Oregon Winemaker Tributes Valentine Break-Up With Nefarious Pinot Noir

You could feel the excited energy stirring about Patricia Green Cellar’s winery, warming up the cold facility rarely open to the public. Guests stood poised to taste her illustrious wines and with an odd twist of irony, I found myself alone on Valentine’s Day afternoon—a day typically spent honoring relationships, love and togetherness—celebrating Patricia Green’s 10-year anniversary punctuating her divorce from Torii Mor instead. In homage of the dispassionate occasion (one of the best break-ups on history I might add) Patty released her wickedly sinful, 2008 Nefarious Pinot Noir.

The 2008 Nefarious Pinot Noir ($85) was as beguiling as it was balanced. The wine opened with a soft fruit and lightly floral nose. In my mouth, blackberries gave way to ripe cherries, a touch of spice and playful acids, which swept across and awakened my sleepy tongue (it was barely noon, but already wine-o’clock for so many). The tannins were firm, showcasing the moderate structure, yet supple enough to provide a lush, velvety feel despite the wine’s youth. It was a nice wine, yes. But was it worthy of its lofty $85.00 price tag? Of that I’m not so sure.

I liked the wine and I loved the name, but for me, it was still missing a key component—a good label to tie it all together. It might seem trite to you, but being a graphic designer and marketing specialist, what it all boiled down to was that I was confused when I looked at the bottle. The wine’s called Nefarious, which means infamous by way of being extremely wicked, but the front label shows a soft, sweet and simple muted oil painting of Patty with her nose in a wine glass—is that supposed to signify nefarious? The label design felt like an afterthought, even more so when I looked up and saw the painting larger than life on the cellar wall… a bit incongruous and disappointing if you ask me. To come up with such a great concept and then fall through on the visuals and packaging felt like an enormous waste of a tremendous opportunity and my mouth was (and still is) literally salivating over the potential of such a campaign. Moving on and off my soapbox now.

The 2008 Notorious Pinot Noir ($70) showed similar themes of sweet and spice as Nefarious, but with more intensity and greater depth. Black fruit and plums immediately introduced themselves to me, while tart cranberries, truffles and a captivating white pepper finish snuck up from behind and made their presence known. I preferred Notorious to Nefarious and actually thought it seemed more wicked, more sinful and more decadent with its seductively ripe fruit and sneaky yet showy spice.

One of my favorite wines of the day was the 2008 Estate Old Vine Pinot Noir ($40) with wild berries, violets, great acid, subtle minerality and a brilliant, long finish. A showstopper in my book; the wine possessed tannins substantial enough to benefit from a little age, but to enjoy a bottle now would certainly be no crime. Patricia Green’s wines are consistently lovely and, if I had generous disposable income, I probably would have been right there alongside the others loading cases into my expensive car to take home and age in the temperature-controlled cellar. But, sadly I don’t… so feeling a bit like I was on The Walk of Shame, I left the winery escorting a lonely bottle of Old Vine Pinot Noir back to my practical Jeep instead… making my own small tribute to Patricia Green and the strength it took her to walk away.

We all know breaking up is hard to do. And in the professional setting, it can be that much harder. Patty’s tumultuous relationship with Torii Mor is one example of some of the unseen and unspoken challenges of working in the “glamorous” wine industry, and how ultimately to make it work to your benefit. Wineries are often small Mom-and-Pop shops, run by very passionate people (often families) with little room and even less stability for outsiders. People can easily become commodities and are far too easily replaceable (the line goes clear around the block, believe me!). Personally and unfortunately, I’ve been witness to and victim of some very unethical treatment in this industry and it’s probably for that reason I hold Patty in even higher regard, admiring her for taking a risk, believing in herself as a winemaker and stepping out on her own—may she serve as a model to us all. As if a message from the wine goddess, I happened to notice the bumper sticker on the car next to me— “Nullum Vinum Flaccidum” —and took note (and a photo) as I reminder to look up later. I learned the expression is Latin for “No Wimpy Wines;” almost poetically appropriate, no? Here’s to strength! Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Getting Intimate with The Winemakers

When three strong women winemakers join forces for a night to show their private label, very limited production wines, people come out of the woodwork. Such was the case this past Tuesday at Alu Wine Bar in Portland, Oregon, where the crowd was thick with those eager to taste wines from Kelley Fox Wines, Ghost Hill Cellars and 1789 and steal a few moments with each of these impressive women.

