Thanksgiving is a time of celebration and reflection, a tradition in history dating back to the early 1600s. Following harvest, the tradition was for America’s first farmers, the Native Americans and the earliest European settlers (Pilgrims) to celebrate and share the bounty with their communities. The Thanksgiving traditions continue today, as families sit down to share food and drink, reminisce, and be thankful.
Just as the first farmers would celebrate harvest, it is also a time of celebration in vineyards around the world — except for in South America or down under where summer is just beginning. Grape farmers in the Northern Hemisphere are patiently waiting and watching their crops with great anticipation. Consumed by weather reports, farmers carefully examine the fruit in each vineyard daily. Measuring Brix – or the sugar content of the grape – is a daily chore for the grape farmer.
Grape farming, just like any type of farming, can be stressful. With the late arrival of spring this year, the grape vines were weeks behind in producing grapes. During this past growing season, all varieties of fruit and produce were behind schedule due to weather conditions.
With grapes, as the clusters grow and mature, the farmer waits for what is known as veraison, or when the grapes begin to soften, turn color and begin to ripen. As the growing season progresses, the grape farmer watches over the grapes, tending and pruning to maximize the concentration of fruit within the grapes.
As the growing season nears the end, the farmer walks through the vineyards, carefully scrutinizing the grapes and wielding a small device called a refractometer. This device allows the farmer to know the exact moment his grapes are ready to be picked. The sugar in the grapes has now reached a level needed to make wine. Stand back because this is when the frenzy in the vineyard begins.
Quite literally at that moment, the call goes out to the grape-picking crew that has been on standby just waiting for the farmer’s declaration that the grapes have ripened to perfection. Picking crews are real experts and amazing to watch work. They are able to harvest fruit at a frenetic pace, yet still handle the fruit with a gentle hand. The grape harvest is a race to get the grapes off the vine as the sugar in the fruit has peaked.
Mother Nature plays an important role in the grape harvest. Trying to harvest when the fall rains come is very difficult. If grapes hang on the vine at the end of their ripening cycle and heavy rains begin, the grapes will absorb excessive water, resulting in wines that are thin – a difficult situation for the winemaker. Winemakers live for great vintages of grapes, or ones that need very little attention once the grapes have been crushed and are in the tank fermenting. Good winemakers will tell you that great wines are made in the vineyard.
Now that the grapes have been harvested, the crush begins. Crush is a term used in the wine industry for the harvesting and pressing of grapes, a very exciting time at a vineyard and winery. Once complete, the vineyard crew is finished and the grapes are now in the hands of the winemaker and their team.
At this point, it’s time for the process of fermentation, which involves putting the grapes in a tank and using their natural yeast – or an inoculated commercial strain of yeast – to work with the sugar in the grapes to produce alcohol. If the harvest was a great vintage, the winemaker will not need to manipulate the wines, which is the ideal situation. The grapes ferment for different lengths of time depending on the type and style of wine a winemaker is making. It is during this process that the color of a wine, the alcohol level and the amount of tannin in a wine is determined.
Once the fermentation is complete, the wine is ready to be aged in steel tanks or wooden barrels. It is very common today to buy a bottle of wine that is a blend of the same juice – some was aged in a steel tank while some may have been aged in oak barrel. This is where a winemaker’s expertise is important. Tradition, experience and a winemaker that has made many vintages of wine is critical in producing quality wine.
It’s clear that in the grape-growing business, the harvest and the crush are both stressful and exciting times. During the crush, there is an electric atmosphere of celebration and thankfulness that is contagious.
Each year, the wineries share their harvest with us in the form of a bottle of wine. There are a few great wines that are available at Liquid Planet during this season of Thanksgiving. Look for more wines throughout this month at www.WineGuyMike.wordpress.com or on Facebook at WineGuyMike.
Three excellent wines this year are from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, California. Both of these wines are from the Balletto Vineyards & Winery, which was featured this summer on the WineGuyMike radio show.
2008 Balletto Gewurztraminer
The aroma of Lychee fruit, guava, red pear and granny smith apple aromas are ever present in this wine. Bright fruit and citrus flavors highlight the dominate aromas of this beautiful Gewurztraminer. Once in your mouth tropical flavors from the nose translate to the palate and are accompanied by subtle tangerine and lemon.
The wine is lushly textured and light, balanced tannins and a delightful finish of toffee, lingering apple, and pear make this a perfect wine to compliment your thanksgiving turkey and all of the lovely side dishes.
2009 Balletto Pinot Gris
This Pinot Gris is a complex, pale, straw-colored wine that opens with musky and exotic fresh fig and floral honey tones. The secondary aromas reveal ripe red apple, melon and lemon. The aromas are ever-changing and intoxicating, and on the palate this wine is lush and perfectly viscous with a dose of tartness that balances and holds the wine together.
