tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36216423125879732112024-03-12T19:12:09.570-07:00West Hills Wine BlogA blog about the thoughts and findings of being in the world of wine.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-25137174333915273112012-03-31T07:38:00.008-07:002012-04-02T11:24:43.788-07:00Wine Sales in 2012<div><span style="font-size: 100%; ">People have just gone through the Great Recession (are still going through?). It wasn't quite as bad as the Great Depression, but I think some of the same trends are going to apply. When you think about people who lived through the Great Depression, they are very frugal people, and they don't tend to spend their money. This tendency came about because they had to scrimp and save every penny they could. Jobs were not readily available (like today), and you never knew when your next paycheck was going to be coming in. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward to today. We had unprecedented growth and spending power available to us prior to 2007. Not many people thought that what we were experiencing was a bubble, and that it would all come crashing down. We all thought that the growth and prosperity we were experiencing was just the new normal. Then the bubble burst, and the spending ability we took for granted disappeared, and we had to re-examine what we spent money on. What has happened is similar to what happened during the Great Depression. People have gotten much more careful with their spending, and they are expecting the greatest value they can get out of every dollar. </div><div><br /></div><div>So how does this factor into the world of wine? There are two ways to provide value to wine customers, the product in the bottle and the service you provide. Obviously, the product in the bottle has to be good to great. Wines across the board are getting better and better, and if a winery is not keeping up with quality, they will be left in the dust. Also providing a good Quality Price Ratio (QPR) can help provide value, but not every wine needs to be a great QPR wine. As long as the product in the bottle is good to great, and is priced appropriately (not many people can pay $200 for a bottle of wine), then you're providing the value you can with the product.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other way to provide value to customers is through service. This includes not just normal customer service (returning phone calls and emails, processing orders quickly, etc), but also includes things like newsletters and social media. Customers want to know what is going on "behind the scenes" in the wineries they like. They want to share in the story and understand all that goes into each bottle of wine. This is where many wineries have an opportunity to provide value to customers but miss the mark. Not every customer contact (or "touch") needs to be about selling. Customers are bombarded with offers and sales all the time, so it begins to become a bit of a blur. By providing value through communication, wineries can build a very loyal following, which will then increase both their number of customers and dollars spent per customer. </div><div><br /></div><div>I get that this isn't easy, especially for smaller wineries, but it is absolutely critical, even if the ROI is hard to capture. You can't depend on getting a great score from a critic to drive sales, because there are 20 other wineries next to you getting those same scores. A big score means less now than it did 10 years ago. Customers are now more digitally connected than ever, so wineries need to tap into this. Posting bits of information about what is happening at the winery on Facebook or Twitter only takes a few minutes, but over time a winery can gain a significant following by doing so. Sending out quarterly newsletters will provide some of that same value. Creating a mailing list and keeping them up to date on what is happening around the winery is critical to creating a following. Doing these things will also keep your brand in front of the customer, so when they decide to buy wine, your brand will be one of the first they think of.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wine sales in 2012 is all about providing value. If you're not providing significant value, then the customers will go elsewhere. There is a lot of good wine in the market today, so the key is to find a way to stand out. Providing superior value for a customer's dollar is the best way to do that.</div>John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-59301030465814872592010-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:002010-12-21T11:37:01.427-08:00Year in ReviewI can't believe its been almost a year since my last blog post. Its been a pretty crazy year, a year where I have had notions of blogging almost daily for at least the last 6 months, but just haven't been able to get around to it. Here's a rough rundown of 2010:<br /><br />1) Had a fantastic trip to Idaho (via Walla Walla) for a friend's 30th birthday. Then went to Hawaii for the first time. Within one week I was in 3 ft of snow in a mountain resort town and in 80's on the beach in the middle of the ocean.<br />2) Got laid off from my job in March, with 60 days notice (wasn't a suprise).<br />3) Got a new job (with a much more stable company) after 62 days, meaning I didn't have to actually get unemployment, though I did fill out the online forms. Filled out the forms on Monday, got a job offer on Tuesday.<br />4) Opened a tasting room at a winery, and spent the weekends during the summer pouring and talking about wine.<br />5) Got married in August, which means I was planning a wedding while dealing with the prospect of unemployment.<br />6) Spent 3 days fast-tasting through Walla Walla on our honeymoon, and found my second favorite wine region (behind Willamette Valley), along with some really fantastic wineries and winemakers.<br />7) Went back to Walla Walla in November for Fall Release, and honed in on the wineries we really love there (and realized a good portion of my yearly wine budget will be going there).<br /><br />Its been a good year overall. I've spent the last month or so really thinking about what I want to really be doing, and what I should be spending time doing. I fell like I waste a lot of time, which could be put to better use, which is what I'm planning on doing next year. More time at the gym, more time meditating, more time with friends, and more time blogging.