Kelley Fox of Kelley Fox Wines was pouring her 2007 Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir, which sells for $40 retail. Kelley has been making wines for the past decade, most recently with Scott Paul Wines in Carlton, Oregon. In 2007, she purchased fruit from famed Maresh and Momtazi Vineyards to craft Pinot Noir under her own label, producing 100 to 500 cases annually.

Kelley Fox Wine’s 2007 Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir was very light, elegant and seemingly delicate in structure. Bright acids were complemented by moderate alcohol in this thin and almost translucent wine. The flavors were well integrated, with cranberries, black cherries, graham and violets composing the primary profile. This wine was classic Burgundian in style, restrained with a genuine expression of fruit and a tribute to minimalistic winemaking techniques. In a word… exquisite.

Next up was Rebecca Pittock-Shouldis of Ghost Hill Cellars with her version of 2007 Pinot Noir. When not making wine for Ghost Hill Cellars, Rebecca also manages the Trappist Abbey Wine Warehouse, is co-founder of Northwest Wines to You and is a Staff Sergeant in the Oregon Air National Guard… unlike a French wine bottle, you won’t see dust settling on her. Ghost Hill Cellar’s name commemorates a spirit from the Gold Rush period who’s said to still roam the land searching for his lost gold. The 2007 vintage (retailing for $38) was produced using grapes from the Bayliss-Bower Estate Vineyard. The wine possessed more intensity than Kelley’s, with darker fruit characteristics, including juicy plums, sweet blackberries and even some currants. This wine seemed to have a higher alcohol level, indicated very ripe fruit, and I detected both earthy and mineral qualities, softened and balanced by a feminine fragrance of rose petals. A deliciously drinkable wine.

The last woman standing was Isabelle Dutartre of 1789 showing her 2007 Pinot Noir from Eastburn Vineyard on Parrett Mountain, east of Newberg. Isabelle has a long history of winemaking in France and the United States, and since 2001, she’s been busy creating the wines for De Ponte Cellars in the prestigious Red Hills of Dundee. The name 1789 is a tribute to Isabelle’s French nationality, referencing the date of the French Revolution, and she said it also reflects her own personal revolution as well. The 2007 1789 Pinot Noir (at $48) was as powerful and graceful as an Olympic gymnast. It was slightly jammy with red raspberries and cherries while layers of Vanilla Coke and truffles came through adding thought-provoking complexity. I enjoyed the broad, velvety mouth as the acids and tannins, in perfect balance, competed for space on my tongue.

Opportunities to explore wines from extremely small producers like these are a rare and special treat; Alu did a fantastic job showcasing them. Alu provided a chic yet friendly tasting space, cozied up with a warm fireplace, low wood ceilings and rustic brick walls. The wines were properly ordered from light to heavy and low to high acid/alcohol, allowing the beauty of each to be revealed without taking anything away from the next. Check out your local wine bars for special winemaker events like these. Besides tasting extraordinary wines not widely available, you get the chance to mingle intimately with the winemakers, gaining a greater understanding of and further appreciation for the wine that filled your glass. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Photo by Robert Canaga of Oregon Wine and Music Project

Five Great Reasons to Celebrate with Zenith Pinot Noir

What could Oregon Pinot noir, redneck ski resorts and Washington State possibly have in common? They all came together in perfect harmony to become part of my epic day.