2010 Balletto Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
This dark, garnet-colored Pinot Noir is floral with aromas of rose petals, spice, ginger, cassis and fruit aromas of raspberry. There is a bit of dusty earth with just hint of vanilla too. This wine is showy with a seamless viscosity that is balanced with a healthy bit of tartness to keep the wine fresh and lively. It’s full in the palate with fine, coco-powder-like tannins. A long beautiful finish.
Here is another wine that will pair nicely with a Thanksgiving meal and guests will certainly enjoy.
2010 Hugel Gentil
The Hugel Gentil revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines produced from a blend of noble varietals were called “Gentil”.
Hugel Gentil is a traditional Alsace blend of primarily Gewurztraminer paired with varying amounts of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat and Sylvaner.
The Gentil blend of Noble grapes from Alsace region display a light youthful color in the glass and is ripe with floral, fruit and notes of spice. This wine is rich, yet dry with a hint of lemon zest and mineral is the perfect complement for your dinner. This is an outstanding Thanksgiving wine selection.
You will find these beautiful Thanksgiving wines at Liquid Planet in downtown Missoula.
"from my table to yours", Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families
Each week WineGuyMike™ will be giving away gift certificates from our sponsors. If your question is selected as WineGuyMike’s™ topic of discussion you will win one of the $20.00 – $25.00 gift certificates. Good luck and send your questions to WineGuyMike™ on his Facebook fan page.
Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com
This week on the WineGuyMike™ show I’m very pleased to introduce you to a great winemaker. Just like his Wine By Joe, Really Good Wine without attitude, this personifies Joe as well. A really great winemaker without attitude, he just has a burning passion to produce great wines to share with you and me. Joe does this and his Wine By Joe over delivers, just what WineGuyMike™ loves to share my readers and radio show audience listeners. Let me introduce you to my new wine friend Joe Dobbes, Proprietor and Winemaker.
Joe Dobbes, Proprietor and Winemaker
Joe Dobbes is a true Oregonian. He was raised in a small town in the north Willamette Valley where he began his career in agriculture. Joe grew, picked, sold, and delivered(by bicycle with his dog) Marion berries to the well known Smuckers corporation. This set the stage for Joe’s entrepreneurial and winemaking endeavors. Joe went to college in Ashland where he earned his degree in business. Following college Joe ventured overseas and started training in the wine business in 1985 in Germany at Weingut Erbhof Tesch, located in the Nahe region of Germany. Joe briefly returned from Germany to work with the well known Elk Cove winery in Oregon. Joe’s continued desire to become a master at his craft of winemaking once again took him back to Europe to the hallowed grounds of Burgundy, France. In 1988 Joe found himself working at the esteemed wine estates of Domaine G. Roumier and Domaine Comtes Lafon in Burgundy with winemasters Christophe Roumier and Dominque Lafon.
Upon his return from France he landed his first head winemaking job at Eola Hills Wine Cellars in 1989, followed by winemaking positions at Hinman Vineyards where his entrepreneurial spirit blossomed when he revamped select Hinman Vineyard’s wines into the new Silvan Ridge Reserve label (1991 – 1995). Joe then became Willamette Valley Vineyard’s winemaker and vice president of production, and simultaneously winemaker for the Griffin Creek and Tualatin Estate labels (1996 – 2002).
After 17 years of working for others Joe decided it was time to strike out on his own and founded Dobbes Family Estate in 2002 and Wine by Joe in 2003 and has never looked back. Joe also has his own custom crushing company and consults for as many as twenty wineries. His real success though is his wonderful family, wife Patricia Dobbes and two teenage children, Amelia (AKA Skipper) and Griffin, all of whom have wines named after them.
Joe’s expertise lies in producing wines of impeccable balance that are true to their varietal character, specializing in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and now added a Gewurztraminer, Rose, and Chardonnay into the mix. I personally can’t wait to taste Joe’s winemaking touch with these new varietals.
The Dobbes Family Estate line of elegant yet powerful wines from Oregon’s premier vineyards carries the crest of Joe’s extensive winemaking experience. Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris; and Rogue Valley Syrah and Viogner are some of the best in Oregon under the Dobbes Family Estate label. The specialty estate wines are all limited release and available online(where permissible) and at the tasting room.
Wine By Joe, the family of three Pinots, hit your tables in August 2004. This fun package of serious wine begs to be poured on your everyday table with lots of great company.
In February of 2006, Wine By Joe, LLC became one of the largest vineyard holders in the state of Oregon. Joe’s 214-acre estate vineyard is located in the Eola Hills/Amity AVA (American Viticulture Area), in the Willamette Valley’s Polk County, approximately 10 miles west of Salem.
The vineyard site has a cool coastal influence due to the late afternoon, summertime breezes blowing through the Van Duzer Corridor from the Pacific Ocean approximately 45 miles to the west. The cool breezes during the height of the warm summer affects ripening by allowing for longer hang time in the vineyard for full maturity of flavors, fruitiness and overall complexity.