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-22556250501724617822010-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:002010-02-15T14:59:57.587-08:00Appreciating Good StemwareOn our recent trip to Maui, we made the decision to bring a case of wine with us instead of buying wine or beer there. This was a great decision, except for the fact that the stemware in the place we stayed was horrendous. Olive Garden has better stemware. They were small, maybe holding 4-5 oz total, and very heavy and durable. I probably could've thrown one of these on the ground and had it not break, which was probably the point. There was no opportunity to swirl or sniff, unless I wanted to refill my glass after every taste. At one point, I even poured some wine into a keg cup to see if it was any better. It wasn't.<br /><br />The trip really made me miss good stemware. Good stemware (like the Riedel Oregon Pinot glasses we have at home) really changes how a wine tastes, and definitely alters the level of enjoyment derived from drinking the wine. We took 3 bottles of Archery Summit Premier Cuvee with us. Drinking it out of the little glasses provided, it tasted like box wine, and was almost undrinkable. There definitely wasn't any enjoyment derived from drinking it, and you couldn't decipher any of the depth or complexity that the wine has. As soon as we got home, we opened a bottle of wine and drank it from our glasses, and there was an immediate reaction of "now this is how wine is supposed to taste."<br /><br />Going forward, unless I know there is going to be at least adequate stemware, I'm not going to be bringing wine on any trips we go on. I'll just have to be satisfied with either beer or a cocktail. It just doesn't make sense to take a good bottle of wine and not enjoy it.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-37665746309005600352010-02-01T23:32:00.000-08:002010-02-01T23:47:15.070-08:00Maui TripWe're taking a week-long trip to Maui starting tomorrow. Because of the limited wine scene there, we've decided to take a case of wine with us.<br /><br />What we're taking with us:<br /><br />2 - 2005 LaVelle Pinot Gris<br />2 - 2006 Sokol-Blosser Pinot Gris<br />1 - 2007 Chamisal Vineyards Edna Valley Chardonnay<br />1 - 2008 Archery Summit Rose<br />3 - 2007 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee<br />1 - 2006 Archery Summit Red Hills<br />1 - 2007 Purple Hands<br />1 - 2006 Pine Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon<br /><br />We've got a deep sea fishing trip planned, and have thoughts of going snorkling at some point. Is there anything we can't miss while we're there?John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-78004191599811363942010-01-19T18:41:00.000-08:002010-01-27T11:13:21.832-08:00Wine & PhilosophyI've started reading a book that combines two of my great loves: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Philosophy-Symposium-Thinking-Drinking/dp/1405154314/">"Wine & Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking"</a>, by Fritz <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Allhoff</span>. After reading the introduction, I felt like putting my thoughts down, and this is going to be a good medium for that. It is a collection of essays, organized into six general themes: The Art & Culture of Wine, Tasting & Talking About Wine, Wine & Its Critics, The Beauty of Wine, Wine & Metaphysics, and The Politics & Economics of Wine. The first essay, Wine in Ancient Greece, will be the subject of an upcoming post.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-25713636323479201972010-01-15T09:55:00.001-08:002010-01-15T11:41:18.189-08:00Sharing Wine with Wine GeeksI'm finding that it is much easier to pick wines to drink with friends that aren't big wine drinkers. They're easy to please, and knowing that my palate is more experienced than theirs, I know that anything I've liked enough to purchase is probably going to taste just fine to them. <br /><br />On the other hand, picking wine to drink with our wine geek friends is much more difficult. I'm constantly critiquing myself on my selections, and always feel like I need to impress them with what I bring. If its not old, foreign, or a cult wine, it just doesn't feel like its good enough. <br /><br />Now, I'm sure that this is pressure I'm putting on myself without reason. When I think about it logically, it makes no sense. My wine geek friends aren't a judgemental group, and its not like I'm picking Yellowtail or Two-Buck Chuck (which have their place in the market). I guess its just that I've been impressed enough times with what I drink when in their company, that I want to be sure I bring the same amount of "thunder" to the table. <br /><br />To alleve this pressure, maybe I should bring some "secret" bottles to share. Wrap them in paper so what they are cannot be deduced before tasting, and see what kind of reactions I get. Maybe that's the way that wine should be shared between friends, with only the wine speaking for itself and my palate, not the label or reputation.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-36761752747264985452009-12-30T13:45:00.000-08:002009-12-30T17:36:34.813-08:00The FocusI've gotten back into reading through the various wine blogs that I've been neglecting the past year, and I'm noticing a trend that many of them focus on reviewing wines. Now there's nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, I think there is a huge opportunity for blogs of that nature to provide feedback to wineries and consumers from perspectives different from the Spectator, Advocate, and Enthusiast. <br /><br />I'd like to take this blog in a different direction. I want to focus more on the experiences of being a wine drinker, especially from the perspective of a pair of 20-somethings. I think this can be a place to share our observations and thoughts about wine and the wine lifestyle. There will probably be a review of wine here and there, but overall the voice of this blog will be a bit different from the typical wine blog. I also want to discuss topics and news about the wine industry in the Willamette Valley, and what I feel the impact will be. I haven't found much of that perspective around the web, so I hope to try and fill that need.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-47206732925934281722009-12-21T18:55:00.000-08:002009-12-23T09:44:46.753-08:002009 - A ReviewAs this year is coming to an end, I'm finding myself reflecting on what has happened over the year, but also the things that didn't happen. I didn't find the time to blog like I had hoped, even though I think about blogging at least once a day. We've had some really great experiences, but I sometimes wonder how much more we could've done with our year. Looking back at the year, here are the standout events for me.