Back in Blanc

If you haven’t yet discovered Oregon Pinot blanc, it’s high time you do. Because, in addition to producing some of the best Pinot noir in the world, Oregon makes a damn fine Pinot blanc as well.

Not to be confused at all with Chardonnay, and especially not with Melon, Pinot blanc is actually a genetic mutation of Pinot noir, and quite possibly more like the Cinderella sister—often forgotten about and left without a date for the Ball. Around the world, Pinot blanc may be blended with other grapes to produce more complex flavors, but Oregon tends to be more purist, letting the lovely and distinctive tropical, spicy and floral notes of this wine shine through.

One of my favorite pairings with Pinot blanc is oysters, but a close second is Pasta al Melone (see recipe below). This sweet, savory and rich meal is perfectly balanced by the dry style of Oregon Pinot blanc. So, with an abundance of both warm summer days and juicy melons in high season, what better time than now to give these both a try? The pasta dish is simple to prepare, but impressive enough to serve to company. Serve it with a seasonal green salad and some crusty bread to soak up the sauce. It's like a fairytale food and wine pairing.

Some favorite wines for you to explore:

Spindrift Cellars 2011 Pinot Blanc ($16) – Honeydew melon and lemon curd entertain your palate while zingy acids liven up your meal.

J. Scott Cellars 2011 Pinot Blanc ($15) – Pear, pineapple and sour apple make your mouth water—lingers long after your last swallow.

Bethel Heights 2011 Estate Grown Pinot Blanc ($18) – An array of citrus, creamy lemon curd, tart green apples, pear and nutmeg cookies. Sweet on the nose, but brilliant and racy acidity in the mouth. It's like the Energizer bunny of wine.

Chehalem 2011 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Blanc ($28) – A more floral and traditional Pinot Blanc. Juicy white peaches, Anjou pear and delicate orange blossoms grace the glass. This wine has it all… great minerality, succlent fruit, rich body and snappy acidity.

The Four Graces 2012 Willamette Valley Pinot Blanc ($24) – Tropical flavors of pineapple, papaya and lychee are perfectly complemented by white tea, ginger and creamy custard.

Elk Cove 2012 Pinot Blanc Willamette Valley  ($19) – Clean and crisp with a focus  on the fruit. Aromas of orange peel, pear and white flowers make this divine when paired with salty and rich foods.

With just over 200 acres planted to Pinot blanc in Oregon, Pinot blanc is not the most common wine from this region. Yet a number of Oregon producers are turning out wines that would make even Price Charming take notice. In addition to those listed above, other wineries producing noteworthy Pinot blanc are Ponzi Vineyards, Foris, WillaKenzie Estate, Rex Hill, Amity, Adelshiem and Left Coast Cellars.

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Pasta al Melone (serves 4-6 people)

4 T butter

1 T vegetable oil

3 cups cantelope diced into ¼ inch cubes

1 cup heavy cream

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ t tomato paste

Salt and ground pepper to taste

Tonnarelli or pasta of your choice (cooked according to directions)

1. Put butter and oil into sauté pan and turn heat to high. When oil is hot, add melon.
2. Cook melon for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until melon softens but is not entirely broken down, most of the pieces should still be separate.
3. Add cream, lemon juice and tomato paste and cook until reduced by half.
4. Add salt and pepper, stir gently and remove from heat.
5. Pour sauce over prepared pasta and serve immediately.

Welcome the Harvest Season with Parsnips, Cream and Bacon… Cheers to Vintage 2011

After reading this insightful post from Wind Up Bird Communications about the importance of being oneself, I was truly inspired. I realized that amongst other things, I am still a writer and fancy myself something of a raconteur, and these elements culminate in my blog, and to that I must remain true. So, what better way to revive this sleepy web log, which has been resting for nearly a year, than with an infusion of the 2011 harvest season?