When Zenith Vineyard’s owner Tim Ramey gave me a bottle of his Zenith 2007 Barrel Select Pinot Noir as a gift, hoping to hear my thoughts back on his wine, I put the wine away… waiting for just the right occasion to open it. With plans for a weekend get-away to Washington, I sensed a moment in the making, and like the Travelocity gnome, I brought that bottle of Zenith with me from my home, to my in-laws, to the ski mountain, to the hotel and then to the restaurant, where it finally arrived at its final resting place on my dinner table. I’ll tell you what I thought of the wine, but first let me back up just enough to explain how I ended up beyond my jurisdiction in Eastern Washington… the land of Merlot, Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends celebrating with Oregon Pinot noir.

Headed off for a day’s skiing at Ski Bluewood, my husband Hunter was pulled over for speeding but then thankfully let off with a warning. Reason to celebrate Number One.

We arrive at Ski Bluewood (located 30ish miles from Walla Walla) and I was a little surprised to find it even smaller than my husband implied or remembered. There was basically one noisy, low-speed triple chair lift (quite possibly hand-cranked)… 15 minutes up the mountain, 3 minutes down. If I had to put a label on the place (and I guess I do), I’d call it a beginner’s hick mountain. The crowd consisted mostly of very loud and sometimes obnoxious, novice skiers. But, not a lift line was to be had at the single lift. Ski Bluewood was not the glitz and glamour capital of the ski world, and it didn’t have much vertical drop, but it did have some nice variation (groomed cruisers, ungroomed trees and gullies with lots of jumps that I didn’t take because I’m not 20 anymore) and who could complain about a day in the sun carving pretty turns in soft powdery fluff. Reason to celebrate Number Two.

Following our day on the slopes, Hunter and I checked into our suite at the historic Weinhard’s Bed & Breakfast in Dayton, Washington and popped open a bottle of very lush 2004 Ponzi Pinot Noir Reserve. Though I left the land of Pinot noir miles behind, somehow several bottles of Oregon Pinot still found their way onto my bags. What can I say? I don’t travel light. We soaked away the day’s aches and pains in the whirlpool tub before heading over to the local legend, Patit Creek to fill the empty void in our starving bellies. Reason to celebrate Number Three.

The Patit Creek was founded 32 years ago by husband-and-wife-team Bruce and Heather Hiebert and has gained a reputation for consistent, high quality, classic French cuisine… it didn’t disappoint. Phillip, our charismatic city-boy-come-rural waiter, asked me if I stole my shoes from their bathroom. Very confused and highly intrigued, I had to check out the ladies room and see what he was talking about. Mutual good taste and a penchant for hot shoes is what I discovered… reason to celebrate Number Four.

We started off our very decadent dinner with chevre-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. The fat and savory qualities played beautifully against the substantial and mouth filling acids in the wine… a match made in heaven. The wine had a broad bouquet of cherry, strawberry and truffle, while the red fruit persisted in the glass with flavors of tart cranberry, raspberry and a subtle spicy and smoky charm. It was well structured, with light-to-medium viscosity and was an excellent pairing with Hunter’s filet, (though my lobster in citrus sauce would have been better suited with a good Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay). We toasted to a day of fulfillment and restoration and reveled in how wonderful a little time away from the kid can be. Reason to celebrate Number Five.

I believe wine should both heighten the meal and elevate the experience, and in this case, the Zenith Pinot Noir did both of those things. Even better though, is how this bottle of wine became a magical part of an idyllic outing. I’m not into numerology, but maybe, it’s all about the numbers or how it all ads up. After all, I had five very good reasons for celebrating, two glasses of fine Oregon wine with one first-rate meal, four sexy shoes, 24 hours away from our child, 99 photos and endless memories of a perfect day in Eastern Washington.You do the math.

If you have a bottle of wine you’d like me to experience, contact me for mailing address and please send it along; I’m always happy to share my honest impressions. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

How a Jewish Girl Embarrasses Herself in Church

In response to The Wine Whore’s February 2010 Wine Wednesday Twitter Challenge: My Most Embarrassing Wine Moment. Follow The Wine Whore's Randy Watson on Twitter @TheWineWhore

As I sift through the fodder of my life, I could find many uncomfortable wine moments to share, but can also pluck the very most embarrassing from my feathery brain with the greatest of ease. It came long before I was ever even legal drinking age… and actually didn’t involve getting drunk at all, or puking. In fact, my most embarrassing wine moment occurred in Catholic Church!