<br /><br />March was a great month for two reasons, the NCAA tournament, and the Boise Co-Op. For the second year in a row, Portland State made it into the NCAA tournament, and this time was playing in Boise. Now, how often will I get to watch the Vikings play in the NCAA tourney within driving distance of home? Probably not in the near future, so we took the opportunity to watch them play in Boise. While there, we visited with some friends of ours, who introduced us to the Boise Co-Op wine shop. The Co-Op is like nirvana for wine geeks. They have one of the best selections of wine we've seen, but that's not what makes the shop so great. They have an entire room that is temperature controlled which houses some pretty amazing stuff. I think we spent 45 minutes in there just geeking out on the wine that was there. We ended up getting a 6-pack of various stuff while we were there (thanks to recommendations), but sometimes I wish they opened up one in Portland.<br /><br />In May, we hosted our first double blind tasting. Well, it was double blind for everybody but Sirpa and I, as we had picked the wines. For us, it was just a single blind tasting, as I bagged up the wines when nobody else was looking, and by the time we poured them, I had forgotten which was which. It was really enlightening to experience a wine without knowing what the producer was. The weekend with good friends and good wines was definitely a highlight of the year.<br /><br />Early in November, we went to a party in celebration of some friends visiting town (the same friends that introducted us to the Co-Op). Now, I had heard some things about the parties that were hosted by the person that was hosting this one, and basically, they were usually a big group of wine geeks geeking out over wine all night, with plenty of juice flowing all night long. Turns out, that's exactly what it was. What started as a sampling of vintages from 1993-1999 of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir added a blind tasting between '05 California, Oregon, and Burgandy Pinot Noirs, as well as some bigger reds and some ridiculous desert stuff. '60 Port? '52 Madiera? Check and check. A really amazing night with some awesome people, I couldn't have asked for more.<br /><br />I think I'm finding that while going out tasting and exploring with Sirpa is fun and enjoyable, being able to share our findings with friends as well as experience other new things with them is the most enjoyable aspect of wine. Sure, the flavors are usually delicious, and a responsible buzz from time to time isn't a horrible thing, but the shared experience of friends and wine is the best.<br /><br />To the friends we've shared amazing experiences with, and to the friends we haven't seen enough, cheers to you!John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-79965124335241551632009-05-03T11:58:00.001-07:002009-05-24T12:27:57.551-07:00Blind Tasting of '05 CuveesDuring the weekend trip to the lakehouse, I decided to put together a double blind tasting for everybody. I wanted to find 4 wines that had similar characteristics that could be compared. The wines that we chose were:<br /><br />A) '05 Archery Summit Winery Premier Cuvee<br />B) '05 Cristom Mt. Jeffersom Cuvee<br />C) '05 Sokol Blosser Estate Cuvee<br />D) '05 Lachini Estate<br /><br />Each of the wines were 2005 vintage Pinot Noirs, with three of the four being cuvees. it was really interesting to see how differently the 6 people ranked the wines differently.<br /><br />Rankings:<br />1st: AABCDB<br />2nd: BDCBAC<br />3rd: CCDACA<br />4th: DBADBD<br /><br />No clear winner (or best) of the night. All the wines scored the same (giving 4 points for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, 1 for 4th), with the exception of the Cristom. That one had a funk to it that turned many of the tasters off (as shown with the 3 4th-place votes). The interesting thing is that no two people ranked the wines the same way, and that the one that a few people didn't like as much (Cristom), it was still ranked as both 1st and 2nd by two of the tasters.<br /><br />Being able to taste these wines in this way was really insightful, as it eliminated any bias or preconceived notions the taster's might've had, and let the wines speak for themselves. The success of this tasting has be planning other blinds tastings already.<br /><br />Some of the tasting notes written down during the tasting:<br />Lachini: red fruit, bits of blackberry, hints of charcoal, good mouthfeel, decent finish, earthy, smokey<br />SB: red fruit, hints of pepper, short & flat finish, light on palate, dies<br />ASW: the most tannic of the wines, almost chewy, fruit was hidden behind the level of tannins, would like to see this wine in another 8 years.<br />Cristom: A funk that turned a few off, but was interesting to others, good mouthfeel and balanceJohn Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-2623420214321062222009-05-03T11:49:00.000-07:002009-05-24T12:28:16.713-07:00Wine filled weekend with friendsI've found out that drinking wine with friends is the best way to go. Especially when the friends you're drinking wine with are as passionate about it as you are. Spending the weekend at a lakehouse with said friends is just the icing on the cake.<br /><br />We invited 4 friends of ours up to the lakehouse with us to spend the weekend relaxing and enjoying some wine. It was just the kind of weekend that many of us needed (getting away and just relaxing). Lots of laughs and lots of good wines drank. The only disappointments were 2 bottles of Broadley ('05 Bergstrom and '05 Claudia's Choice) that we picked up a couple weeks ago at their spring barrel tasting that were cooked.<br /><br />The wines we drank over the course of the weekend in no particular order:<br />'06 Kosta Browne Keiffer Ranch Pinot Noir<br />NV Bugey Cerdon sparking rose<br />'07 Trisaetum Riesling<br />'04 Domain Droughin Oregon Artur Chardonney<br />'06 Sojourn Cellars Pinot Noir<br />'06 JK Carriere Antoinnette Pinot Noir<br />'06 Gary Farrel Pinot Noir<br />'06 King Estate Domaine Pinot Noir<br />'05 NxNW Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley<br />'04 Ayoub Pinot Noir<br />'08 Cinder Rose<br />'79 Pedro Jimenez<br />'05 Jessep Zin Port<br />NV Yolumba Antique Tawney<br />'06 Argyle LH Riesling -5<br /><br />We also conducted a double blind tasting, which I will cover in another post.<br /><br />It was really nice to be able to taste a bunch of good wines with friends who enjoyed them as much as we did, which doesn't happen as often as we might like. Hearing what others think about the wine you're drinking can be very insightful, and should be something that every wine drinker does from time to time.