Backstory: I got my foothold in the Oregon wine industry door working for Ponzi Vineyards as their Marketing Communications Manager many moons ago. I can remember the first harvest season I went through while employed there… it was soooo romantic. Heck, for me, just being on the grounds of a working winery was like a storybook story. Daily, I’d watch from my office window, as the timid deer, turkey vultures and quail made their welcomed appearances, wandering by with reckless abandon. With my front row seat, I could literally watch the grapes ripening on the vines as I wrote engaging newsletter copy and designed ads.

When “Crush” began, it was like a whole nother animal. The fruit arrived and the structured frenzy that ensued was like a magnificently choreographed dance. Everyone knew their part and everyone performed like the spotlight was on them… and for all intents and purposes, it was. The forklift driver was under tremendous pressure to lift and deliver tons of grapes to the people on the sorting line, who waited with baited breath like gold-panners ready to sift through the next drop. Everyone worked tangentially, in unison, to get the succulent fruit from the vineyard to the totes and into fermentation bins or the presses as quickly as they could, and this rarely happened in favorable weather conditions. On my way to the fax machine, I'd pass through the main winery building where the harvest crew would be punching down the grapes that were going through their period of cold soak… the fruit still so fresh and sticky sweet as the air became thick with the drone of the fruit flies. I'd make my way passed the cool barrel room, heavy with aromas of oak and age that would stop me in my tracks and force me to inhale their thick and dusky scent, practically making me forget the whole reason I was there in the first place. Oh yeah, the fax.

Trying to get my work done during harvest typically included dodging fruit totes, hoses, fermenter bins, people, trucks, forklifts, muddy boots and vicious yellow jackets… not that I'm complaining. It also included leisurely and satisfying harvest lunches prepared by professional chefs served with world-class wine at a table surrounded by international and interesting people all passionate about the same the thing… it was my first experience to truly live and breathe "Harvest".

In addition to the winery, the Ponzi family owns a restaurant in the heart of Oregon’s wine country called The Dundee Bistro. Back in the day (though I’m not sure if they do this anymore), they used to have the sous chef from their restaurant come up and cook for the hungry (understatement) harvest crew. They generously allowed the regular staff (me) to join in on the elaborate lunches, and since I’m one admittedly and easily wooed by fine food and wine, you know I was smitten. One day, Chef Eddie made us a Parsnip Soup with Bacon Crumbles, which he selected a gorgeous Ponzi Pinot Blanc to pair with. I’d honestly never really met a parsnip I liked prior to that, in fact for years, I'd been picking them out of my mom's homemade chicken soups.Yet here Eddie had fashioned them into a soup which immediately became tops on of my list of favorites. And with the wine, it was sheer perfection; the acidity cut right through both the cream of the soup and salt of the bacon while the tart and floral components in the wine were effortlessly balanced by the sweet and savory qualities of the parsnips. I might have even swooned or drooled… or both.

Eddie somehow pulled off a disappearing act during lunch before I had a chance to pin him down for the recipe, he must have been onto me. When I called him at the restaurant the next day in an effort to obtain cooking instructions for the most fabulous and surprisingly delicious soup I’d ever tasted, I believe he told me he didn’t really have an actual recipe for it, and might have even said that he’d just pulled it out of his ass. Well, it certainly didn’t taste like it came out of his ass, but he clearly wasn't going to be any help. Over the next several months, I experimented with many versions, until I came upon this one from Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network, which seemed to be as close to Eddie’s as I could really recall, though I've added nutmeg to his recipe for added intrigue. The addition of the potato crisps indeed requires a bit more effort, and though not required, truly is worth the trouble. Alternatively, you could serve it with a loaf of bread, make your own boule like my industrious blogger friend Todd at the Portland Charcuterie Project for a seriously yummy treat.

