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Howard W. Hewitt

~ … The "W" stands for wine!

Howard W. Hewitt

Tag Archives: Oregon

Stock up on Oregon Pinot?

06 Thursday Oct 2022

Posted by Howard in Oregon, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Oregon, smoke taint, Winderlea

If you love Oregon Pinot Noir, it may be time to stock up.

Howard with Oregon winery owner Bill Sweat.

Three years of forests fires and an untimely spring freeze is challenging winemakers to change their standard production. It’s also forcing decisions on wine distribution, tasting rooms, and club memberships

The Willamette Valley had smoke damage in 2018 and 2019 but the worst smoke taint was in 2020 when the fires burned in the valley and not just adjacent areas. Smoke penetrates the thin skins of Pinot at a much more significant rate than Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. While there is no danger to using the grapes, the taste can be mildly to profoundly affected.

The solutions vary to making wines requiring less skin contact to making no wine at all. There will be lots more Pinot Noir Rose’ from the 2020 vintage but less, and in some cases, a lot less Pinot Noir.

“Our sparkling, whites and rose were unaffected and we bottled the usual amounts,” said Winderlea owner Bill Sweat. “We made about 800 cases of Pinot Noir versus a more typical 4,500.”

Sweat explained much of his grape crop was picked the first day of the smoke while some of the fruit came from a windswept vineyard. “It will only affect our retail and wholesale businesses to the extent that 2020 will not have a lot of wine so we’ll move to 2021 more quickly. We’re pouring 2018 Pinots right now.”

Alloro’s Tom Fitzpatrick

At the higher elevation in the Chehalem Mountains, smoke taint was less of an issue, Alloro vineyards lowered its fruit set and clusters. “The forest fires did not impact our yield,” said General Manager and winemaker Tom Fitzpatrick.

Alloro mitigated any significant smoke impact by using 60 percent of its Pinot grapes in a trendy white Pinot Noir. Again, a pale pink wine which requires less skin contact during the winemaking process. But that move obviously reduced the cases of the highly rated Pinot Noir.

Fitzpatrick took the most unique view of the challenge. “With our focus on terroir-driven wines, we embraced the potential influence of the fires – a natural environmental element in 2020 that an honest terroir-driven wine should display. Our hope was to craft a wine that might present some influence from the fires but only only one small and pleasant element that adds complexity. We are very pleased with the results.”

Still, that results in less Pinot Noir for the up-and-coming Alloro Vineyards. Fitzpatrick had sold 50 cases of Pinot Noir to the Indianapolis wine shop I have worked at over the past two years. We’ll not be getting any new wine for the coming year.

Having had a least one extensive conversation with the Alloro winemaker at the vineyard a few years back revealed significant concerns about the reality of climate change. Fitzpatrick has planted the northern Italian red wine grape Nebbiolo for future vintage production. He’s gone so far as to pouring Italian Nebbiolo wines in the tasting room to introduce customers to the grape which makes the big, sought-after Barolo wines.

While optimistic about surviving the freeze, Fitzpatrick knows the freeze is going to reduce yields this growing season. “The year promises to deliver very high quality, though possibly at the expense of yield and the ultimate quantity of the wine produced.”

Long-time industry leader Lange Estate Vineyards’ winemaker Jesse Lange is simply trying to manage the problem. “Our whites were pretty unaffected” he said. “Certainly, smoke compounds and how they interact with any given wine is the most complex wine chemistry I’ve ever delved into.”

Lange called it an endeavor fascinating as much as it was intimidating. He transitioned to the frost challenge with similar winemaking intellectual perspective. The frost experience was different from vineyard to vineyard, he said.

The valley was hit in mid April this year with temperatures in the mid-20s. Grape vines bloom at that time and are very delicate, there is a second bloom with a decrease in yield with slightly less flavor but a crop can produce wine though at perhaps a lesser quality.

Determining the exact frost damage will continue throughout the growing season. “Our early estimates were in the 10-20 percent range but that doesn’t mean the crop will be reduced by that much,” Sweat explained. “Given that our vineyards naturallycrop 4-plus tons per acre and we thin them back to 2.5-2.75 tons peradcre, I don’t think this will have much affect on us. Impact seems varied widely across the valley though.”

Oregon’s agricultural leaders have said crop loss from the freeze could wipe out up to 50 percent of the normal crop. The iconic Domaine Drouhin winery is making no Pinot Noir while most of not many are cutting back significantly.