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-91052518714502584412009-02-27T15:27:00.000-08:002009-02-27T15:27:05.438-08:00Are Tasting Fees Acceptable?I originally started this post in 2007, but never quite finished it. A recent post <a href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/wine/2009/02/wine_notes_winery_tasting_fees.html">here</a> and <a href="http://community.winepressnw.com/node/1044">here</a> made me think about the topic once again. Over the past year, my feelings have shifted a bit, but not dramatically. In 2007, I had a different frame of reference for tasting fees, wine prices, and what "good" wine really meant. Looking at the notes I had started for this post, I see that I expected more tastes for my money then, but the general principles are still the same.<br /><br />Some of the shift in perspective has been because in the past 2 years, I've been exposed on numerous occasions to wines that previously would have been out of my range ($50+), and my palatte has shifted a bit to be able to appreciate these. In 2007, spending $40 on a wine was a rare occassion, and now I find myself being a club member of a couple places that only sell $40+ wine.<br /><br />I'm comfortable paying a $5-$10 tasting fee, assuming that there are enough wines. I'm not willing to pay $10 for 3 tastes, unless the wines justify it (relatively expensive bottles with good reviews or word of mouth). For $5, I would expect to taste 3-5 wines. For $10, I'm expecting 6-7 wines. Getting a tasting fee refunded with purchases basically means I'm going to buy a bottle of wine (unless they are all crap), but there is no way I'm going to expect a "refunded with purchase" policy as a standard.<br /><br />The two major sides to the argument about tasting fees speak to a tasting room covering costs (and keeping out the free-drinkers), and getting your wine into potential customer's hands. From the tasting room perspective, I doubt the $5-$10 is covering all the costs of wine, glassware, staff, electricity, etc. that is being consumed in the tasting room, so it can't all be about covering costs. Keeping out the free-drinkers is a valid reason, because those people don't care a bit about your wine, they just want a free buzz. Mostly, the tasting room is just looking to recoup some of their costs, while providing an opportunity to get their wine in front of the consumer.<br /><br />Frankly, and this might sound harsh, if you can't afford a $5-$10 tasting fee for each of the 4-5 places you might stop in a day, then maybe you should find something else to do (or you could always share tastes with someone). Being in a tasting room is about more than just "trying before buying." You learn about the history and story of the winery and winemaker, about their philosophy towards wine, and get a better perspective of the fermented juice that you're drinking.<br /><br />Sometimes, you might even get a history lesson about where the grapes were grown (I've gotten this before, while tasting at Tyrus Evan, and learned all I'd ever want to know about the Walla Walla area and the geological events that caused it to be what it is). If that itself isn't worth the admission fee, you get to try some wines you might not have access to otherwise.<br /><br />Expecting to try wines for free seems to be an expectation held over from when the Oregon wine industry was in its infancy and trying to establish itself. In the '80s, Oregon didn't have the brand reputation it has now, and so it had to try and show that there was decent wine coming from here. With the quality of wine coming out of the area, paying $5-$10 to try something new seems fully within reason. I don't want the Willamette Valley to become the next Napa, with extrordinate tasting fees everywhere, but a few bucks here and there really shouldn't stop someone from experiencing what Oregon has to offer.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-61244300952800512642009-02-16T18:01:00.000-08:002009-02-16T18:09:30.483-08:00The Return?I can't believe its been over a year since the last post. A lot has happened, and some things have changed in our lives which has made blogging a low priority. Sirpa and I both have new jobs, which means I can't spend all day at work surfing the net and blogging. There's still the desire to put my thoughts down in this blog, so I'm going to try and post at least once a week going forward. We have definitely been through some situations that would be great story telling, and would help the message of this blog. In many of these encounters, Sirpa and I end up being the "gurus" of wine with the people we are with, which is an interesting thing when you consider that both of us are under 30.<br /><br />To 2009, the year of great experiences and more blogging!John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-46528041289650364112007-11-25T14:02:00.000-08:002007-11-25T14:04:56.816-08:00Thanksgiving RundownThanksgiving weekend was a very intense experience. So intense, that I'm needing to take a few days to get settled and back to normal. I'm going to be doing a very in-depth review of our experiences, including tasting notes of the 100+ wines we tasted. Please keep tuned in for more in the next few days.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-358033818709221582007-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:002007-11-07T15:26:26.236-08:00Wine and FootballI had an experience this past weekend that I just had to write about, mostly because it really fits into what this blog is really all about. Sirpa and I are the wine drinkers of our group of friends. A few others have gone tasting with us, or tried a few different wines, but nobody drinks and explores wine the way we do. It creates a very interesting dynamic when we bring out wine at a party, because most of the people there don't have a clue about what we are doing when we swirl, sniff, swirl again, sniff again, taste, and repeat.<br /><br />On Saturday, I was over at a friend's place watching college football (Portland State, then Oregon, then Oregon State). Naturally, we were drinking beer throughout the day, as is usually what happens when guys and football are combined. Sirpa got off work and arrived around 7, and had brought with her the last of a bottle of 2003 Archery Summit Estate for us to taste and explore. I poured what was in the bottle into a glass, and proceeded to taste the wine. Now, I was in the kitchen during this time, with a small crowd of spectators watching me go through the tasting process. After getting a taste or three, and allowing Sirpa to taste a bit, I asked one of the guys if he wanted a taste. Now, there was still probably 5 or 6 tastes left in the glass, and I intended to let Sirpa have a few more before it was finished.