Each year, as the days grow noticeably shorter, the skies begin to darken and the weather starts to turn chilly and less forgiving, I turn to this hearty dinner to warm up with and celebrate the arrival of the fall season. Last weekend, at the Lake Oswego Farmers Market, after I found these prized parnsips and dry-cured Maialino bacon, I realized what time of year it was already and immediately knew what was destined be on my menu in the coming week. So tonight, in honor of  Crush 2011, I’ll be serving up this heart-warming and tummy-satisfying soup (inspired by Chef Eddie and the Ponzis), alongside an excpetional 2010 Willakenzie Pinot Blanc I’ve set aside especially for the occasion. Though I do wish you could join me at my table, you can recreate this meal on your own, with your own bottle of Oregon Pinot Blanc. You could also try it with Oregon Pinot Gris for another delightful pairing, either way I'm certain it will become a favorite of yours as well. I raise my glass of refreshing Pinot Blanc to the entire Oregon wine industry and send wishes of safety, fun and success for Vintage 2011… cheers!

Cream of Parsnip Soup with Potato Crisps and Bacon
By Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

10 cups chicken stock
3 pounds parsnips, peeled and diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces raw bacon, chopped
1/2 pound new potatoes, thinly sliced and soaking in cold water
1 tablespoon chopped chives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a 6-quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaf, garlic and nutmeg and stir another minute until the spices release their aromatics.
3. Add the stock and parsnips and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the parsnips are very soft, about 1 hour.
4. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool a little. Discard bay leaf.
5. Using a hand-held blender, carefully puree soup until smooth. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.
6. In a small saute pan, over medium heat, render bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, drain on paper towels and reserve bacon fat.
7. Pour bacon fat onto cookie sheet and add the potato slices in one layer (because what isn't better cooked in bacon grease?). Put into the preheated oven and cook until potatoes are crispy and brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer potatoes to paper towel lined plate when done. Season with salt.
8. To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with the crispy potatoes, bacon and chives.

Anything But Pinot Gris - Oregon Whites For Summer Sipping

Now that summer may finally be here, the time for enjoying white wines with everything has finally arrived. So, in the spirit of the season, I've taken a closer look at some Oregon whites perfect for warm weather and lighter summer fare. Read about it on Cork'd.

Tasting Wines in the Carlton Countryside

I could hear the siren song beckoning me, trying to lure me from my odyssey as I passed numerous signs for garage sales and several farmers markets along the way to tour the Carlton wineries. Where I once went seeking priceless treasures of cheap, high quality children’s toys and farm-fresh produce for my family, I now find myself spending weekends seeking out treasures of a different sort.

Sticking to my guns and keeping my foot on the accelerator, I eventually arrived at my destination, Anne Amie Vineyards. I drove past the vineyards, poised and ready for picking, and up to the French-style chateaux at Anne Amie, high atop the hill. Anne Amie’s tasting room reflects the classic Old-World style, with gilded mirrors, high ceilings and lots of tapestries—elegant if not just a bit stuffy. Enjoy a picnic on the patio overlooking the beautiful grounds, vineyards and scenic Willamette Valley below.

I was excited to taste at Anne Amie because another of my former Ponzi colleagues and current good friend Thomas Houseman is Anne Amie’s Director of Winemaking (so I know first hand about both his talent and his passion). Thomas’s passion may be for Pinot Noir, but that boy can work magic with the whites too. I tried a heavenly Riesling, which brought thoughts of Thai food and Lobster Thermador to my brain with subsequent pangs of hunger to my belly; two Pinot Gris’, equally refreshing with balanced fruit, spice and minerality; and a delightful Pinot Noir Rose called Cuvee A Midnight Saignee. I think my favorite by far was the 2008 Cuvee A Muller Thurgau, though it’s not the most popular or common white wine, it could be! Thomas’ Muller Thurgau was like a perfectly crisp green apple with additional flavors of Meyer lemon, melon and aromatics of dried flowers. This wine would be simply divine with a bowl of fresh steamer clams and would really knock your socks off with some spicy Mexican pork. Obviously an easy-sipper in the summer, but as cooler weather comes on and I seek out wines that warm the body and soul, it’s good to keep these affordable, easy-pairing and food-friendly whites top of mind.