If you love Oregon Pinot but it up now. If not try some red Burgundy to quench your Pinot palate.

Howard’s note: This is a magazine piece I wrote this summer for Madison Magazine based out of Anderson. They have an exclusive right to the content for a period after publication.

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Have patience with older wines

26 Wednesday Feb 2020

Posted by Howard in California, Napa/Sonoma, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

aging wine, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Cab, Oregon, Winderlea Vineyards

What is old wine? Nearly 20 years of wine enthusiasm has led me to think there is no single answer. A decent base-level understanding of wine only leads to more questions.

Two bottles of recently consumed wine have me reflecting on somewhat older wines. I haven’t consumed much 1980s Bordeaux or Burgundy but I have learned some things with Napa Cab and Oregon Pinot Noir.

The real starting point for this discussion is the truth about wine consumers. I’ve worked about 20 hours a week for two years in retail wine sales. Our shop is in an affluent neighborhood with a nice mixture of young people as regular customers. The average price point ranges $15 to $25. Still, we sell a good amount of higher end wine, $60-$125 and up.

Customers occasionally do ask about aging a $20 bottle of wine. I try to politely explain those wines are not made for aging. Drink them. I advise they find a decent decanter and air those red wines out for an hour or so and it will  probably improve them a little. The truth is American consumers want to drink wines when purchased. Winemakers are largely making wines for immediate drinking.

I make a point to ask winemakers how long to hold wines before consumption. During a trip to Napa the consistent answer was 5 years – though some high-end Cabs can certainly be held much longer. In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, winemakers say 4-5 years.

IMG_0346In my personal wine-drinking experience I’ve found those numbers to be pretty accurate. In the last month I have enjoyed a 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia. Insignia is an iconic label, a wine that has always scored 90 points and higher. It’s always a stunningly gorgeous bottle of wine. The current released vintage, a 2016, sells for $300 a bottle and received a 96 point rating from Wine Enthusiast.

The second bottle was a 2012 WinderleaCrawford Beck Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The ’12 has always been hailed as a classic Oregon vintage. This wine can be found online for $50-$80.

image0These two slightly older wines performed the same. Both bottles were disorganized with an off-putting nose when opened. But, after an hour-and-a-half decant both started coming around. After another half hour in the glass both wines were coming into their own and showing as outstanding wine.

No one can tell you exactly when to open an older bottle. Pedigree and time in oak have an impact on how long you can age wine. The best advice is to experiment. Take a small taste when opening a bottle then “check in on it” while the wine opens up.

I’ve never tasted one of those 50-year-old Burgundys. Though I did have a 1991 Gevrey Chambertin this past winter that showed me potential for what aged wine can be.

Buy what you can afford, give the reds a decant, and decide for yourself what makes sense in aging your more pricey wines. If you really want to test aging, but a couple bottles – open one and wait another year or two and try the other. That will help determine your palate for aging.

 

 

 

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A whim to a wallop for wine changes

09 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by Howard in Newspaper Column 2017, Uncategorized

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Tags

climate change, Gamay Noir, Oregon

It can be a whim or a wallop that can have an impact on the international wine world and what you are drinking in your glass at home.

Whims are as much a part of wine today as ever before with marketers and smart winemakers chasing younger demographics with snappy packaging, inventive packaging, and in hot pursuit of the millennial palate.

grape-sense-logoDo those young wine drinkers want a sweeter, more fruit-forward taste? Maybe the hipster generation just wants sometime different – a new grape from a new region?

A few recent notes out of Oregon suggest a whim that might prove a powerful one for those bold enough to change. Oregon is all about pinot noir and they do it really, really well. The vineyard numbers are something like 80-90 percent committed to pinot.

But there are a handful of estates producing Gamay Noir. Gamay, you may recall is the great grape of the French Beaujolais wines. You may also recall it’s the ‘not so great grape” of those wines. No grape takes a bigger rap than Gamay and that’s mostly because of the seasonal Beaujolais Nouveau. Nouveau is harvested, bottled, and sold. It was a marketing ploy that worked about bringing the freshest vintage to market but simply was never very good.

Fortunately, there have been efforts in recent years to highlight the Beaujolais Grand Cru wines. These wines are specific to terroir, aged and very affordable. Nice Gamay wine is lighter on the palate, like pinot. Gamay has a distinguishable fruit palate, like Pinot. Gamay wines are indeed something new to the vast majority of U.S. wine consumers.