Picture me, all alone in my pew, a nice Jewish girl, attending my Catholic bff’s confirmation ceremony and my first ever Sunday morning Mass. A magical moment occurred in the mysterious service and like a well-rehearsed, choreographed dance, I watched everyone rise in unison, forming a line in front of the priest. Not wanting to be left sitting there alone, I got up too. Entranced, as I waited my turn for the treasure the robed man was about to bestow upon me, I didn’t notice my friend’s family frantically waving me back, desperately trying to warn me to get out of line. Mesmerized by the moment, I hypnotically watched the others in line before me make strange motions with their arms, moving them rhythmically across their bodies. When it was my turn in front of the priest, I tried to mimic those gestures (I didn’t want to look stupid) and the priest said something about the blood and the body of Christ… but I didn’t hear him. Simultaneously, I saw his hands coming at me with food and, like a hungry baby bird, I reflexively opened my mouth to receive a very dry wafer on my parched tongue. Then I was handed a tiny cup of wine, which was great, because I was really thirsty and all I really needed was something to wash down that tasteless cracker (endless cookies and wine at Temple were so much better!). After finding my way back to my seat, I noticed the glaring eyes I was receiving from my friend’s family (and the snickers from her brothers) and realized I must done something terribly wrong, but I still didn’t know what embarrassment awaited me.

After the service, the large extended family (and I) set off for TGI Fridays to celebrate my friend… and apparently humiliate me some more. As if I wasn’t embarrassed enough already; a rather boisterous conversation ensued (loud enough for the whole restaurant AND the bank next door to hear) about whether the priest needed to be contacted and a special prayer said for the JEWISH girl who accidently (and rather embarrassingly now) ate the body of Christ and then symbolically drank his blood in wine. Completely mortified, and feeling like the Jew who killed Jesus, I wished I could have hid under my order of stuffed potato skins. It might have scared me off wine completely—if not for all those Passover Manishevitz drunkfests to come! Who would have thought, Manishevitz to the rescue? (Admitting I once drank Manishevitz… perhaps my next most embarrassing wine moment.)

Sip with Me Goes Doppelganger a la Facebook

This week is Celebrity Doppelganger Week on Facebook. If you don’t know what that is, it’s this sorta creepy and ridiculous (but somehow fun) trend where you post a picture of your celebrity look-alike as your profile picture. For me, growing up in “The Valley” in the 80’s, it was always Martha Quinn from MTV (ha ha). So even though I hated being associated with her as a teenager, she looks quite cute to me from this side of 40, and at this moment, her photo is my Facebook profile picture.

Anyway, this Facebook development got me thinking about how in one of my prior posts, I refer to Archery Summit as the Princess Diana of wineries. Well, struggling to write my post this week, (and struggling with my project’s repetitiveness quite honestly) I’ve decided to go against my tradition, break my mold… do something completely different and perhaps even a bit off the wall. Today, there will be no tried and true format of honest winery experience, with details about the wines, yada yada yada. Sip with Me dedicates this blogpost to Facebook’s Celebrity Doppelganger Week! My sincere apologies if I offend anyone or if a winery feels glossed over, that's not my intent. Enjoyment is my only goal and my experience at each of these establishments was memorable and recommendable.

Namaste Vineyards = Woody Harrelson

A little bit hippy trippy, but a serious actor nonetheless.

Chateau Bianca = Minnie Driver

Is she English or is she American?

Van Duzer Vineyards - Daryl Hannah

 

One look at the Zephra – Goddess of Wind on their label and you get it.

Eola Hills Winery = Susan Lucci

 

This soap star won’t be invited to the Oscars,

but she has class and staying power.