Thomas Houseman joined Anne Amie in 2007 and quickly recruited former colleague and Vineyard Manager Jason Tosch (yes, another graduate of Ponzi University) to oversee winegrowing at Anne Amie. The two are a force to be reckoned with and have brought Anne Amie’s wine program to new heights. I had the good fortune of tasting the 2007 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir (Thomas’ first vintage of Pinot Noir with Anne Amie) and found it very approachable, with ripe flavors of black cherries, blackberries and chocolate mingling happily with leather, violets and sweet maple. I haven’t been too crazy about the 2007 vintage till lately, but with wines like these quickly changing my mind, I’m realizing with a little more time in the bottle, the 2007’s are developing quite a distinctive personality.

With the 2009 Harvest in full play, I knew Thomas would practically be living at the winery so I asked the tasting room associate to see if he would see me. She took my card and said she would check but that he was really busy and probably knee-deep in a tank somewhere. I watched him breezing in and out of the kitchen; lithe and graceful, just like his wines, and when he finally had a moment to catch his breath, he took mine away with a big, hearty, lift-me-off-the-floor kind of hug. My timing impeccable, he graciously invited me to join the Harvest crew for lunch of food straight from the winery’s garden at picnic tables nested snugly in a blanket of grapevines. I sat down with Thomas, Jason and the rest of the bunch, but I’ve seen how hungry those Harvest workers get and I wouldn’t have dreamed of taking food off their precious plates. Speaking of food… I do have to mention how fun it was catching up with my old hungry and sexy Australian friend Todd Harvey. For some crazy reason, Todd has returned to Oregon to be a part of Thomas’ Harvest crew year after year (first meeting at… drum roll please… Ponzi Vineyards!). And though he’s certainly capable of eating everything on the table, he brings plenty to the table as well, cheers mate!

I left Anne Amie feeling full and content in my soul after a visit with friends and some great wines (stomach still rumbling though) and went on deeper into the countryside to tour the remaining outlying wineries of Carlton—starting with Lemelson Vineyards (who just opened their brand new tasting room 4^th of July weekend). Combining traditional methods with current technology, the cedar-sided winery is a modern marvel of aesthetics and function. Built with sustainability in mind, every detail was considered… right down to the white oak floors harvested from trees on the estate property and milled locally. Walk in past the outdoor patio with full fireplace and get a bulls-eye view of the Crush Pad. Luckily, I got to observe some Harvest activity and better yet, Lemelson's highly acclaimed, one-of-a-kind, fully mobile sorting platform… in action! The crew was carefully selecting ripe clusters, which then dropped to fill temperature-controlled, stainless steel fermentation tanks located on the level below. The barrel room (which I did not see) is located on the lowest level of the gravity-flow winery, fully underground and complete with radiant heated and cooled concrete floors for optimum temperature control. I should probably mention, the photo of two I’ve captured here in full Harvest mode joked about their attire— specifically his, saying he looked like Chris Farley in Saturday Night Live’s “Fat Man Little Coat” skit. Okay, I can see the resemblance!

Back to the business at hand, and my main purpose. Wine tasting was taking place in the foyer, as the tasting room was actually closed to guests (apparently it also doubles as the Harvest kitchen and dining room and Harvest always takes precedent at a winery… as it should). I did peak in though, and saw it easily makes a lovely setting for sipping; large with vineyard views framed in oversized windows flanking a cozy wood-burning stove.