There are a few other pockets of Gamay around. I tasted Gamay at a couple of spots in upper state Michigan in recent years. I recall Chateau Grand Traverse offering a very nice Gamay Noir for less than $20.

WillaKenzie and Brick House are two Oregon producers getting ink for their Gamay efforts.

The wines aren’t going to be easy to find in nearby markets, with the possible exception of Michigan Gamay in Northern Indiana shops perhaps. But Gamay is a good thought to store in the cellar of your mind as something worthy to try and to share with friends,

The bit wallop hitting the wine world is climate change. Syrah in Burgundy? That’s for the next Grape Sense,

 

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Join My Virtual Oregon Wine Tour

24 Monday Oct 2016

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

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Tags

Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valey, WineTravel

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

 

 

 

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Say Summer Refreshment with a Whisper

22 Sunday May 2016

Posted by Howard in France, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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Tags

Oregon, Pinot Noir, Provence, Rose'

Spring is upon us and summer just a few weeks away. Just like the change of seasons, it’s time to sing the praise of dry rosé.

Grape Sense LogoAlmost every year for the 8 years of this newspaper column dry rosé has been featured a time or two in warm weather. The columns usually start with a disclaimer that these pinks are not sweet but rather dry, satisfying, and delicious wines.

Rosé is one of the greatest porch-sipping wines of summer. But good dry rosé also is a great food wine and is spectacular with seafood.

The wine is diverse in that it’s made around the world and made with many different grapes. Breaking it down in the simplest of terms, red wine gets its color when the juice is left in contact with the purple skins. Rosé gets its signature pink color from greatly less time mingling with its own skin.

RoseloresThere are so many to choose from but I strongly recommend two in particular. First, are the Rosé wines from Pinot Noir. Many of the great Oregon Pinot Noir labels are now making a Rosé. More and more California wineries are adding a pink wine to their lineup as well.

Instead of a laundry lists of recommended wines, I’ll offer up just two.  The first is Martin Ray Rosé of Pinot Noir. The Sonoma Russian River Valley wine is one of the best examples you’ll find of the Pinot version. It’s very reasonably priced at $15-$16 and can be found in better wine shops.

The other recommendation is Chateau d’ Esclans “Whispering Angel” Rosé from Provence, France. Provence, in the south of France, is often considered home of the holy grail – the world’s best Rosé wines. Most of those wines are made of various blends of Grenache, Cinsaut, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a local grape, Tibouren.

The first release of Whispering Angel was in 2007 with approximately 150,000 bottles. Rosé sales and consumption in the U.S. continue to have remarkable growth year after year. The 2016 production of Whispering Angel, alone, has exploded to more than 4.5 million bottles.

Good, drinkable Provence rosé can be found at $12-$18. But Whispering Angel, at about $20 and several others under $30, really show off the best of Provence. Another great Provence producer is Domaine d’Ott.

 

 

 

 

 

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Join Me for Drink & Eat Oregon

23 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by Howard in Food & Travel, Newspaper Column 2015, Oregon

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Tags

Oregon, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, wine tour, wine travel

When I started writing a wine column seven years ago there was no intention of getting into the wine tour business. But there is a desire among many to travel to wine country with all of the arrangements taken care of by an insider.

Grape Sense LogoWhile I won’t quite claim insider status just yet, my first trip of 2014 treated my eight guests to fabulous food, accommodations, and wine tasting with owners and winemakers.

The 2015 trip runs June 15-20, or five nights and four full days. Drink & Eat Oregon is designed for anyone with a wine interest. We’ll be drinking some of the best Pinot Noir along with Oregon’s signature Pinot Gris and emerging light-bodied Chardonnays.

Here is how the trip works. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to get to Portland, Oregon. A room will be reserved for each couple at a major downtown hotel. We being with a reception Monday night June 15 and then take off for the Willamette Valley the next morning. Once you arrive in Portland – all expenses are covered by the trip fee until the trip ends Saturday morning, June 20.