<br /><br />I handed the glass over, and after a quick sniff or two, the guy downed the wine like it was a shot, just opened his throat and let it go down. I really don't think it even hit his tongue. I was in shock, and I just stood there for a minute, not knowing what to say. It wasn't a huge deal, as both Sirpa and I had tasted it, and I wasn't planning on having any more, but I wasn't sure how to react to seeing somebody shoot a small glass of wine that was worth about $20. This just showed me how much the typical person does NOT know about drinking and enjoying wine. <br /><br />Wine is not, and should not be, a chuggable beverage. Wine's purpose is not to get you drunk, though a good wine buzz can't be beat (probably has more to do with the good food and atmosphere than the actual physiological effects). Drinking wine is about exploring something new, and subtleties, and noticing how a Pinot Noir from one place can taste entirely different from the place next door. For a buzz, I'm going for beer, or maybe some mixed drinks. For enjoyment of atmosphere, experience, and reflection, wine is my beverage of choice. I'm just going to have to do a better job of describing the benefits of "tasting" wine, as opposed to "drinking" wine when I hand a glass to someone.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-18715432176025488982007-11-05T18:15:00.000-08:002007-11-05T18:40:36.375-08:002006 Kathken Vineyards Pinot Gris Barrel FermentedKathken Vineyards is a little place in the Eola Hills, just west of Salem. It is a 51-acre vineyard, owned by Kathy and Ken Slusser (hence the name) and Ken is the winemaker. They've got a few different wines, mostly Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The 2006 harvest presented Ken with more juice than he had space to ferment in tanks, and so he put what did not fit in the tanks into barrels to ferment, and the result is two distinctly different wines, both from the same grapes and the same winemaker. The following review is for the barrel fermented version, and I'll do a review of the tank fermented version soon.<br /><br />Color: A peach color, with more pink hues than most pinot gris<br /><br />Nose: Peach, a hint of green apple, a touch of grapefruit and citrus<br /><br />Palatte: Not a complex wine, good balance, no flavors really jump out at me. Some peach, with a hint of orange, along with typical Pinot Gris flavors. Really short finish, after 10-15 seconds the flavors have disappeared.<br /><br />Overall Rating: 6/10 At a price point of about $12/bottle, its a good weekday wine, which is fitting as it was drunk on a Monday night while watching football. Kathken Vineyards is priced towards the lower end, but the wines are good for the price. All of their wines are easy to drink, and decently good.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kathkenvineyards.com/">Kathken Vineyards</a>John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-672494217535987772007-11-02T08:37:00.000-07:002007-11-05T20:06:42.814-08:00Thanksgiving Wine Trip PlanningThis week I decided to plan out our Thanksgiving wine tasting. The advantage to tasting the weekend after Thanksgiving (instead of shopping) is that many places that are not usually open to the public open their doors and you get a chance to taste some wine you normally would not have access to. That is, unless you just buy a bottle and take a chance on a wine you don't know much about besides reputation. The problem I ran into is that there are entirely too many places we want to go to, and not enough time to do it. We only have Friday and Saturday to taste, as Sunday we have family obligations. The other restriction is the times that places are open. The window of opportunity for each day is about 10am - 5pm, which really does not leave much time for tasting, especially when there are about 15 places we want to go. This does not include the places we are club members at, which would mean free tasting and other events at those places.<br /><br />So the process of elimination came down to figuring out where we wanted to go, and figuring out which places are either the most bang for the stop, or are only open during this weekend. All of the places we chose are only open for this weekend, and many of them have pretty steep tasting fees. I'm not sure how I feel about that, and I'm planning on a blog post about tasting fees for the near future, but I digress. The following is the list of where we are planning to go to:<br /><br />Friday:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.owenroe.com/">Owen Roe</a> - $15 tasting fee, with a Riedel Bordeaux glass. Owen Roe has quite a few wines we are fans of, and being able to taste them at one location will be reallly nice. The other times we have had them, is just a bottle at a time, so exploring more of the portfolio will be nice.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chehalemwines.com/">Chehalem</a> - $10 tasting fee. Chehalem Wines was founded by Harry Peterson-Nedry in 1990, but he planted is vineyard in Ribbon Ridge in 1980. He is one of the more influential people in Oregon winemaking, and so it almost seems like a necessity to taste his wines.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jkcarriere.com/">JK Carriere</a> - $10 tasting fee, refundable w/purchase. This stop was requested by Sirpa, and looking at their list of wines, I can see why. I see they have a Anderson Family and a Shea Pinot Noir, so they've got to have some good stuff. Shea just doesn't sell his grapes to anybody (see below).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lachinivineyards.com/">Lachini</a> - $10 tasting fee. Lachini Vineyards was founded in 1997, and is getting great acclaim for their wines. They have a couple Pinot Noirs, and Pinot Gris, and their wines are very well made.<br />Saturday:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.elvenglade.com/">Elvenglade</a> - Not sure of tasting fees. We've got some Pinot Noir futures to pick up, and that is the main reason we are stopping here. That, and they've got some pretty good wines, from a couple different winemakers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.patriciagreencellars.com/">Patricia Green</a> - $20 tasting fee, partially refundable w/ purchase. Patty Green is another well respected winemaker, so visiting her is a must.