Cherry Hill Winery = Lassie

Once again, the label speaks volumes so I don’t have to. This one honors their very own 

Daisy the dog (and notice the wineglass inpression on her forehead—it's genuine!).

In the same spirit of silly alter-egoness: On my way home from wine tasting today, I got behind a car whose license plate read “Mulva,” and referring back to one of the best Seinfeld episodes ever, I couldn’t help but wonder if her name was really Dolores (it rhymes with a female body part), and had a little giggle—I hope you do too. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Finding the Balance in Oregon Wine

With the current state of the economy, my former hobby of seeking out value-driven wines has now become more of a necessity. With that thought weighing as heavily upon me as a teenager’s backpack, I located Firesteed Cellars, who to me epitomizes both quality and value.

Though Firesteed Pinot Noir has graced my table many times with their consistently good, fruit-forward $10.00 wines, I’d never actually visited their facility—and until 2003, nobody else had either (with no vineyards and no winery, Firesteed was what was called a virtual winery). Owner Howard Rossbach had the forethought to produce reliably good yet affordable Oregon wines over 15 years ago, sourcing fruit from the state’s most renowned growing regions and utilizing a custom-crush facility before purchasing the existing vineyard and winery. Located a mere ten minutes from downtown Salem, this accessible winery is a relative newcomer on the scene but fully ready to play ball with the big boys. While expansive views of the 74-acres of vineyards greet you (with 200 more slated for planting), the quiet and windowless tasting room overlooks the winery facility, keeping the focus on the wine, not the vine.

For a facility that produces 80,000 cases per year, it was like a ghost town the day I visited. Winters are generally quiet around most cellars; wines from the past harvest have all been bottled or put in barrel to age, the vines have been pruned back and lie dormant for months. I relish in the extra attention I get in an uncrowded tasting room, so a lack of people didn’t phase me (though I do love a good party atmosphere). Byron poured me through Firesteed’s line-up, which actually had a few surprises. The 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was expressive with black cherry, raspberry, cedar, cocoa and spicy notes. It was earthy and smoky and good, but wait… it’s $30 a bottle. Next, Byron’s pouring $35 and even $50 wines. Really? $50 Pinot noir? From Firesteed? Well, as it turns out, Firesteed created a entirely different label for this wine, called Citation, which they age and hold back until it’s truly ready for release. I tasted a 2000 Citation Pinot Noir, which is primarily only available in the tasting room. It tasted of cranberry with firm yet silky tannins—a solid wine. I totally get the concept; chosen select barrels, aged years before release. But with all due respect to Mr. Rossbach, I do have to question producing a wine that seems to violate the One-Two-Punch quality AND value theme Firesteed has built their reputation and success on. Just sayin’!

Travel just a bit further down the road and discover Johan Vineyards and their boutique winery which produces less than 1,000 cases of wine each year. Located on 85 acres of organic and biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Van Duzer corridor, Johan sells 85% of their fruit to lucky local wineries. The winery produced its first vintage of estate wine in 2005 and recently celebrated the grand opening of their winery and inviting tasting room just a short couple of months ago.

While winery cats Fox and Leopard twirled at my feet, I enjoyed wines that were focused, elegant and told a beautiful story. The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir was a bit showy with a lovely balance of cherry, pomegranate, cassis, a bit of dust and just the right of amount of spice to make the finish bold and memorable. The 2007 Pinot Noir Nils Reserve (named for Johan’s father) was deep and mysterious, with a bit of dark side; black cherry, currants and blackberries dominated the fruit spectrum while hints of forest floor and spice added pizzazz. Leaving the company of Dag’s charming wife Alison, I ventured back down the windy road, past open meadows, spring-fed lakes for irrigation and runoff, solar panels and of course, rows and rows of grapevines. Left of center, and right back up the other side of the bowl, I discovered Johan’s next-door neighbors, Left Coast Cellars, and their country-contemporary tasting room.