The vineyard encompasses eastern facing elevations from 203 to 328 feet and western facing elevations from 208 to 320 feet.
The vineyard was planted with Pommard and Wadenwille clones of Pinot noir in 1988. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and additional Pinot Noir were planted in 1989. The most recent planting took place in 2004 and 2005 to bring the total planted acres to 189; comprised of 80 acres of Pinot Noir, 82 acres of Pinot Gris and 27 acres of Pinot Blanc.
A special note to all of the WineGuyMike™ readers and listeners a portion of Wine By Joe proceeds are donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Northwest. Joe gives back and we love this here at WineGuyMike™.
I want to thank my special guest Joe Dobbes for taking time out of his busy schedule to be a guest on the WineGuyMike™radio show this week and to share his story. Joe we love your story and all that you do, thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Wine By Joe receives the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval®, I recommend all of the wines from Wine By Joe. All of the Wine By Joe are great companions for the dinner table too. Joe Dobbes is an outstanding winemaker whose wines you must try. The wines that Joe makes are a result of what he brings to the table from his Old World winemaking style and experience in Europe. This is where Joe’s past intersects with a corner of what I consider to be some of the finest terrior in the New World today, the Oregon wine country. The result is Wine by Joe.
2009 Pinot Noir suggested retail $19.00
Wine by Joe Pinot Noir
This wine slips into your mouth with gorgeous rich blackberry aromas with a touch of leather, too. The flavors mirror the aromas with a soft and velvety mouthfeel which wraps around your tongue delivering the impression of sweetness from the soft ripe tannins. I know what you are thinking… How can Joe deliver such a good Oregon Pinot Noir for the money you are asking!!?? Yes, you will want to drink more…
2009 Pinot Gris suggested retail $12.00
Wine By Joe Pinot Gris
You will experience sweet aromas of fresh cut pears, green apples and hints of vanilla and cream, this Pinot Gris will not disappoint you. The light clean flavors in the mouth encompass citrus and green apple well-balanced by refreshing and flinty acidity for a perfect and lively finish with lingering hints of citrus rind. You will be delighted with this classic Oregon Pinot Gris!
Each week we will be giving away gift certificates from our sponsors. If your question is selected as WineGuyMike’s™ topic of discussion you will win one of the $20.00 – $25.00 gift certificates. Good luck and send your questions to WineGuyMike™ on his Facebook fan page.
See this week’s show on YouTube each week on Thursday morning, the day after the show. Our YouTube channel of course is WineGuyMike or the actual URL link: http://www.youtube.com/user/WineGuyMike?feature=mhum
Sponsors
The show is sponsored by Grizzly Liquor,“Missoula’s Best Choice”.
Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com
This week’s winners are; Patti Earling,Jeremy Rhodes, and Jennifer we’ll have wine when you visit next time.
WineGuyMike™ received some very good questions this week, thanks to my fans for thinking of topics that help us to learn about wine together.
Jeremy Rhodes says I’ve got one! Q.Cellaring is one thing that I just don’t understand that much. I’m looking to buy a bottle of wine for my sister’s 10 year anniversary. I want to buy last years vintage (2009, the year she was married) and cellar it until her anniversary. How do I know which wines would be amazing to drink in 9 years? Prost!
A. Okay Jeremy let me take a realistic approach to this question, which is a great one by the way. Today 90% of all wines made are crafted in such a way that they are meant to be consumed within one year. There are most definitely certain wine types and vintages that are better choices for cellaring. The producer of the wine is actually the best resource to consult when it comes to finding out the optimal length of cellaring for individual wines.
Here are a few things that do need to be considered for a wine that is worthy of being cellared:
Tannin – this is a natural substance that acts as a preservative in wines. It comes from the grape stems, skins, and pips of the grape. Wines that are aged in oak also have tannin infused into the wine, this not only imparts nuances of oak and a mild sweetness or vanilla into the wine it also allows for the wines to age properly.
The weather plays a very important role in the quality of wines from year to year or as we say in the wine world “vintage”. The better the weather in a given year the more likely the wine from that vintage will be good.
The color and grape type are also significant when it comes to aging a wine. Red wines have more natural tannin than a white grape, that is why you generally do not see white wines being laid down for any length of time. A grape, like Cabernet Sauvignon, naturally has more tannin than other types, like Pinot Noir, will be a much better candidate for cellaring.
As I mentioned earlier a better vintage of wine will be well balanced in terms of fruit, acid, and tannin and as a result will age well. Terrior, the complex combination of soil, climate, exposition and local tradition that define wines also contributes to a wines ability to age well.
Winemaking plays a huge role in wines ability to age. How long was the wine in contact with its skins during fermentation? Was the wine aged in oak which impart tannins that allow the wine to be cellared longer. Proper storage conditions also play a significant role in allowing wine the opportunity to age well.