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sheawinecellars.com/">Shea</a> - $10 tasting fee. Dick Shea might be the owner of the most respected vineyard in the Willamette Valley. According to <a href="http://community.winepressnw.com/node/519">Wine Press NW</a>, Shea Vineyards is the #1 Vineyard in Oregon. Any Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir can expect 90+ points from any critic, and so trying his stuff directly will be a treat.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.anamcaracellars.com/">Anam Cara</a> - $10 tasting fee, for all participating wineries. Anam Cara is made at 12th and Maple Wine Co., and a total of 4 labels will be represented there. Access to all of them will be through the one tasting fee, which results in the most bang for the buck. We have tasted their wine before, and was pleasantly suprised. Also there will be Battle Creek, Basket Case, and Cleo's Hill.<br /><br />So I think this is our list. There's many more we'd like to get to, but that will have to wait until Memorial Day weekend. I'll put up a stop-by-stop review of the weekend, so let me know if there's anything you'd like to see discussed.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-70913435207710672492007-10-24T19:01:00.000-07:002007-11-05T20:11:59.936-08:00Goats DO RoamEventually, repeated publicity has lead me to this wine: 2005 Goats do Roam red. I know that essentially, we have said that we would stick primarily to Northwest wines, but occasionally, it's an amazing experience to indulge yourself a little bit outside of the norm. So in this case, I headed to South Africa.<br /><br />Ultimately, considering all the ratings that are out there, it was exciting to investigate an $8, decently rated wine.<br /><br />What I smell: Deep, rich spice, and a soapy perfumishness. Graham crackers, and something else wonderfully familiar. Something like blackberry pie... mmmm<br /><br />On the palate: Exudes herbaecousness and spice, black fruit.... bacony....... hints of chocolate and a big punch of spice on the finish, surely from the Shiraz (90%). Subtle hints of tannin, never too overwhelming, leaving you wishing that you had a little more.<br /><br />Also, wonderfully complementary to a lovely, mild brie.<br /><br />Seriously, a really decent value. I wouldn't say it's the most fantastic wine I've ever had, but definitely worth the $8Sirpa Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022516170217875067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-15957232871915046092007-10-15T12:59:00.001-07:002007-11-06T08:53:19.147-08:00Things I learned this Weekend1. Going wine tasting is much more fun with friends.<br /><br />2. There is a huge disparity between the "good" wineries and the "bad" wineries.<br /><br /><br />3. Tasting Fees are hit or miss.<br /><br />4. I really should keep notes throughout the days when we go tasting, as I usually forget about wines we've had by the end of the day. I guess that happens when you try a bunch of tasty wines.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-41168670565753282442007-10-11T11:57:00.000-07:002007-10-29T19:30:38.076-07:00Luxury Hotel in Dundee?The question being debated right now is weather a 50-room luxury hotel, spa and restaurant should be allowed at the top of NE <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Breyman</span> Orchards Road. It would be just up the hill from Domain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Drouhin</span>, and across the street from Wine Country Farm. The site is currently not farmed, but with all the vineyards surrounding the area, it has to be some great vine-growing ground. Just to the north of the site, on the next hill, is Knudsen Vineyards (grower for Argyle) and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Erath's</span> winery. In my opinion, a hotel is needed, but not in this location. Farmland should continue to be farmland.<br /><br />The site should be turned into vineyards, and potentially a new winery. The peak of the hill is at about 1100 ft, which is one of the highest spots in the Dundee Hills. The location provides amazing and spectacular views of the entire Willamette Valley. I can see how a hotel would be desirable in this location, with the views, and vineyards surrounding it, but again, its farmland, and should be used as such. By creating a winery, you can embrace the incredible views and showcase them with the winery and tasting room. Visitors would come, and be very impressed, and probably come back with friends. With good wine added to the package, the winery that sits on the top of the hill could be very successful.<br /><br />Currently, there is no real hotel in Dundee. There are some hotel facilities in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Newberg</span> to the north, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">McMinnville</span> to the south, but nothing that is right in the middle of wine country. I agree with the need for a luxury hotel in the area, and I think it is a smart business move for the local economy. The stretch of 99W between <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Newberg</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">McMinnville</span> needs to embrace the wine business as a whole, specifically the tourism side of things. I think that a few smaller hotels should open up in that stretch. I'm not talking Motel 6 type of places, and no <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mariotts</span> or anything of that size. I think there would be sufficient demand for 3-4 10-20 room hotels sprinkled in the area. Some places with character, and maybe some history to them, that would tell a story of the history of the area. The key to these hotels, is they would need to be on or very near (a block or two) 99W. People would be coming to the area to visit wineries and vineyards, and locating the hotel should be really easy, as well as the ingress and egress to/from the exploration of the area.<br /><br />Downtown Dundee is a perfect example of these needs. As the center of wine country, and the tourism that comes with it, Dundee does not have a hotel. If a 20-30 room hotel was located right next to the Dundee Bistro/Dapper Frog location, and across the street from Argyle, it would be a great central location, with easy walking to food and even a tasting room or three. From this one location, a tourist would be within a 20 minute drive of hundreds of tasting rooms. This would help the economy of the entire area, both wine related and non-wine related. I don't want to see the Willamette Valley become <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Napa</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">esque</span> and too commercialized, but adding the infrastructure to help the locally owned businesses is a definite need. And don't get me started on the Dundee Crawl.