Left Coast Cellars is situated on a 306-acre estate that’s so much like a nature preserve it’s easy to forget it’s a vineyard. In addition to the 125 acres of meticulously maintained organic and biodynamic vineyards, there’s Italian Cyprus and Oregon White Oak trees, as well as fruit orchards and lakes and streams that attract migrating birds and larger birds of prey. Left Coast owners, the Plaff family, also planted four acres of hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oak to encourage growth of their European truffles. I wonder (and didn’t ask) if those truffles will be available for sale in the tasting room?

Annabelle, the winery mascot, was there to greet me and shepherded me to the bar for tasting. She knew it was getting close to the dinner hour and I sensed she was wishing I would wrap things up already instead of making her pose for a picture. But Annabelle sat pretty and patiently while Judy and Jean made no hurries at all, making me feel right at home while poured me through the extended portfolio. As with other wines from this AVA (American Viticultural Area), the Pinot noirs showed a similarity with their expressions of dark fruit and earthiness. Left Coast was pouring three Pinots from the 2006 vintage, which were all pretty bold, jammy and intense (like many Pinot noirs of that vintage). My favorite, and the wine I thought the most elegant, was their 2006 Cali’s Cuvee Pinot Noir (named for owner Suzanne’s daughter). Its generous nose tempted me with ripe Bing cherries, blackberry pie, orange zest and pine while the taste revealed a mixed bowl of wild berries which gave way to an interesting herbaceous quality. The finish was long and lovely with sweet maple and baking spice that would be perfect to sip on its own or to pair with a hearty and meaty meal. Though I seem to have skipped straight to the reds, I actually really enjoyed the whites from Left Coast Cellars, where winemaker Luke McCollum takes the mundane and makes it interesting. Definitely worth mentioning, is Left Coast Cellars 2006 Chardonnay… complex and vivacious with flavors of lemon meringue pie, white peach, green apple, quince and vanilla skipping about my mouth. They may be a bunch of lefties out there, but they’re certainly doing something right.

While I was tasting at Left Coast, I was intrigued by a couple of women I met named Nichole Taylor and Ivy Hover of Vino & Vinyasa. Nichole and Ivy run yoga retreats at wineries and vineyards, bringing the revitalizing practice of yoga to the expansive views of Oregon’s vineyards… relaxing and stretching while surrounded by nature’s beauty and bounty. The sound of it alone sounds relaxing, no? Back on the road, but with my mind still doing Tree Pose in the vineyard, I passed by Firesteed again and thoughts of money and value invaded my formerly peaceful place, jolting me back to reality. A few deep cleansing breaths and it occurred to me that like the yin and yang, I guess ultimately, wineries must find their balance too. Perhaps Firesteed’s luxury tier provides some kind of balance for their value-priced wines, perhaps even adding value to the less expensive wines. Does the $50 wine make their $16 bottle taste even better? I guess some wineries make decisions to introduce a top-shelf wine based on marketing principals and some just have a passion to make a better wine. The wineries that do this best strike a precarious balance between the two. Here’s to balance. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

At Last… It's a Wine-Snob Free Zone

Recently, when a friend asked me what wine she should serve at her Rose Bowl party I replied, “Dare I suggest Duck Pond?” We giggled, though both slightly uncomfortable with our snobbery, and then she said, “No, really.” As New Year’s has come and gone, taking with it any chance of me making resolutions I’ve no intention of keeping, it occurred to me that maybe I should have considered it a moment longer before I tossed the resolution notion like a bottle of corked wine. Maybe I should try not to be snooty this year. I chose to think bigger and I set a 2010 goal for myself to be the best me I can be. Though I genuinely try to keep my mind open and my pretentions in check, I will confess (to you only) how I’ve found myself occasionally looking down my nose before I sniff wine from my Riedel crystal glass. In my effort to be true blue, I chose to start the year by blogging about my visit to a winery I passed over on every prior trip through the Willamette Valley, Duck Pond. And to further demonstrate my horrible example of exclusivity, I’ll come totally clean and own up to the fact that I may have occasionally dissed them while working in various tasting rooms, suggesting guests bypass them in favor of more prominent Dundee wineries (I’m sorry Duck Pond!!).