2 - LangeGlass
Bill S
Our 2014 group on my first Oregon Pinot Noir tour.
Our 2014 group on my first Oregon Pinot Noir tour.
The stunning Columbia River Gorge.
The stunning Columbia River Gorge.
For my palate, Lange is one of Oregon's most consistent producers.
For my palate, Lange is one of Oregon’s most consistent producers.
A quick lunch of local ingredients at Lange.
A quick lunch of local ingredients at Lange.
Judy
Drouhin
11
Members of our group tasting Jesse Lange's three soil series Pinots.
Members of our group tasting Jesse Lange’s three soil series Pinots.

Again, all expenses – lodging, transportation, meals, wine tasting – are covered by the registration fee. The only thing not covered is the wine participants might purchase. That’s made easy too! You can have wine shipped home by the winery or join a wine club. Additionally, I cover the shipping costs, and all the handling, of one case of wine for each couple on the trip. You can buy a bottle or two here and there and your registration will cover the cost of having it delivered to your door.

Last year we visited Lange Estate, Winderlea, Domaine Drouhin, Vidon, Alexana, Saffron Fields, and Hawk’s View Cellars. We dined at McMinnville’s iconic Nick’s Italian Café and Recipe in Newberg.

Additionally, we take a break from all the wine tasting on Thursday and drive the stunning Columbia River Gorge. If you’ve never seen it, you are missing one of the most beautiful spots in the United States.

The cost per person is $2600, double occupancy. Just look for other similar trips and you’ll see it’s very reasonably priced for a boutique wine tour. As a matter of fact, when I checked search engines the closest thing I could find was a 3-day trip for $2700. A trip similar this one was $3800.

Besides the great tasting experiences led by winemakers and owners, I’ll be along to answer questions and give some insight on Oregon wine and the spots we visit.

You can find more information about the trip on my wine blog – www.howardhewit.net – at the top of the page just click on “Drink & Eat Oregon 2015.” You can write me with questions at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

I already have considerable interest on a potential trip to Burgundy, France, for next year.

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Rose’, Pinot, & Idiot Legislature

27 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Howard in Food & Travel, Newspaper Column 2015, Oregon

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

direct shipping, Indiana legislature, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Provence Rosé, Sunday alcohol sales, wine travel

There are numerous websites and publications detailing everything happening in the world of wine. Sometimes those issues are worth sharing.

Grape Sense LogoIndiana Senate Bill 113 – The Indiana Direct Shipping bill remains in House committee. The bill would remove the ridiculous 2006 restriction on Indiana wineries requiring a face-to-face purchase before wine can be shipped in state.

CrazyThe bill is a double-edged sword opening up an important stream of revenue for small wineries but increasing the licensing fee from $100 to $500. Contact your local legislator asking the fee be restored to $100 as Sen. Phil Boots intended.

There’s a pattern here if you pay attention. The big alcohol related legislation of the session is Sunday sales but the same thing has happened. The legislation actually failed this week because the liquor lobby (read wholesalers/some retailers) objected. The bill was weighed down with the unruly burden of requiring supermarkets and drug stores to build walls. No one could make this stuff up.

RoseloresRose, How We Love Thee. Dry Rose, and particularly dry French Rose, is one of the biggest success stories of the last decade. For too long pink meant sweet but now pink, or a light salmon color, means great dry French wine.

For the 11th straight year exports to the U.S. of Provence Rose’ wine increased by double digits. In 2014, Rose exports went up 29 percent on volume.

Oregon Stature Grows. The last two years have established the importance of Oregon Pinot Noir above and beyond some of its founders wildest expectations. When the ‘big boys’ start buying up properties it’s easy to label Oregon Pinot a worldwide success story.

Domaine Drouhin started the foreign investment in the 1980s but recently it has exploded. Drouhin bought nearly 300 more acres of vineyard about a year ago. Louis Jadot more recently acquired a 32-acre vineyard and hopes to buy more.

Jackson Family Wines, probably better known to the average consumer as Kendall-Jackson, has purchased nearly 500 acres of Oregon vineyard in two separate acquisitions. They are operating a winery near Yamhill under the name Gran Moraine.

Joseph Wagner, think Caymus, has purchased the Elouan Brand while Bill Foley picked off 35,000 case boutique brand Four Graces.

The interest shows Oregon is making great wine and has a great future. The purists must continue to hope some of these big boys don’t destroy the boutique feel of the Willamette Valley.

Alexana winemaker Bryan Weil sharing barrel tastes.

Alexana winemaker Bryan Weil sharing barrel tastes.