<br /><br />Collection of news stories about the Proposed Hotel<br /><br /><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1192127146206970.xml&storylist=orlocal">http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1192127146206970.xml&<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">storylist</span>=<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">orlocal</span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/08/23/business/biz01.txt">http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/08/23/business/biz01.txt</a><br /><br /><a href="http://oregonwinepress.com/index.php?pr=April_Edit_06">http://oregonwinepress.com/index.php?pr=April_Edit_06</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsreview.info/article/20060820/BUSINESS/108210022/-1/rss01">http://www.newsreview.info/article/20060820/BUSINESS/108210022/-1/rss01</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsregister.com/news/story_print.cfm?story_no=211076">http://www.newsregister.com/news/story_print.cfm?story_no=211076</a><br /><br /><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/283838_hotel05.html">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/283838_hotel05.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsregister.com/news/story_print.cfm?story_no=209649">http://www.newsregister.com/news/story_print.cfm?story_no=209649</a>John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-18208213555210308752007-10-09T14:10:00.000-07:002007-10-09T14:20:37.190-07:00Willamette Valley Harvest Update 2Well, about a third of the way through October, and there are still grapes hanging on vines. The feeling I get from what I've read is that the grapes are not getting too loaded with water and that rot and other ailments are not much of an issue right now. The area has seen some rain, but not the soaking, non-stop kind of rain that happened the last weekend of September. There has been a bit of a breeze throughout the valley, so the grapes are soaking up the rain but then they're drying out thanks to the breeze.<br /><br />Overall, this is looking like a good harvest. The additional hang time that the weather is affording should really develop the flavors, without causing the grapes to get overripen. From what I can tell, I'd say 2/3 of the grapes have been harvested, with the rest just waiting for proper flavor development and ripeness. The end of this week should dry out, so I would expect harvesting to be completed by this weekend. The overall yield will be lower than last years, but I'd go out on a limb and say the flavors could be more developed and complex.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-87736629600162607322007-10-01T07:38:00.000-07:002007-10-01T08:56:44.716-07:00Willamette Valley Harvest UpdateThe harvest in the Willamette Valley is a bit up in the air right now. As of Friday the 28th, we've been getting rain, and the kind of soaking rain that fills the grapes and dilutes the flavors. In some areas, the grapes ripened and matured enough to be harvested before the rain started, but in others, the grapes were not quite ready. At some vineyards we visited this weekend, about half of the grapes had been harvested. In Cristom's case, about 2/3 of their Pinot Gris had been harvested, and the rest is still on the vine. <br /><br />The issue that is being presented will probably have to be decided upon in the next few days by vineyard managers and winemakers. The rain is expected to continue for about a week, and then there should be some dryer weather, there's just no certainty of how long this will last, if it comes at all. See, that's the thing about weather around here. Weather can reasonably be predicted about 3 days out. Anything more than that is a crap shoot. So the decision will need to be made weather to harvest the grapes now, in their rain-soaked and diluted form, or wait until dryer weather and hope the grapes dry out, and that the flavor and sugar levels can rise again. The problem with this, is that the grapes could be overcome by mold and over-ripeness, which could ruin the remaining crops.<br /><br />Overall, I'd say that about 50% of the crop has been harvested, and we will just have to wait and see about the rest. We had a very cool summer, which means that the grapes have taken longer to ripen and mature. Normally, this is a very good thing, especially with Pinot Noir. If the rain would have held off for a week more, this harvest would have a ton of potential. With the weather looking like it is, we really wont know until late 2008, when the wines start to get released. Until then, I'll be looking forward to the 2006 vintage, which should be really good.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-56625994341715157982007-09-21T14:21:00.001-07:002007-09-28T12:32:57.016-07:00Harvest and Wine ClubsThe Willamette Valley is getting ready for harvest time, and that means one thing...wine club parties! Well, it really means lots of things, especially for those who make wine, but I'm not on that side of the world. With this in mind, I started to really think about the wine clubs that we are members of, why we are, and the benefits that we get. There are some places that we really enjoy being members at (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sokol</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Blosser</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Erath</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">LaVelle</span>) because of the events they have. These events are fun and enjoyable, and they really make you feel appreciated as a customer. Other clubs we are members of (King Estate, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cristom</span>) are mostly just for the wine. Both of these wineries do not have events very often, so we are members mostly because we love the wine, and we get discounts on it, and in the case of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Cristom</span>, it forces us to buy some age-worthy wine that we might otherwise forget about.