A grand opportunity presented itself though and my mission ultimately trumped elitism. After countless drive-bys, I finally visited Duck Pond and found myself surprisingly and utterly charmed. Duck Pond Cellars, sits just north of Dundee and serves as a virtual gateway to the wineries of the Dundee Hills. The sizeable facility, processing 125,000 cases a year is one of Oregon’s largest wine producers, yet the atmosphere is very small-town cozy. Walk beneath their covered trellis and feel as if you’ve stepped onto a lushly landscaped southern plantation, complete with tranquil pond and large patio to enjoy it all from. The winery produced its first vintage in 1989, and today successfully owns and operates 840 acres in Oregon and Washington.

Cindy poured me some tasty, well-structured wines that were incredible values, but I was most impressed by their sister label’s 2006 Desert Wind Cabernet Sauvignon, which told a beautiful yet strong story filled with plums, blackberries, black cherries, pine, vanilla and baking spices. Duck Pond features a complimentary flight of five wines (which actually give a fair representation of the local bounty) in addition to a selection of their premium wines for a small fee. They’re one of the only wineries in Oregon I know of still offering free wine tasting, which is especially odd considering their heavy-trafficked location.

Venture just a bit further down the road and discover one of the Willamette Valley’s newer stars of the show, The Four Graces. Owned by the Black family out of California, The Four Graces hit the scene big, first purchasing a 110-acre vineyard in the Red Hills of Dundee and then providing a homey place to enjoy their wines. Set in a stylishly remodeled historic cottage, sip from any number of comfy locations—at the bar, lounge in one of the home’s sitting rooms, on the deck or by the outdoor fireplace on the back patio.

The elegant wines are crafted by Laurent Montalieu (of Solena Cellars and Evergreen Vineyards) and named in honor of the family’s four daughters. The day I visited, there was a cellar club party and the atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation of the first 2009 vintage release, a Pinot Blanc that sadly just didn’t impress me as much as previous vintages (I’m certainly no expert, but I just wasn’t sure it was quite ready for release. Ideally, I would like to reserve judgment, re-tasting this wine in six months). The Pinots were solid and earthy with deep colors and good complexity. The Dundee Hills Reserve Pinot Noir was a mouthful of decadence. I felt self-indulgent as I absorbed all the flavors and aromas of this luxurious wine which was as multifaceted as a brilliant diamond—enjoying how it sparkled with strawberries, pomegranate, raspberries, mocha, orange blossoms and nutmeg. The debauchery continued with the smooth, full-bodied and very sexy 2007 Yamhill Carlton Doe Ridge Estate Pinot Noir. Aged in 100% new French oak, this powerful wine delivered big in the final act, seducing my nose and palate with layers of cherry, blackberry, licorice, milk chocolate and an interesting faint and dusty smell of earthy dried chanterelle mushrooms lingering quietly in the background.

I spoke at length with Jason Senior, The Four Graces Direct Sales Manager, who was very knowledgeable about wine and the Oregon industry as a whole. On my way home, my head started to spin with thoughts about how wine achieved its snooty reputation. Why are wine drinkers stereotypically thought of as snobs? Where does the judgment end? The French notoriously poo poo American wine, American’s have been known to snub varietals (as in “I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!” —poor Merlot), New Zealand thinks their wines are superior to Australia’s, and on and on and on. I think some people actually aspire to achieve wine snob status, setting themselves apart from the rest of us who merely drink wine for enjoyment. Hell, there’s even an application for the iPhone called wineSnob v2.0, which breaks down food pairings, terminology and saves tasting notes and label photos which will make anyone look like someone in the tasting room. I realize Snobbery and Ego are all snuggled up together cozy in a blanket but wonder, if Snobbery ran away, would Ego stick around? Elitism may be on ongoing symptom of a supercilious society but I’ve made a choice instead to take a turn at the signpost up ahead and cross over into the Wine-snob Free Zone. Until we sip again…

Cheers!