Join Me on Oregon Tour. I’ll be hosting my second trip to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in June. It’s a five-night, four day boutique visit. We taste with winemakers and winery owners, stay in a fabulous bed and breakfast and eat in a couple of Oregon’s best restaurants. The trip is all inclusive one you arrive until you leave.

You can find full details of the wine trip on the Grape Sense blog (www.howardhewitt.net). Click the link at the top “Drink & Eat Oregon” for full details or write me at the address below.

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Join Drink & Eat Oregon 2015 Trip

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by Howard in Food & Travel, Oregon

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Columbia River Gorge, Domaine Drouhin, Hawk's View Winery, Lange Winery, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Winderlea, wine travel, Wine Trips

Drouhin
Bill S
food
2014 group having fun tasting the wines of Alexana Winery in a beautiful outdoor setting.
2014 group having fun tasting the wines of Alexana Winery in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Barrel tasting with Alexana's winemaker Bryan Weil.
Barrel tasting with Alexana’s winemaker Bryan Weil.
The stunning Columbia River Gorge.
The stunning Columbia River Gorge.
A quick lunch of local ingredients at Lange.
A quick lunch of local ingredients at Lange.
Our 2014 group on my first Oregon Pinot Noir tour.
Our 2014 group on my first Oregon Pinot Noir tour.

I have all the details up on my 2015 Oregon Tour – this year called: Drink & Eat Oregon. Last year’s wine tour group was so taken by the fool they said I had to add food to the title. So be it.

The trip is all set for June 15-20. Read all of the details at the top of the blog under the header: Drink & Eat Oregon!

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Tasting Oregon to Tuscany

21 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by Howard in Food & Travel, Italy, Oregon

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Brunello, Chianti, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Willamette Valley

SIENA, ITALY – From the lush green countryside of Oregon’s Willamette Valley to the majesty and golden valleys of Tuscany, a common refrain connects wine lovers. There’s nothing better than good food and good wine.

Grape Sense LogoGrape Sense’s first private wine tour, a five-day exploration of Oregon, was followed by a 10-day excursion in Italy’s Siena, Florence, and Rome. The first trip was private and wine/food focused while the current trip is about education and paying-job related. But in Italy there is no escaping the wine and food. And, who would want to do that any way?

In Italy the gracious ristorante and trattoria owners offer smiles, warmth, and endless platters of great food. A mid-week drive through the heart of Tuscany was time for a short lesson on Italian wine. The travel group of 20 seems to enjoy wine but wanted to understand Tuscany for its wine as well as its art and history. The college professor leading the tour handed me the touring coach microphone for a quick lesson.

It occurred to me as we resumed the ride, it’s a lesson that needs repeated.

The not-so-difficult hurdle to understanding Italian, for that matter French, wine is to understand geography. The Old World wine countries identifiy wines by region and not grape. If you’re having steak and want a nice big California Cabernet, you head to the wine shop and buy a Cabernet. But in Italy you might buy a Super Tuscan or Brunello – neither of those wines are a grape. But each are made from Sangiovese – the grape most identified with Europe’s boot.

I shot this vineyard photo about 10 mi. from Montalcino

I shot this vineyard photo about 10 mi. from Montalcino

Sangiovese dominates Tuscany and makes the Chianti, Chianti Classico, and Brunello wines. Sangiovese is usually blended with Cabernet, and sometimes a bit of Merlot or even Syrah, in the Super Tuscan wines.

In Italy’s Trattorias (think small restaurant) to the nice ristorantes the Rosso flows freely from the jug or pitcher. A Rosso is essentially a table wine and almost always Sangiovese. It’s not fair to over generalize Sangiovese as bottom of the barrel wine production, but who ever said we’d be fair.

The Rosso wines are pleasant enough and usually lighter than a Chianti with less acidity and less of the full dark cherry flavor of most Chianti. The quality varies greatly but it’s satisfying enough for the average tourist palate.

Our travel group enjoyed an unique picnic in Montalcino, a hilltop town in the very heart of Brunello – Sangiovese’s shining-moment wine.

We had a huge spread of crusty bread, salami, and Italy’s wonderful prosciutto and smoked prosciutto. We bought three different Brunello wines and a white to show our friends the difference between Italy’s entry level Rosso and its biggest star.

It was a big hit. Many had come to Italy expecting great wine at each meal and were slightly disappointed they had not found that. But now they’re spoiled and my work is complete!

