Volcano Vineyards Blog

A Virtual Tour of Volcano Vineyards

2012-01-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

We met AMZ Productions owner Jesse Locke in the tasting room over the summer and have been working with him on a series of videos, featuring harvest 2011, the winery and the tasting room. Check 'em out!

Promo: http://youtu.be/7vsxttuYPPw

Harvest 2011: http://youtu.be/s47tbF9pxQU

The Winery: http://youtu.be/zSVEYe37fbk

Enjoy!

Our Bend Winery Opening October 2010!

2010-09-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

But, we will be closing the Downtown Bend Tasting Lounge at the end of September. Sooooo sad to leave Downtown, but in order to move the company forward, we decided to get back to basics and focus on production of our Volcano wines and our Magmita Sangrias. Our Bend winery will be located in the new Century Center off of 14th Street (aka Century Drive) on Bend's westside. We should be open in October!

'06 Merlot Review from Wine Press Northwest

2010-03-29T12:53:00.001-07:00

This just in: a review of "Excellent!" from Wine Press Northwest (spring 2010 issue)for our 2006 Merlot, Fortmiller Vineyard. Full review follows:

Liz and Scott Ratcliff run their winery and tasting lounge in Bend, Ore., and bring in grapes from the warm Rogue Valley to the southwest. This Merlot comes from Fortmiller, a vineyard farmed by Don and Traute Moore, considered by many to be the finest growers in the Rogue. The wine opens with aromas of cranberries, Chelan cherries, red currants and sweet herbs, followed by pleasing flavors of ripe red plums, cherries and chocolate on the finish. It's a lush wine with delicious length.

Check out the full spring issues of Wine Press Northwest at http://www.winepressnw.com/spring10/

WinesNorthwest review of our '06 Syrah

2010-03-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Chuck Hill just published his review of our 2006 Lakeside/Serenade Vineyards Syrah. He offers up weekly wine reviews of the best of Pacific Northwest wines, properly pairing them with food. Take a peek at what he thinks of our Syrah matched with a Churrasco Flank Steak with Chimichurri auce. Yum!

http://www.winesnw.com/chuckhill_winesofweek.htm

March Music Madness

2010-02-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

Get your groove on during March in the Tasting Lounge!

Friday, March 5 starting at 6 pm: First Friday with Mike Potter, plus a local celebrity behind the bar

Saturday, March 6 starting at 8 pm: Mark Barringer plays, and he usually brings along a bunch of his amazingly talented musician friends. Musical magic, you absoutely have to see this guy play!

Friday, March 12 starting at 7:30: The Prairie Rockets! They are three women, Aspen, Shirley and Patty. Shirley plays guitar, Aspen mandolin and Patty the 5-String Banjo. "We play a bluegrassy and sometimes bluesy mix of contemporary and traditional folk songs embracing two and three part harmonies. We just have fun playing music together."

Friday, March 19 starting at 8 pm: Brian Hinderberger of Kousefly. Always a blast when Brian plays!

Cake Good!

2010-02-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, Valentine's Day is almost upon us, my least favortie holiday. And I fully admit that my negative feelings towards it no doubt stem from some disappointment during adolescence. I fancy myself having matured beyond the pains of the teen years, yet here in my 40s, married to a romantic hunk, I still think Valetine's Day is stupid.

Cake and Wine! Yummy!But I do appreciate both cake and wine, so we have gotten together with The Curvy Baker and offer these delicious pairings for your weekend celebrations:

Your choice of Classic Rum Cake OR Chocolate Vodka Cake, plus a bottle of wine!

Cake and French Bubbles: $20
Cake and Lava Red: $25
Cake and our '06 Merlot: $30
Cake and our '06 Syrah (Lakeside/Serenade): $35

We are open today 'til 8, Saturday noon to 8 and Sunday noon to 5.

Viogn-yea!

2010-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, Scott pulled the 2008 Viognier out of barrel and into kegs. While it is not yet available in bottles, we are offering it by the taste or glass in the Tasting Lounge. Viognier on tap - delish and environmentally friendly!

This is the first vintage from the Crater View Ranch that we contract planted in Jacksonville back in 2006. The grapes were harvested at two different times, nearly two weeks apart. Scott wanted to style the wine with a good nose while still being crisp. In order to achieve this the earlier grapes we brought in had higher acidity, providing the crispness. The later picking was riper, providing the seductive floral aromas for which good Viogniers are known.