Maya and Miles in Sideways
In summary I would like to quote Maya from the movie Sideways, one of my favorites. “I like to think about the life of wine, how it is a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing. How the sun was shining, if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it is an old wine how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And if it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity, that is until it peaks, like your’61. And then it begins its steady inevitable decline.”
Sideways the movie 2004
So at the end of the day what wines are a good bet to cellar and save for those extremely significant occasions:
Great producers of California Cabernets and great Chateaux of Bordeaux.
Jeremy would also like to know; what does WineGuyMike™ like to drink when the temperatures drop below freezing! The answer Jeremy is great Cabernet from California at the hand of a master winemaker. Thank you for asking, Cheers to you.
Q. Jennifer Miler asks; I have heard this question a few times over the years – when someone has a baby giving a bottle of wine that the kid can open when they get older…21 (of course). What are some good wines to purchase to be held for a long time ? One of my friends had a collection like this – each year on his birthday, he opened another bottle his parents friends gave him as a baby…it was really cool.
A. Jennifer please see the previous answer in response to Jeremy’s question as a great deal of that answer applies to your question as well. The following information would consider the fact that the wines we are discussing came from the best producers of wine.
White wines:
California Chardonnay 3-8+ years
French White Burgundies 2-10+ years
German Riesling 3-30+ years
French Sauternes 3-30+ years
Red Wines:
Bordeaux Chateaux 5-30+ years
California Cabernet 3-15+ years
California Zinfandel 5-15+ years
California Merlot 2-10+ years
California, Oregon Pinot Noirs 2-5+ years
Barolo and Barbaresco 5-25+ years
Brunello di Montalcino 3-15+ years
Chianti Classico Riservas 3-10+ years
Argentine Malbec 3-15+ years
Spainish Riojas Gran Riservas 5-20+ years
Hermitage Shiraz 5-25+ years
French Red Burgundy 3-8+ years
Vintage Ports 10-40+ years
Q. Patti Earling asks; we are hosting a Christmas party for 30 people; some avid wine drinkers some non-wine lovers. Is there a moderately priced vino that compliments a traditional ham dinner and might appeal to both groups?
A. Patti thank you for your question. There are a number of varietals or wine types that would pair well with the Ham you’re serving for your Christmas party. Let’s take a look at the varietals I will be recommending.
Light Bodied Wines
Riesling one of the prominent white wine grapes, a pure Riesling is complex yet delicate. Some Rieslings are just pretenders made from inferior grapes, the Grey Rieslings, and Sylvaner Rieslings. A Riesling will be light, medium dry, fruity, a mild citrus flavor, with a mellow floral aroma.
Gewurztraminer wine is spicy, fruity, floral, and herbal. This is a dry, earthy, aromatic wine that is genuinely refreshing.
Pinot Noir is the medium bodied grape variety of red burgundian wines; it can produce wines that are incredible. When aged in oak, it should have sweetness reminiscent of raspberries, with undertones of vegetation and chocolate. The wine can stand up to aging for many years. Pinot Noir at its best will be smooth, full of flavor, and a beautiful bouquet.
Gamey Beaujolais a wine from France that is made to be drunk very young, right after bottling. This is a light bodied red that has very little tannin and is low in alcohol content. It is a fruity red wine that has berry overtones and is light bodied.
Chenin Blanc is a very versatile grape. It is very crisp, acidic, high in alcohol content, yet is smooth and full bodied. This grape exhibits slight spiciness, hint of honey, and slight fruitiness and is dry. This can be a very special wine, such as Vouvray, an excellent wine exhibiting many different styles.
Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris as it is commonly referred to is a very dry wine. Some characteristics of this wine are a slightly fruity and mild spiciness.
Viognier is a grape from the Rhone valley in France is also making a name for itself in California. Viognier is a very dry, delicate wine with floral aromas and apricot overtones.
Medium Bodied Wines
Sangiovese or Chianti, probably the most well known of Italian wines(at least that holds true in the United States). This grape is also the major contributor for many other fantastic Italian reds. This spicy medium bodied red also exhibits cherry and raspberry flavors.
Shiraz or Syrah is a big powerful full bodied wine, also known as Shiraz in Australia. Supple, smooth, rich with well manered mellow tannins describes the syrah wines. Flavor wise Syrah can be slightly spicy, fruity like black cherries, or some may have a deep nutty flavoring.
Merlot wine type or varietal is great to drink with or without food. It tends to be soft, smooth, and very fruit forward. Winemakers the world over are creating rich style merlots that are wines full of cherry and oak flavors. This is a medium bodied wine.
Full Bodied Wine
Chardonnay is one of the most complex white wines, thanks to winemaking techniques, and the grapes ability to draw flavor from the nutrients and minerals in the soil. Chardonnay is aged in new oak barrels, old oak barrels, and steel barrels, all producing varying nuances in the wines. New barrels produce the strongest oaking, old barrels have a slight oak influence, while the steel has no oakiness. This dry wine is rich, bold, and full of fruitiness, vanilla and a certain toastiness, just to name a few characteristics. Complexity is the word that best suits Chardonnay.