But on a more serious note, there is nothing better than exploring everything a new wine region – whether it’s a state or country – has to offer. And when the opportunity arises, explore that wine region from its least to its best.

Chianti wines are widely available from the supermarket to wine shops. I always suggest trying the Chianti Classico which offers softer tannins and richer fruit for just a few dollars more. Great Classicos can be found at under $25. Brunello is king of the Tuscan mountains but substantially more expensive, starting at twice the per bottle cost of a good Classico.

We’re off to Florence as this is written and then Rome – more great wild boar sauce, pasta, beef, veal and Sangiovese await.

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In Oregon to Lead First Wine Tour

08 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Howard in Oregon

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Tags

Alexana Winery, Domaine Drouhin, Hawk's View Vineyard, Lange Winery, Oregon, Vidon, Willamette Valley, Winderlea

Our lodging - Black Walnut Inn

Our lodging – Black Walnut Inn

Oregon weather is enough to take your breath away with cool 70s and that majestic view of Mount Hood flying into Portland.

But I’m on the West Coast to host my first Grape Sense wine trip. Four couples will join me Monday evening for five nights and four days of Willamette Valley wine, food, and beauty.

I plan to post each day but thought I’d get something up about the itinerary. I flew out Sunday morning to take the afternoon and Monday to finalize a few details and scout wineries, restaurants, and Inns for future Grape Sense travel. –

Later today (Sunday) I hope to get to Lenne’ and Saffron Fields. I’ll spend the night in Carlton before heading over to McMinnville and an afternoon appointment with the relatively new Elizabeth Chambers winemaker.

Monday night the group arrives in downtown Portland. We’ll spend the night there after a late-evening welcoming reception – or a couple glass of Pinot!

Tuesday morning we head to the valley for four days. Our adventure begins at old friends Lange Estate Winery. We’ll do a tour and private tasting and have lunch catered by Red Hills Market – all enjoyed with stunning views of the Willamette Valley.

Our second stop of the day will be the much-heralded Alexana Winery. I’ll be sharing details and thoughts about the wine and wine experience from each stop in my evening post. We’re staying at one of the valley’s very best Inn’s – the Black Walnut. We’ll cap our evening off with a fabulous meal at the ‘winemaker’s restauriant’ – Nick’s Italian Café in McMinnville.

The vineyards and view at in Willamette's Dundee HIlls

The vineyards and view at in Willamette’s Dundee HIlls

Wednesday is our big wine day. We begin at Domaine Drouhin with an exciting Drouhin vs. Drouhin experience. In the private tasting room, we’ll sampled Domaine Drouhin side-by-side with Drouhin’s storied French Burgundy.

Wednesday lunch will be hosted by friends Bill and Donna at Winderlea Winery in the Dundee Hills. This small producer, not widely available in the Midwest, is the real definition of a boutique winery. Vidon Vineyards will be our afternoon stop. The group will taste single-clone Pinot Noir and Don Hagge’s great 3 Clone blend. We’ll do steaks, burgers, and maybe even beers Wednesday night in Carlton.

The weather forecast for the week is low 70s so we’re hoping the forecast holds and the rain stays away. There is a chance for showers Thursday but that day is scheduled for our trip to the Columbia River Gorge. I often preach to anyone who will listen that you just CAN NOT go to Portland and not visit the Gorge. We’ll have lunch in Hood River and make the trip back out to the valley.

A real highlight will be Thursday night’s dinner at the artisan restaurant Recipe. It features all the latest produce and products from Oregon’s full bounty. Any Willamette best restaurant list is going to have Recipe at or near the top.

Friday is the last day of our trip and we begin by visiting the wonderful ladies at Republic of Jam. We’ll take a little free time to explore Carlton then head to Hawk’s View Winery where I’m anxious to taste their white Pin

We then return to Portland for the night and the end of our trip. I’ll be updating Facebook and Twitter throughout each day. Follow our Pinot adventure and maybe you’ll get the taste for wine travel!

 

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To Bordeaux and burgundy for this weeks Saturday Sipps at the Wine Shop, 11-4 pm. Taste these great wines and you can buy them Saturday only for 20% off.
Panko, breaded, shrimp and Michigan, Leelanau, peninsula, Shady Lane cellars” Chardonnay. Pretty great small dinner after a night at the Wine Shop. #shadylanecellars

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