I liked Lemelson’s 2007 Dry Riesling, and though the label said “dry”, there was clearly a touch of residual sugar that softened the austerity but also perhaps masked that traditional diesel smell you get off a Riesling. I got more excited when Pamela, who was pouring wines that day and clearly up on her technical information, allowed me to taste a 2006 Chardonnay she happened to have open. Aged in 40% new French oak, the wine had a nice weight in the mouth, without being overly creamy and pleasing notes of lemon-lime, honeysuckle and pear (did I buy a bottle, what do you think?). There was a good selection of ’06 and ’07 vintage Pinot noirs; both single vineyard and cuvees. The highlights for me were the 2007 Meyer Vineyard Pinot Noir, an unusually complex wine, rich with essences of red cherries, strawberries, black tea, warm, white pepper and violets; and the 2006 Jerome Reserve Pinot Noir. A blend of their three vineyard sites with a lush, earthy and smoky nose and full, round mouth of black fruit, dark chocolate, minerals and spice, this wine is exotic and sensual and should be savored over a long evening as it continues to develop in the glass (a perfect candidate for a decanter). Lemelson’s commitment to organics and sustainability (from vineyard to winery) made quite an impact on me and I wish them continued growth and success.

With Laurel Ridge Winery now in my sightline, I zipped past old barns, weathered silos and fertile farmland. After parking, I was greeting and led directly to the door by the perfect little doorman, a very friendly resident pooch named Keizer. The tasting room displayed the cleverest use of recycled wine materials I’d ever seen. Woodworker and Grant High School teacher Dan Brown ingeniously crafted a unique canopy for over the bar made completely out of used barrel staves with lights that dangle through the bungholes. Aside from its beauty, the barrel stave canopy provided a wonderful and surprising sense of intimacy in the bar area amidst the very large tasting room. The front of the bar was also its own work of art, decorated with vintage Champagne riddling racks (used in wine cellars for aging Champagne bottles).

Distracted by the adorable dog who had taken up residence on my feet, I disengaged my hand from his fur long enough to taste the wines. Laurel Ridge is one of a handful of Oregon wineries that produces sparkling wines in the classic French Methode Champenoise. Susan, the winery’s president, poured me a 1992 Brut Grand; a harmonious blend of Pinot noir and Pinot blanc with almost no residual sugar which made me think of crab cakes, fried oysters and mushrooms in cream sauce on toast. I tasted some good Pinots and then was tickled by a 2007 Tempranillo with bold, dramatic flavors of berries, currants and cinnamon that was just screaming to be drank along side a dish of Moroccan Lamb Tagine over cous cous.

Food obviously weighing heavily on my mind, I decided to revolt against my hunger and headed to Lenne where I found winemaker and proprietor Steve Lutz personally pouring his wines. There’s really nothing better than getting to taste with the winemaker, you get a greater understanding of the wine—its history, by which I mean what exactly those grapes have gone through on their journey from vine to glass. Drive up the steep, narrow dirt road to the tasting room at Lenne and you feel like you’re driving to a little old Tuscan villa, with field stone walls the color of Piedmonte.

In addition to Lenne wines, Steve also pours some of his friend’s wines as well. That day, I got to enjoy a 2007 Viogner from Fausse Piste, which was almost golden in color with pretty aromas of orange blossom and apricots and a nice full body as well as a 2008 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel (off 100 year-old vines) and a 2007 Owen Roe Cabernet Franc with lots of Spanish pepper on the nose. Steve tasted me through three of his 2007 Pinots, each of which leaned towards a light and delicate style and each of which seemed to contain the same red cherry, coffee and spice (in varying combinations and intensities). They all had good ripeness, good acidity and an indicative terrior (French word meaning earth referring to specific flavors which identify a sense of place), making it very difficult to decide what to purchase. What to serve it with, an easy decision… my most favorite blackened seared salmon. Again, I’m a visual gal and a sucker for a good label. Steve’s label kindly pays tribute to his father-in-law Lenny and features his profile prominently. In a cunning and punning sort of way, one of the Pinots is called Le Nez (French for the nose), and displays and even larger silhouette of Lenny’s very un-petite nose. Lenne is open Thursday through Sunday, and Steve says anytime the gate is open, feel free to stop on by.