WineGuyMike’s recommendations for your party:
Tariquet 2009 Chenin Chardonnay
Tariquet 2009 Chenin BlancChardonnay Blend -This wine marries the finesse of Chenin Blanc (75%) with the elegance and structure of Chardonnay (25%). This complex wine displays delicious floral notes, as well as exotic fruit and vanilla
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2010 750ML
Georges duBoeuf Beaujolais – Villages – This Beaujolais-Villages displays a deep, luminous cherry color, red with bluish tints. The bouquet offers ripe red fruit character, suggesting strawberry and black currant, with a touch of cinnamon. Velvet-like in the mouth, with soft tannins, it is well-balanced and complete. A wine which lends itself to all occasions, from the apéritif to the cheese board
Now let’s get on with tasting the wine. Here is a simple process for basic wine tasting I call the 5 sssss’s:
Swirl – with your glass on the table or in your hand move the glass so the wine moves in a circular motion in your glass
Smell – stick your nose in the glass and think about the different aromas’ that you are able to discern
Sight – hold the wine up toward light, what does it look like, color, viscosity, what do the individual streams of wine dribbling down the side of the glass look like
Swill – take a small sip, pucker your lips and gently breath in
Spit or Swallow – if you have a bucket spit, if not swallow
Next step:
What is your sense of the wine in your mouth
What does the wine taste like
What does the wine feel like in your mouth
How does your mouth perceive the wine, all up front, in the middle, more in the back of your mouth
Is there a lingering after taste
Last Step:
This is where the brain, mouth, and eyes come together as one
Your description of what your nose, mouth, and eyes just experienced
How would you describe this, remember there is no right or wrong description this is your subjective experience
Try the food now and think about how you would now describe the wine
WineGuyMike’s Wine Lingo
Astringent – This refers to a drying sensation in the mouth that may make you pucker. It is common in young full bodied red wines such as a Cabernet or a Zinfandel. This is caused by high tannin content in the wine. Tannin is a tactile sensation, not a taste.
Balance – this term is one that would refer to a harmony of fruit, tannin, acid, and alcohol. There may be a nuance of fruit in a wine but it would not be so overwhelming that it would be out of balance or harmony when considering the other characteristics of a wine.
Cheesemonger – this term refers to someone who sells cheese, in this case a specialist or purveyor of artisanal cheeses.
Crisp – Fresh, Bright, Young, and Slightly Acidic. Wine Types are Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, and Chablis
Grassy – Refers to Herbal Characteristics often associated with Sauvignon Blanc
Meritage – pronounced just like “Heritage”, is a proprietary term used to denote red and white Bordeaux-style wines without infringing on the Bordeaux region’s legally protected designation of origin. Winemakers must license the Meritage trademark from its owner, the California-based Meritage Alliance. Member wineries are found principally in the United States, though increasingly elsewhere.
Oaky – A reference to a nuance in a wine resulting from wooden oak barrels that wines are aged in. This term is common to Chardonnay’s and Cabernet wines.
Rose´ - “pinkish”(French). Depending on the grapes and winemakers style the wines can be colored from vivid orange to nearly a purple hue.
Terroir is a French term for the notion that the complex combination of soil, climate, exposition and local tradition define the style of wine, a taste of the earth.
Velvety – This term characterizes a wines texture. This term would be used with a wine that has a rich and supple mouth feel.
Wine Tasting Flight is a term used by wine tasters to describe a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison.
Match the words that you think make sense; these words are descriptors for wine:
Bright = Flinty an epiphany in your mouth
Rich = Subtle mellow, smooth, decadent, just easy and fulfilling
Lively = Crisp the wine is refreshing, a zing, literally comes to life in your mouth
Intense = Juicy big, bold, forward just tastes like fruit you could bite into
Velvety = Aromatic sexy, goes down like silk, fills the room with its aroma
Each week we will be giving away gift certificates from our sponsors. If your question is selected as WineGuyMike’s™ topic of discussion you will win one of the $20.00 – $25.00 gift certificates. Good luck and send your questions to WineGuyMike™ on his Facebook fan page.
See this week’s show on YouTube each week on Thursday morning, the day after the show. Our YouTube channel of course is WineGuyMike or the actual URL link: http://www.youtube.com/user/WineGuyMike?feature=mhum
Sponsors
The show is sponsored by Grizzly Liquor,“Missoula’s Best Choice”. Follow Grizzly Liquor on their Facebook fan page – Grizzly Liquor Missoula
The Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com
This week’s winners are; Mary Larson Kukowski and Wine Guy Jeff Taylor. I got to meet one of my favorite fans Mary K at the MBIA wine tasting the other night, what a pleasure. Cheers to Mary and Jeff today.