The Viognier has been aged on lees (or "sur lie" in French), "lees" being the yeasty residue remaining in the cask after fermentation. 'Sur lie' wines are bottled without racking - a process for filtering the wine - giving an added freshness and creaminess to the wine. It was aged in neutral French Oak barrels for 15 months. While no oak flavors are imparted in the wine with neutral oak, the body of the wine is enhanced.

Scott feels that Viognier is one of the few whites that can stand some aging, especially when the wine isn't filtered or fined, which helps protect the wine naturally, like a nice French White Burgandy. It is the perfect pairing with bleu cheese, pumpkin soup or seafood. But NOT brie.

Live Music in February

2010-01-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

Gloomy February will be a whole lot more fun this year. We have lots of live music set up to lift you out of your Seasonal Affective Disorder blues!

Friday February 5 from 6-9 pm: The Quons! our offical House Band plays for you on this First Friday, while new photography from the amazing Mike Putnam graces our walls.

Friday, February 19 starting at 7 pm: Mike Potter. Mike is great friends with The Quons so you know he's gotta be super cool.

Saturday, February 20 starting at 7 pm: Deb Yager and Bo Reynolds. Austin, TX transplants will wow you with their authentic Americana sound.

January Madness

2010-01-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Scott is pulling the 2008 Viognier out of barrel today down at the winery, and while he says he'll be done and back on the road by noon, I know him well enough to know that noon actually means 3 or 4 pm. Meanwhile, I am trying to get coverage for the Tasting Lounge so we can open by 4 pm today, but, no guarantee. I wonder what happened to all my wine club members who told me they were getting their OLCC server's permit? Hurry up, guys! We need some help!

Since it costs a gagillion dollars to bottle the wine, for the time being we are putting the Viognier into kegs and will offer it as a glass pour out of the Tasting Lounge. A cost effective way to enjoy some stellar wine. Stay tuned for more info on the Volcano keg program...

Photography from Mike Putnam in the Tasting Lounge through February

2010-01-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

This January and February, the Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge will feature new photography from Mike Putnam. Mike was inspired to take up landscape photography by the beauty of central Oregon and its surrounding backcountry. Mike hopes that these photographs will serve to enhance awareness of these awe inspiring locations and will foster a sense of stewardship in regard to these magical locations. From glacier clad volcanoes, to alpine wildflower meadows, cascading waterfalls, and powder covered mountain ranges, Central Oregon is an awe-inspiring place.

Mike strives to make the most detailed and color saturated images possible with a 4x5 camera. He does this by using professional grade slow speed film, excellent lenses and a carbon fiber tripod. Additionally, he carefully selects his subject matter, preferring scenic locations at the appropriate time of year and at times of day that allow for optimal light conditions.

Mike often wakes hours before dawn and hikes many hours in the dark in order to position himself for optimal light. Therefore, low weight and optimal optical performance were the deciding factors when selecting any given piece of gear.

He initially shot in a 35mm format. He soon found he had a real passion for photography and specifically large scenic prints. 35mm photography quickly became too limiting in terms of its lack of detail and perspective control, so he made a leap of faith and purchased a Wista cherry wood 4x5 field camera. This camera was selected for its light weight, its range of movements, simplicity and perhaps most of all for its character. As a woodworker, Mike enjoys the artisan feel of hand crafted Cherry wood. It gives the sensation of creating art with a camera that is art itself.

How to Enjoy the Tasting Lounge

2009-12-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

I heard a gal on the street the other day sniff and say that we were “just a tasting room” – not quite sure what she meant by that, but I am sure that she has probably never been inside our place. And clearly, we are doing a poor job communicating who we are and what we do. So, here are some suggestions on how to take advantage of what we work so hard to offer.

Try Some Wine Made by Bendites!

Volcano Vineyards is an Oregon winery. That’s right – we make our own wine. In our Tasting Lounge, we serve our wines by the taste, flight, glass or bottle. A taste is about 1.5 ounces. A flight is a taste of each of our wines. We also sell our wines “to go” by the bottle or case.

We are not a multi-national company, we are not retired millionaires. We are two former waiters who moved to Bend in 2001. We make a mere 1000 cases of wine per year. “Small” wineries make 50,000. Gallo spills more wine in a week than we make in a year (yes, I am kidding, but you get the idea)

Try Our Bend-Produced Magmita Sangria

Don’t like red wine? We produce our own line of Magmita Sangrias (Magmita being a play on “magma”). Flavors are seasonal, such as peach, kiwi-melon-pineapple, and orange-mango, and Scott is working on some winter flavors right now, playing with cranberry, pomegranate, cherry, ginger and apple.