With WillaKenzie practically across the street, it was easy to blow off my insatiable appetite knowing it would be my last stop of the day and suck up one more tasting (so to speak). Upstairs, I found the grand tasting room with lofty vaulted wood ceilings, bistro-style seating and a magnificent antique French bar inlaid with mother-of-pearl. In a strange twist-of-fate, I was being served by Sherry, Hospitality Manager, who didn’t really feel all that hospitable (maybe it was just a bad day). In fact, I was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable until her associate, Erik swooped and and like a superhero behind the bar, saved the day with his playful nature and great sense of humor. One of the guys from the group standing next to me at the bar started joking about how Erik looked a bit too much like Erik Estrada (talking about a funny commercial with Estrada sunglasses), which finally seemed to break the ice where Erik responded by swiftly removing the guest’s glass, refusing him service for making such a bad and offensive joke. It was obvious Erik had heard this reference before… he might have been just a bit too sensitive about it. He returned the glass to the guest, who as it turns out was also named Eric and was very brave and tried to stand his ground, but didn’t really have a leg to stand on teasing someone else, considering he was wearing a Wonder Woman t-shirt!

Of the wines, I tasted a 2008 Pinot Blanc, a classic 2007 Pinot Gris, and four vineyard-select 2006 Pinot Noirs that all had a sweetness which hit your lips immediately, but that was where the similarities ended. The Pierre Leon suggested blackberries and plum, it was complex, with great structure but its long finish didn’t quite sit right with me at that particular space and time. Wine is really so personal, it could have very well just been me (I think it was that cured meat thing again). The Kiana, in contrast, was full of juicy red fruit and blueberries with a fluttering of violets and white pepper. The Emery, probably my favorite, had a dark ruby color, deep black cherry flavor with hints of anise and fig, while the Terres Basses, also rich with red fruit, tasted of pomegranates, Bing cherries, roses, black licorice on a bed of fertile earth. After tasting through the Pinot noirs, I couldn’t get that first Pinot Blanc out of my mind. The nose and palate both exploded with pear, melon, kefir lime and honey. When I took a sip of this wine, I was immediately reminded of a memorable wine dinner I did with Ponzi Vineyards at Genoa Restaurant where the chef paired Ponzi’s Pinot blanc with a dish called Pasta al Melone. This was one of those electrifying food pairings where I felt like I was in some sort of food heaven… the wine brought out the richness and sweetness in the pasta dish and the food enhanced the fruit flavors and acidity in the wine. I begged the chef for the recipe and have since made this easy dish several times. I picked up a beautiful Tuscan cantaloupe today and look forward to recreating that food pairing with WillaKenzie’s 2008 Pinot Blanc.

Obviously hungry, I set off for home (my refrigerator) with my daily lesson rumbling loudly at me. The best and simplest way to keep your focus on the wine, the tasting room and the experience instead of on your next bite: Make sure you’ve eaten a satisfying and well-rounded meal before you set out on any wine tasting adventure—wine touring and tasting is hard work.

Next up on the Carlton wine tour: we’re hitting downtown! Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Chasing Pinot

Labor Day weekend proved to be a wonderful opportunity to visit many wineries that don’t keep regular tasting room hours in the Willamette Valley. I took advantage of the holiday weekend (and the generous offer from Hunter to take Shayden for the day) and began my tour at Ponzi Vineyards. Even though I worked there for nearly two and a half years as their Marketing Communications Manager (and still have dreams about perfectly spacing out and hanging all those historic family photos, press mentions and White House menus featuring Ponzi at various president’s tables on the tasting room walls), I still felt I needed to visit again; firstly, for a fresh, objective impression, but also to keep everything official here.

I stood at the familiar travertine bar admiring the remarkably fresh sunflowers in the large bouquet at the opposite end. Krista graciously poured wines for the guests as we all chatted about where we might be going next, Portland restaurants and then oddly enough, the downtown foodcarts. The wines showed beautifully as always; winemaker Luisa Ponzi’s wines (whites and reds) are consistently stunning and well-balanced. Ponzi makes a delightful and slightly floral Pinot Blanc and one of the few Oregon Chardonnays I truly enjoy… the 2006 Chardonnay Reserve, by the way, didn’t disappoint. Aged on its lees in French oak for 18 months, the wine developed complex notes of toasted almonds, burnt sugar and hints of ginger. Flavors of green apple, citrus, honey and cream filled my mouth and I couldn’t help but take a swallow or two, enjoying the long finish for some time as I walked around looking at the local honeys and jams and wine-related products for sale.

