The Dirt on Soil - Part 1

I was editing some of our marketing materials the other day, our fact sheet on our vineyard sources. And I was disgusted with myself because in it, I throw around soil types like Rouche silt loam and Selmac loam. And that is as far as I went. Now, unless my target market is limited to geologist enophiles, I couldn’t understand why in the world I threw that out there with no explanation. How many wine consumers know the benefits of Jory or Nekia soil? What makes Manita loam a great home for vines? Why is this info any consumer would want to know?

The wine industry as a whole has been striving to de-mystify and “un-elite” wine. Was I implying that only soil-educated consumers are worthy of our wine? Of course not. Simply, naming the soil is a quick, compact way to convey certain vineyard characteristics that can affect grape quality. And in my defense this document was meant for wine buyers, sommeliers and other industry folk. But, it’s also great info for anyone who wants to know more.

So, we’ll take a few blogs to check out the dirt on soil…

There are over 800 distinct classifications of soil in Oregon, and vineyards are currently planted on over 60 of them. (Campbell & Fry, Oregon Viticulture, 2003). There are three broad categories: clay, silt or sand. Other distinct characteristics of soils that influence vines include texture and structure, drainage, water and nutrient holding capacity, and pH.

Of these, texture and structure are the dominant qualities affecting vines, since they determine how deeply the roots will grow, and rate of drainage. Most of these influences are indirect. And many soil factors, such a how well it holds nutrients, can be managed in the vineyard through cover crops or even changing mowing schedules.

There has been some arguing lately in the wine industry press about that elusive concept of “terroir.” Many folks claim that when they drink wines from the great regions in France they can taste the minerals. But recent studies have found no scientific evidence that any detectable mineral compounds are present in the wines, and they suspect the taste differences between a grape grown in California versus one in France has more to do with climate than soil. (Wines & Vines covers the terroir issue quite frequently and thoroughly – I will post exactly in which issue these studies were featured once I track them down, although I believe it was late in 2006).

Next we’ll look at exactly what soil does influence, then we’ll take a closer look at some specific types of soil found in Oregon.

Stress Case? Relax!

Well, we blew threw eight cases of Relax Riesling this week. I guess the price was right! And now it is gone, but fear not – it you want more, we will gladly order it for you, by the case, at $8 per bottle (as long as the distributor keeps the price the same).

Members of The Order of the Volcano should remember that we will always order wines we do not normally carry for you by the case from the distributors and only charge 10% over cost. AND we will deliver to you in Central Oregon. That’s quite a deal, with some great service on top of it!

But back to the Relax issue. We are no longer going to stock it since it doesn’t really fit with what we are doing in the Tasting Lounge. When we first opened, just over a year ago, we only had two wines released – our Merlot and our Syrah. So we carry wines from other small producers to round out our offerings. We now have four wines, and are finding that most folks who have come in this summer are pretty much only interested on our wines.

We will continue to carry other unique and boutique wines from artisan wineries – these will generally be wines no one else carries, since we buy directly from the producers who are usually friends of ours. Relax is a German wine from a HUGE producer. Ordering a few cases is no big deal, and we are happy to do it. All you have to do is ask!

Yer Outta Here!

I know our hours of operation have seemed inconsistent and non-committal in the past. Much of that has to do with our trying to find optimal hours of operation, coupled with the fact that we are a three person team, and two of us are trying to run the rest of the business plus raise our two and four year old boys. But now that the Tasting Lounge has been open for just over a year we fell like we are hitting the balance, so we decided to abandon the wishy-washy “noon to close” and firm up our hours. Going forward this summer we will be open at 11:30 daily, closing at 6 on Sunday and Monday and 8:30 Wednesday to Saturday. We will remain “by appointment only” on Tuesdays.

The closing times probably seem early to some. But, a few Friday nights ago I had to “refuse service” to two gentleman who came into the Tasting Lounge around 9:30. The first clue that things were amiss was when one of them threw money at me and said, “Just give me a bottle of some sh$t red wine,” to which I responded, “I’m sorry but we don’t have any sh$t red wine here.”

They then seated themselves in the front window and I sat next to one of them and explained to them that I was not comfortable serving them as they had obviously had a great deal to drink before coming here and that I was going to have to ask them to leave. And one fellow said, “Oh, well, don’t you speak so nicely! Aren’t you just soooo polite.” Perhaps they would have felt more comfortable if I had begun swearing and threatening them, but I get the feeling that no matter what I would have said or how I would have approached it, these guys were hoping to cause a scene.

Then they started on the whole, “We’re just working guys, trying to relax after a hard day,” and then made some vague accusations that if diners from Deep were to want some wine I would welcome them with open arms. As I continued to herd them out the door I explained that if some patrons from Deep came into that Tasting Room I would be more than happy to serve them unless they, too, were visibly intoxicated in which case I would also ask them to leave. Then came the “rich a$$h*les” comments as they continued down the street.

Ironically, those two guys probably have more money at their disposal than Scott and I do. We haven’t gotten a paycheck in almost two years and we’ve poured not only our hearts and souls into Volcano Vineyards, but all of our savings as well (not to mention mounds of debt). That particular day I started working at 5 a.m. and it was after 9:30 p.m. that I threw them out. This year Scott and I have had a total of five days off. So we don’t have a lot of patience for this attitude.

This is not the first time we have had some self-pitying, intoxicated individuals come into the Tasting Lounge. The common thread is that these incidents always happen after the sun goes down. So after discussing this most recent episode, Scott and I reminded ourselves that we are not a bar. This is the Tasting Lounge for our winery. We want folks to be able to join us for a glass of wine after work or before heading out to dinner and, most importantly, to be able to enjoy their time with us. Having us act as bouncers is not fun for anyone.