Prove to Your California Friends that Oregon Wines Rock!

Our Volcano Vineyards wines compete head to head with wines from California, as well as the rest of the world. And we consistently end up with Gold and Double Gold Medals. That means entire judging panels all think our wines are exceptional. We are pre-qualified for you to show-off!

Coif a Pint of Local Beer

We have a kegerator and offer beers made right here in Bend, like Silver Moon’s delectable Amber. Cold, refreshing and delicious. While we do make wine, we are big beer fans. As the saying goes, it takes a lot of beer to make a little wine.

Enjoy a Glass of White Wine or Bubbly

In the mood for something lighter or festive? We always have chilled white wines and sparkling wines available by the taste, glass or bottle. And remember – no restaurant mark-up here. You can enjoy your bottle right here in our cozy space for retail prices!

Have a Less Expensive, Super-Premium-Quality Glass of Wine Before Going Out to Dinner

If you ordered a glass of our wine in a restaurant, you would pay at least 50% more, if not 100% more than we charge here in the Tasting Lounge. No evil conspiracy going on, it is simply how restaurants have to structure their pricing. We have a much lower overhead in our Tasting Lounge space, and as the producer, don’t have a middle-man we are dealing with. So, in our Tasting Lounge, your dollars can support a high quality, artisan produced Oregon wine, and you enjoy the fruits of our labors (Sorry about the pun. Couldn’t resist.)

Quiet Girls Night Out

Meeting up with the girls? You need a least an hour to catch up on the latest news, right? Why not spend it in our intimate upstairs space? Save the hustle and bustle of a loud restaurant or rockin’ club for later in the evening.

Date Night!

The OLCC said we can no longer allow kiddos in the Tasting Lounge, so you are guaranteed a wine-filled, yet whiney-free evening (unless Scott had too much coffee, in which case I would say grab that bottle and head upstairs). And again, you can split a bottle, have a beer, sangria or glasses of your favorite Volcano wines.

Book Clubs, Meetings, Networking Groups, Wine Clubs, Showers, Poker Night, Small Parties

Your small group can reserve the upstairs space Sunday through Thursday evenings for your exclusive use. No room charge, no minimum, no service fee. All you have to do is call to ensure availability. 541-617-1102.

Larger Private Parties

Want the whole place to yourself? We have a very economical private party package set up. Call us for more info: 541-617-1102 or email: info@VolcanoVineyards.com

Hear Some Live Music with No Cover Charge

Several times each month we feature live music from some of Bend’s finest musicians. The Tasting Lounge space has amazing acoustics, and the cozy, intimate spot is incredibly relaxing.

All this, and in a few weeks, we’ll have cheap eats as well!

Just a few more things to finish on the ol’ bureaucratic check list and we’ll have small plates available (everything priced $5 and less). Onion tarts, brie and ham sandwiches on fresh baguettes, homemade soups, artisan cheeses. Deliciousness!

Should We Get a TV?

Scott and I have been tossing around the idea of getting a smallish flat screen in the Tasting Lounge. We would only have it on for big stuff, like tonight’s Oregon-Oregon State game (and I don’t care who wins, as long as they can beat Ohio State in the Rose Bowl!). But it has been difficult for Scott to work Saturdays this fall with my calling him from home screaming about some play Penn State just made. What do you think?

October 2009 Volcano News

2009-11-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Live Music!
Friday, November 6: The Quons 6-9 pm
Friday, November 13: Kousefly Acoustic - The Very Superstitious Party 8-11 pm
Thursday, November 19: The Quons 6-9 pm
November Events
Saturday, November 14: Northwest Food & Wine Festival, Memorial Coliseum, Exhibit Hall - Portland from 4 to 9 pm. www.northwestfoodandwinefestival.com
Saturday, November 28: Volcano Vineyards and Maragas Winery barrel tastings! Join us at the beautiful Maragas Winery and Vineyards in Culver to sample future vintages.

Minnesota Ave, Here We Are! WE ARE OPEN!! 126 NW Minnesota between Wall and Bond, Downtown Bend,across from Toomie's, right next to Clutch. And no, no food yet, weare still waiting on final permits. And the big bummer: the OLCC saysno more kiddos (and this inlcudes our own kids, even when we are closed!). We are now the perfect spot for date night.

