine drinkers. I didn’t find it to be correct in flavor profile for Cab but there was certainly nothing wrong with it. I bought the Bota Brick which sold locally for $9.99, a smaller version of the standard box.

Keep in mind most of these wines are blends. In California, for instance, a wine only has to include 75 percent Cabernet to be called Cabernet. And let’s face it, this isn’t Napa Cab.

I’d rate the Black Box significantly better for regular wine drinkers and Bota a good starting point for a beginner. Black wins the nod for overall quality.

Check the blog from time to time as I intend to explore more boxed wines. All stores have them. Many Meijer stores have a large selection.

The best part of boxed wine is enjoying one glass at a time. Don’t underestimate the quality until you’ve tried them. I would love to hear from regular Grape Sense readers if you have thoughts on other brands. I’ll share that in a future column.

 

 

2016 A Strong Hoosier Vintage

26 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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FRENCH LICK, IN. – Learning about wine means spending time in the vineyard. The next best thing is talking with the men and women worrying about rainfall, leaf canopy, and sugars in hot August fields.

Grape Sense LogoThe Indiana Uplands, nine southern Indiana wineries in the state’s only AVA, held its annual Uncork the Uplands tasting event the last weekend in July at the fabulous French Lick Springs Hotel. Muck like plants, flowers or an herb garden in many Hoosier backyards, the 2016 growing season has been a strong one.

“This year everything is growing, growing, and growing,” said Bernie Parker, vineyard manager for the 55-acre Creekbend Vineyard of Oliver Winery. “We’ve been applying some fungicides because of the wet weather. We’ve had more than eight inches of rain in July and we normally have half that.

“We have a great crop out there and as long as it dries out in next five to six weeks, we’re going to be harvesting a great vintage and full crop.”

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Traminette being delivered to Huber winery in 2014. The whites come first.

That’s really good news for the Oliver operation. Late frost cut the 2014 Creekbend crop by 70 percent and the 2015 crop by about 30 percent.

The story is very similar regardless of vineyard size. John Doty, owner of French Lick Winery, said the 2016 crop is going to be excellent. “We’ve had plenty of rain but it can rain another couple of weeks. Then it needs to quit raining; if it quits raining last two weeks of August and first of September I’ll be a happy man. We have a beautiful crop hanging.”

Doty’s 8-acre vineyard is actually in Martin County on family property on the hillside of one of the highest points in the area. The vineyard suffered some trunk damage to Chambourcin vines and lost a planting of Tannat over the past two years with the early chill but 2016 appears to be delivering a stellar crop.

Butler Winery also benefit from location during bad weather years. Butler sits atop a hill just north of Bloomington. Jim Butler said his 6 acre vineyard is better suited to withstand a late frost because of its elevated position.

“We have a great crop,” the veteran Hoosier winemaker said. “We’ve had a lot of rain, but if it dries out, and that’s what we look for in August and September, we’re in great shape.”

Times have been good in recent years for most Hoosier wineries despite the two years of frost damage in a few areas. Wine sales across the country continue to rise and Indiana wine quality continues to improve.

Winemakers across the state are now at a point where they’re ready to push the envelope and try new grapes. Butler is experimenting with the cold-climate Marquette. Doty and others are planting the hardy Norton grape. Ted Huber, in the state’s southern-most region, continues his work with traditional Bordeaux-style varietals.

A warm and dry late summer will apparently deliver one of the best crops of recent vintages for Hoosier wine drinkers.

 

‘Uncork’ Shows Indiana’s Best

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016

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Indiana’s top wine event is unquestionably Vintage Indiana held in Indianapolis in early June each year.

Vintage Indiana brings 30-plus Hoosier wineries to Military Park in Indianapolis and gives thousands an opportunity to sample hundreds of Indiana wines. Unfortunately, the event was nearly drowned out this year with a day of heavy downpours. (Pun intended).

Grape Sense LogoIndiana’s second-best wine celebration might be Uncork the Uplands, Saturday, July 30, French Lick, IN. Uncork celebrates the nine wineries of the Indiana Uplands Agricultural Viticulture Area or AVA.

The AVA thing is significant. The Uplands is the only AVA in Indiana. If you’re a wine drinker and like Pinot think of the Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills, or Howell Mountain in Napa. An AVA is a federally-recognized agricultural area which produces quality grapes for quality wines.

The 6th annual event runs 4-7 p.m. at the wonderful French Lick Springs Hotel. Last-minute tickets are $60. Wine fans can find a lot more information on the official website uncorktheuplands.com Unfortunately, getting a hotel room in French Lick on this summer weekend might be tough. The two resorts are sold out. But there are other small chain hotels nearby.

The event features wines from all nine wineries. Visitors have the chance to talk to winemakers and winery owners. Past Uncork events featured plenty of small bites of food and even entertainment. The 2016 early evening wine tasting is the first not to be held at Oliver or Huber wineries.

French Lick is a great location, though a bit of an effort to get there in the Hoosier heartland. French Lick Winery will become something of an official/unofficial host. The Doty family has a long history with Indiana wine and the Uplands event. The French Lick Winery is using the Saturday event to introduce its new distillery. The VIP event is sold out but signals another Indiana winery entering the competitive distillery business. Ted Huber has been the real pioneer among Indiana winemakers to jump into the distilled spirits business. French Lick seems like a natural with the two fabulous, Indiana landmark hotels and a bustling casino.

There is another event coming up that seems to get less attention. Indiana wineries pour their wines throughout the Indiana State Fair, 1-9 p.m., each day of the fair, Aug. 5-21.

State Fair attendees, who are also wine fans, should definitely stop by the Grand Hall across from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The event showcases wine and Indiana beer. Attendees must be 21 to enter.