Erik Kramer, Associate Winemaker for Adelsheim Vineyard is joining WineGuyMike, Scott and Paula from The Ranch on today’s radio show. Erik is going to talk about Adelsheim Vineyard and share with us a snap shot overview of what it’s like to be a winemaker at one of the premier vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley, the finest Pinot Noir terrior in America.
Adelsheim principals Chad Vargas, David Adelsheim, and Dave Paige
A month ago I was invited to a wine luncheon by George’s Distributing of Helena, Montana. The luncheon/tasting took place at a local restaurant Scotty’s Table, a fine dining establishment in Missoula, Montana. I was intrigued by the invitation as the winery was from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, a region with terrior that is second to none, and I’m including Burgundy.
Bryan Creek Vineyard in the nothern Willamette Valley, Oregon
I love the Willamette Valley as it reminds me of what the Napa Valley was three decades ago, still an area rich in its roots of agriculture. For me wine is terrior and winemaking. Terrior is like poker, you start with great land and the right vines but the weather is never completely predictable. The grapes are what they are each year and that is the hand the winemaker is dealt. They have to work with the hand they’ve received, that’s where their particular experience, skill, and intuition take over and the process begins.
As I was sitting with my new friend Kevin O’Neill from Georges Distributing, a Certified Sommelier, who really knows his wine and Bill Blanchard, Sales Manager, from Adelsheim Vineyard as I was pondering the wine flight before us. We began the luncheon by introducing ourselves; there was a handful of Missoula restaurateurs also attending the wine luncheon. I was fortunate enough to be sitting across from Bill Blanchard as he began sharing his 30 year background in wine. I found Bill to be approachable, sharp, and in command of his market. This man speaks genuinely from his experience over the last three decades, and what a great ambassador of the Adelsheim Vineyard and their wines. It was with great pleasure that I listened and learned about the Adelsheim story.
Once the wine luncheon had ended I approached Bill and asked him if Adelsheim Vineyard might be interested in being a guest on The WineGuyMike Radio Show. I emailed Bill all of the WineGuyMike Social Media links and within a few days I received an email indicating that in fact he or one of the winemakers for Adelsheim would be a guest on my weekly radio show. I was excited to have Adelsheim as a guest simply because they have taken what the earth has yielded and the result is beautiful wine. Their wine is consistent throughout the brand in all label series.
In my tasting and research for this article I’ve grown to love everything Adelsheim. David and Ginny Adelsheim get it and they got it a long time ago, way back in 1971 when Adelsheim Vineyard was founded. A trip to Europe inspired their desire to bring the artisanal nature of food and wine they wanted to recreate in Oregon’s northern Willamette Valley.
As I spoke today with Winemaker Erik Kramer of Adelsheim today I mentioned to him that my sole reason for wanting to write about Adelsheim and its wines was very simple. The wines are beautifully made and they are terrior, a direct representation of the land they’re grown on. In other words “these wines are a taste of the earth from whence they come”.
What I have really grown to appreciate is the simple approach that Adelsheim employs in its vineyards, all the way from growing and management of the grapes, to making the wines. They utilize a real Burgundian style in growing and making their Adelsheim Vineyard Wines. In 1972 the Adelsheim’s had planted their original 15 acre piece of land on Quarter Mile Lane with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling varietals. The Chehalem Mountain viticulture area was an unknown commodity at this point and time.
Quarter Mile Lane planted with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling varietals in 1972
By 1978 Adelsheim’s vineyard was producing twice as much wine every two years, the vineyard was bearing a full yield, grapes were being sourced from other growers, the winemaking conditions were very cramped. They managed to bottle 1,300 cases for commercial release that year. Five years later in 1982 a new 6,000 square foot winery was built and filled with barrels, bottling equipment, and tanks.
A new 6,000 square foot winery was built and filled with barrels, bottling equipment, and tanks in 1982
The first vineyard land expansion began in 1989 with the lease of 19 acres known as the Bryan Creek Vineyard that continues to be a great source of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris.
The Bryan Creek Vineyard that continues to be a great source of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris in 1989
David and Ginny also purchased 52 acres known as The Calkins Lane Vineyard. This vineyard is lower in elevation and was planted with Pinot Gris, and Burgundian clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 1994 Jack and Lynn Loacker became co-owners of Adelsheim Vineyard and planting began at Ribbon Springs Vineyard in 1995, this is an exceptional 120 acre site on the Ribbon Ridge spur of the Chehalem Mountains.
Ribbon Springs 1994
This vineyard has provided Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes for Adelsheim since 1998.