<br /><br />So what makes a great wine club? I think this is a question that most wineries have asked, and that I've even asked myself, so I thought I'd take a stab at answering the question from my point of view. <br /><br />I think the first thing is to have a really great wine club coordinator. This person is the face of the wine club, and many times, the face of the winery to club members. They need to be very personable, and really show interest in the people that come to the events, as well as be available and responsive to questions asked. I think the best example of this would be Brooke at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Sokol </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Blosser</span>. Its really amazing how good it makes you feel when somebody recognizes you, especially when we've only been members for less than a year. This friendliness would extend to the rest of the staff, but that should be a given for a winery/tasting room. Being treated a little special is really nice as well. King Estate is a great example of this. They have a list of wines that they are tasting for the day, and it is usually limited to 6-8 wines. When we go there, it feels like they roll out the red carpet for us. One time we went, I think we ended up with 20 or so bottles of wine in front of us that we had tasted, and most of it was stuff not on the list, and that they only let us try because we were club members.<br /><br />The second thing is to have fun and accessible events. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Sokol </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Blosser</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">LaVelle</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Erath</span> all have fun events that we can usually attend. They are on the weekend, and usually free, and always fun. We just recently cancelled a wine club membership because the events were always on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, from 5-7pm. Now, I get off work at 5, and so trying to attend one of these events (after crossing through all of Portland's horrible traffic) would require me to leave about 3pm. Not only is the day and time not very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">convenient</span>, but the events are not well planned out. The one event we actually made it to, you had to stand in line for about 10 minutes to get a 2-3 ounce taste of wine. On the other hand, we are heading to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">LaVelle</span> on the 30<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">th</span> for their harvest party, which we attended last year as well. The wine was and is easy to get in your glass (from both the tasting room bar, staffed by 2-3 people, or the bar they set up outside, with 1-2 people working there, so never a line), the event is from 12-5pm, so plenty of time to come and go as we please, and we get to go pick some grapes, stomp them into juice, and potentially wine prizes. These are the kinds of events that make being a member worth it.<br /><br />I think the quality of the events is the key determination if a wine club will be successful or not. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Erath</span> recently had a luau, with a roasted pig and everything. This was a really fun and engaging event, and makes me really glad to be a member. Having free events is also a requirement, especially being a 20-something with a new mortgage and still paying off school loans. Dinners that are $50 or so a plate (some I've seen are as high as $125) are out of reach for us. I'm fine with having those events, as I'm sure I'll attend them in a few years, but I also want to see some free, fun, and special events for those of us on a budget.<br /><br />The last thing is the wine shipments and discounts. Now, I realize that the winery still needs to make money on the wines, so a 15-20% discount is what I would expect, potentially increasing to up to 30% if purchasing a case or more. I also like getting a variety of stuff in a shipment. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Cristom</span> and King Estate are really good about this, as whenever we get a shipment, its like Christmas in finding out what we got. I would rather have 3 shipments in a year, with each shipment having a variety, than 4 or 5 shipments where each one is a couple bottles of the same wine. I'm not afraid of getting a wine I don't like, because we chose the wine clubs to be members of based on the fact that we enjoy all their wines.<br /><br />Now I don't think I'm an expert on wine clubs. I just know what I like, coming from my perspective and experience. I'm sure that different things work for different people, and that's what is great. If I owned a winery, I think my ramblings above would be how I would run my club, and I guess the only way to know if it would work would be try it out.John Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673694424657884377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-30696620766973684212007-09-20T18:36:00.000-07:002007-09-29T21:59:57.987-07:00Bryn Mawr PinotLet's chat about this guy:<br /><br />on the nose.... cigar box, a touch of sweet perfume, and the earth.<br /><br /> on the palate, sweet fruit, a rush of pepper, good strong tannic punch, needs a little food just to temper that out.<br /><br />Over all, better than I expected. Hopefully a comeback from the "bryn mawr experience."Sirpa Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022516170217875067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-19890589276294996512007-08-21T16:37:00.000-07:002007-10-17T10:44:34.345-07:00Cork taint guru!I wanted to take just a moment and share with you an amazing compliment I received from one of my distributors the other day.<br /><br />Apparently, I have quite the palate for detecting corked wines. Which might seem like a funny thing to get excited about, but in reality is really rather cool. It seems, in fact, that I am able to detect cork taint even when most people might not. So... neat! Then again, sometimes it makes me look kind of crazy--saying a wine is a bit funky when not everyone might notice.<br /><br /><br /><br />Thanks, Doug =)Sirpa Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022516170217875067noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621642312587973211.post-7054738362858410172007-08-17T17:47:00.000-07:002007-08-21T16:37:08.406-07:00Friday night!Methven 2005 Willamette Valley Chardonnay approx. $22 retail<br />Paired with smoky white cheddar/swiss, camembert & hard salami.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tasting notes: </span>just a hint of oaky vanilla, and a touch of flowers, orange and spice on the nose. Pulling out of the cellar it is at the perfect temperature for instant consumption (around 55/56 degrees F), I don't like them cold, it masks too much of the flavor. Beautiful golden straw color.<br /><br />mouth feel - bright acidity that makes you crave a little something to eat, relatively refreshing and cleansing, especially following a bit of cheese.<br /><br />Bone dry with a punch of minerality and a skimming of spice mid palate.Sirpa Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022516170217875067noreply@blogger.com0