David, the Tasting Room Manager then poured me through the three Pinots, but not till I made him fetch me some crackers to clean my palate (Did I mention that long Chardonnay finish? Oh my, it just kept on going like the energizer bunny!) The Pinots personalities were each so different from the other; the Tavola was more fruit-forward while the Willamette Valley and Reserve were more earthy and smoky—but all mouth-wateringly irresistible. Being one of Portland’s closest (and oldest) wineries, Ponzi’s just a quick jaunt from downtown, but it feels like you’re far from it. Buy a bottle of your favorite wine, bring along a lunch and enjoy the Bocce ball courts with picnic-side tables or just relax and watch the grapes ripen on the well-tended vineyards—all the makings for a perfect family afternoon. I grabbed a map of the Chehalem Mountain wineries offering special hours for the weekend and set off for my next destination, but not before making plans with Krista to go tasting soon.

With my old-school GPS (a map and my brain) programmed for the scenic route to Vidon Vineyard in Newberg, I drove up the Chehalem Mountain Range past vineyards, hazelnut orchards, Christmas tree farms, horses, alpacas and sheep wondering if I was actually going the right way. As I approached the summit of Bald Peak winding my way up on Highway 219, it was if entering a rain forest; dense with pine trees, ferns and other native vegetation … you could smell the rich, loamy soil wafting up and feel the heavy dampness in the air weighing down. Immediately after turning off Highway 219, I was greeted by a doe and her two little fawns hastily eating as much as they could before being scared off by me and my big, fat camera.

Drive up off the beaten path, past the enviable residence and chicken coop to the crush pad/tasting room out back where you’ll find Vidon Vineyards’ owner and winemaker Don Hagge waiting right there at the door to greet you with a warm handshake. The holiday weekend brought live music and an array of cheeses, nuts and chocolates to pair with the wines, which certainly created a very festive experience. Darla was behind the bar serving up wines while generously sharing her knowledge of the brand. She told me the story of how Vidon is named for the owners Vicki and Don and is a combination of their names. And then quite eloquently, she explained how the three single clone Pinot Noirs are named for the three grandkids, each individual clone representing specific characteristics of the child it’s named for — the 2007 Brigita is from clone 777, which shows as soft, silky delicate, just as she is; 2007 Hans, the burly of the three, is Pommard clone which gives the structure and firm tannins; and the 2007 Mirabelle, from clone 115, is elegant and pretty, giving complexity to the nose.

Experiencing the wines as single clone bottlings and then tasting the blend of the three was truly a unique and lovely progression. Darla offered me a dark chocolate and blueberry truffle made by Honest Chocolates from her secret stash behind the bar to pair with that 2007 Three Clones which brought out lively peppery notes on the wine. Wondering if I was getting special treatment, Darla then poured me a barrel sample of the 2008 Pinot Noir with explosive big black fruit taste and a touch of anise coming through, wow! With my eyes on the next vintage, I forced myself to turn my focus back to the vintage currently for sale and remembered the 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir — lush and fruity, with a full, silky mouth and lots of smoke and earth —so I grabbed a bottle for the cellar.

With the sun finally out and shining strong, I drove to Lawton Winery, which I won’t say too much about other than I’m sorry to hear that Keith won’t be producing another vintage but I look forward to tasting his fruit in other wines. Good luck Keith!

Though I didn’t end my day at Lawton, I will end this post here as it’s getting long (six wineries total!!) and I need to gather my thoughts. I will resume the Chehalem Mountain adventure next time with Arborbrook, Adelshiem and Utopia and of course, my lesson for the day. Until we sip again…

Cheers!