A two‐level, gravity‐flow fermentation room that allows for gentle grape movement
A new wine facility opened in 1997, a 35,000 square foot operation capable of producing 40,000 cases of wine a year. There is a two – level, gravity‐flow fermentation room that allows for gentle grape movement and four underground barrel caves
Adelsheim Barrel Caves
that utilize pre‐cast concrete arches and temperature‐controlled floors to provide perfectly optimized temperature and humidity control for slow, cool aging of their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
Adelsheim Winemaker Dave Paige
Dave Paige joined forces with Adelsheim in 2001, bringing with him twelve years of experience working with Pinot Noir. Dave Paige also brought with him a kindred spirit in terms of wine making philosophy that paralleled that of David Adelsheim. Dave Paige is a winemaking guru who is responsible for the consistency of excellence known by wine drinkers as Adelsheim. Dave has recently received great acclaim for Adelsheim’s Deglace which is a rarely produced Pinot Noir dessert wine.
Erik Kramer, Adelsheim’s Associate Winemaker
Erik Kramer, Adelsheim’s Associate Winemaker, has worked for Adelsheim Vineyard since 2005. Erik left a successful profession as a corporate geologist to pursue a career that allowed him to follow his passion for science and appreciation for fine wine. Erik’s career change prompted him to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture and Enology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand, a program that specializes in cool climate viticulture and winemaking. In addition to his winemaking experience in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Erik has also worked for several well reputed wineries in New Zealand and Washington.
Viticulturist Chad Vargas
In 2006 viticulturist extraordinaire Chad Vargas joined the Adelsheim team. Chad spent two years with well known Kendall-Jackson as viticulturist. Chad is responsible for quality control and sustainability programs, financial planning and training related to our expanding vineyard operations.
David Adelsheim
David Adelsheim, as the original winemaker he established the winery’s focus on rich, complex Pinot Noirs and elegant white wines. Today he focuses his attention on marketing and sales, financial planning, and overall direction of vineyard and winemaking activities. He has also been a leader holding wine related political and association positions that have made the Oregon wine country what it is today. David Adelsheim is one of the visionaries of the wine industry since he founded Adesheim Vineyard in 1971.
An extensive addition was added to the winery in 2008
An extensive addition was added to the winery in 2008. This increased the ability to handle more fruit, now allowing fermentation capacity the matches harvest demands. The great news for wine drinkers is that it facilitates Dave Paige’s ability to craft small lots that insure a greater variety of distinctive single vineyard Pinot Noirs.
David and Katherine – Adelsheim Vineyard new tasting room
A new tasting room was built in 2009 and is a must visit destination while visiting The Willamette Valley. The tasting room features a beautiful view of The Calkins Lane Vineyard that provides a wine experience for the visitor, along with amazing Pinot Noir of course. Adelsheim Vineyards has grown to encompass 190 acres of the best wine terrior there is and the Adelsheim wines rise to the occasion. They are in fact what WineGuyMike seeks out to share, “a true taste of the earth”.
Adelsheim Wines
The winemaking process at Adelsheim Vineyard is extremely gentle, and is identical for our four series of wines. At harvest, the grapes are picked by hand into small totes, and are delivered to the winery’s two-level, gravity-feed fermentation room. There, our white wine grapes are gently pressed as whole clusters and the juice transferred to the winery’s tank room. Slow, cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks emphasizes the bright intensity and fruit flavors in our unoaked white wines, while barrel fermentation and extended lees contact gives our Reserve Chardonnay richness and lovely balance.
Adelsheim Winery entrance
Our red wine grapes are carefully sorted by hand and gently destemmed into small, open-top fermenters. Following a pre-fermentation maceration, slow, cool fermentations emphasize the nuanced flavors and aromas of our Pinot noir and Syrah, and the must is punched down two to three times daily for greater extraction of flavor and color. After fermentation and gentle pressing, the new wines are slowly transferred to barrel for aging.
Adelsheim Barrel Caves
The winery’s four underground barrel caves utilize pre-cast concrete arches and temperature-controlled floors to provide optimal temperature and humidity for slow, cool aging of our red wines and our Caitlin’s Reserve. During barrel aging, the wines typically undergo a secondary, malolactic fermentation to add further richness and complexity, and are bottled following 10 to 12 months in small French oak barrels.
Terrior
The Chehalem Mountains and Ribbon Ridge AVAs reflect millions of years of soil accretion, mixing, blowing, and uplift, creating a rich geological experiment in one tightly packed geographical area. Within this one region there are ancient, uplifted sedimentary seabeds; weathered rich red soils from lava flows down the Columbia River; and relatively new glacial sediment scoured from western states and blown onto north-facing hillsides in tumultuous windstorms.
Soils so violently and differently formed pass on a predictable complexity and unique taste in our wines. It’s an exciting winemaking laboratory to experience the similarities and contrasts in the wines of the Chehalem Mountains.
Ribbon-Springs
More than any other grape varietal, Pinot Noir reflects where it is grown. The diverse topography of the Chehalem Mountains provides a wide variety of opportunities for Pinot to express itself. Mountains set our AVAs apart from others and pull together a variety of unique conditions that influence our wines.
While best known for Pinot Noir, the Chehalem Mountains are also ideal for other cool climate wine grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gamay Noir and Gewurztraminer.
Adelsheim Current Release Wines
Caitlin’s Reserve Chardonnay 2008
Wine Enthusiast: 91 points, June 2010
Wine Spectator: 91 points, Mar. 2010
“This bottling shows artful layers of figs, Asian pears, apricots, apples, nutmeats and minerals. Beautifully balanced by the acidity found in our Northern wine region, it features a long, polished finish. Pair it with poached salmon, lobster, smoked meats and cheeses.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker
Cellaring:
Under optimum cellar conditions, this wine will certainly improve through 2020, perhaps through 2028.
“This complex and intriguing wine offers layered aromas of red and black raspberries, fresh Oregon strawberries, brown spice and cedar. Its aromas are reflected on a palate that speaks of purity and elegance, and is exceptionally balanced with firm tannins and a persistent finish. This wine will pair beautifully with the Pinot noir classics – lamb, duck, grilled salmon, and aged cheeses.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker
Bryan Creek Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2009
Technical Information
Alc: 13.8% by vol
pH: 3.04
RS: dry
Production: 532 cases (750 ml)
Bryan Creek Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2009
“This 2009 Pinot blanc features Granny Smith apple, tangerine and meadow foam honey aromas, accented by hints of fennel. There’s a rich mouthfeel that is offset by the wine’s general raciness. It pairs superbly with a wide range of foods – from shellfish to quiche to spicy Asian food.”
Dave Paige, winemaker
2008 Deglacé of Pinot Noir
Composition: 100% Pinot noir
Alcohol: 10.2% by vol
Production: 349 cases (375 ml)
Cellaring: Recommendedanywhere from 5-8 years, optimal storage temperature 55-60° F
2008 Deglacé of Pinot Noir
“Even with this sweet wine, we stay true to our winery philosophy that a wine’s highest use is in pairing with meals. That means retaining enough of the grapes’ natural acidity to ensure that the wine never becomes too cloying. Our Deglacé has amazing strawberry, nectarine and orange blossom flavors that should prove to be a perfect match with red berry tarts, pumpkin cheesecake, and a wide range of other desserts.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker
2008 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley
Gentle, whole-cluster pressing was used to separate the juice from the skins as quickly and as cleanly as possible for this Chardonnay. The majority (85%) of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain fruit purity, flavor and aroma, we’ve found we can produce excitingly rich Chardonnay with very minimal influence from oak. The remaining juice was fermented in neutral barrels to augment textural richness and create a more balanced and complex wine. In order to preserve freshness and acidity, this wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation.
2008 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley
2009 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley
Technical Information
Alc: 13.8% by vol
pH: 3.11
Production: 11,052 cases (750 ml)
850 cases (375 ml)
2009 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley
“Crisp, bright flavors have always been the hallmark of Adelsheim Pinot gris. In this 2009, you’ll find hints of papaya, apples and pears. It pulls off the difficult feat of providing a gentle creaminess that lends a rich, mouthfilling texture and long finish, yet still impressing as a wine that’s crisp and clean. Try it with mildly spicy foods (such as ceviche),
not so mildly spicy Thai cuisine, rich fish entrees, and even classic oven-roasted fowl.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker
Cellaring: Under optimum cellar conditions, this wine will certainly improve through 2018, and perhaps through 2028.
“With its broad array of origins and clones, this wine displays both red and black fruit aromas (cherries and raspberries), on the nose and the palate. In addition, one finds a light touch of brown spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice). True to our house style, it is elegantly
textured with satiny, polished tannins showing in the finish. Pair it with salmon or ahi, veal or pork, poultry (think duck) or beef, or hearty vegetarian entrees.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker
Auxerrois Willamette Valley 2009
WINE BACKGROUND
Auxerrois Willamette Valley 2009
When two clones of Auxerrois (oak-sair-wah) were brought into Oregon from Alsace in 1977, we knew next to nothing about the variety. Still, after tasting some test wines made at Oregon State University, our interest was piqued.
DNA testing has shown that Auxerrois, like Chardonnay, Aligoté, Gamay and 10 other varieties, is a cross dating from medieval times between Pinot Noir and an ignoble variety called Gouais Blanc.
Auxerrois is also the name of a duchy surrounding the town of Auxerre near Chablis, but the variety has disappeared from that area and all other parts of Burgundy. There are probably less than 500 acres of it planted in the world.
Its early ripening has allowed it to flourish in Luxembourg (even achieving Premier Cru status), but in Alsace, the variety is now treated as a second-class citizen, consigned to blends often with Pinot Blanc. In the U.S., we know of only two other producers.
The wine was then completely tank fermented at a low temperature to retain fruit purity and aromatic freshness. Malolactic fermentation was prevented in order to preserve the wine’s varietal character.
These wines all receive The WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval®