Even without the bites and babies, the new Tasting Lounge space features fun: our world class, culinary Volcano Vineyards wines, our Magmita Sangrias, plus beer, and bubbles. If you haven't been in yet, pop by and check it out - it has a great atmosphere, super cozy, and a beautiful new bar built by wine club member / custom home builder Danny Dark. It is the prefect spot to watch Downtown walk by (and I don't mean just Downtown Chuckie). To get anywhere Downtown, you pretty much have to walk by our place, so we see it all! Check the website or call 541-617-1102 for latest info on hours.

Party Central! The new space is PERFECT for small parties (up to 50 folks) - we have put together simple party packages, which include the space for 4 hours, service and wine. We can arrange for food, or you can bring in your own. All the fun with no clean up! What could be simpler for the holidays? Email [mailto:Liz@VolcanoVineyards.com] Liz@VolcanoVineyards.com or call her at 541-390-0652 for more info.

3-Packs for the Holidays! Prepackaged, quick and easy gifts for that stubborn wine snob in your life who, for some reason, thinks you are nuts for loving our wine (and with gold medals coming out of our ears, which one of you is nuts??) PROVE to them why Volcano Vineyards is America's most awarded micro-winery. Gift box includes an (optional) explanation as to why gold medals (or better) in competitions are actually more telling of a wine's quality than Wine Spectator scores (and yes, if you said "marketing budget," you would be on the right track!). 15% off full retail; Wine Club members, you'll get another 10% off on top of that!

2006 Merlot gets GOLD at The Sommelier Challenge! Our Volcano Vineyards 2006 Merlot from Fortmiller Vineyard in Talent is Scott's favorite of our current releases and now we know for sure he's right. The judging panel of the Sommelier Challenge is, as one would expect, composed exclusively of sommeliers (certified and accredited wine professionals who are experts at wine analysis,selection and food and wine pairings). So clearly, they know what they are talking about, and have bestowed gold upon our lucious,sohpisticated merlot. Don't you crave some? It would pair perfectly with that dinner you are planning! Ken Egan, are you making your famous red sauce? Wouldn't the '06 Merlot hit the spot??

We Need Help! Haven't you always dreamed about working in the wine industry? Now is your chance to get your foot in the door by picking up a few hours in our fun and friendly Tasting Lounge! We are looking for OLCC licensed servers to cover shifts from noon to 3 pm, and 5 to close (8 or9-ish). Need your permit? You can now take the class online. Be like Aimee Jones and get licensed!

Drink Wine & Smile!
Liz & Scott Ratcliff
www.VolcanoVineyards.com
126 NW Minnesota Avenue,
Downtown Bend
(541) 617-1102

New Tasting Lounge space update

2009-10-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

We are closed this week so we can finish up the rest of the opening work - getting the phones working, the computer set up and finishing the upgrades so we can do food. Believe me, as soon as we can open full time we will. Stay tuned!

We Are Open! (Or, Rather, We Will be at 3 Today)

2009-10-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Right this second Scott is at the OLCC office picking up our new license, so we should be open today at 126 NW Minnesota (between Wall and Bond) by 3 pm! Woohoo! The next two weeks we will be in “soft opening” mode, meaning we won’t have the full food menu (if any food at all) just yet, and the hours will be erratic, as we complete the move and iron out the new set up.

And now for the bad news: we can no longer allow minors into the Tasting Lounge. We sneaked into the Brooks Street space three and a half years ago just before a new regulation on tasting rooms went into effect. We were “grandfathered,” as it were, into being able to allow minors. Now with the move, we fall under the “new” regulations and kiddos can no longer be in the space. This includes our own children, even when we are closed! We wish it were different – it has been so much fun having the little guys in there, and having a place that weary parents can relax without having to worry about securing a sitter. And all the kiddos (with the exception of mine and Scott’s) were great – not once did I feel they were disruptive (again, with the exception of our own kids, who were a disruption REGULARLY).

Stay tuned for announcements about “Grand Opening” activities. We have some great ideas that hopefully we will find the time and energy to execute!

Moving to Minnesota... the Street, Silly, Not the State

2009-09-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Finally, finally moving the Tasting Lounge to 126 NW Minnesota Ave between Wall and Bond, Downtown Bend, right next to Clutch, across from Toomies. Very exciting, we are psyched. But, the next few weeks we will be in a state of flux, with weird hours, two locations, and Scott and I schlepping lots of things across Downtown.

So, I am formally asking for everyone to be patient with us during this time. We are just two people and are trying to get this move done as seamlessly as possible. We have to move all the stuff, plus our OLCC licenses need to be switched and we are getting everything squared away with the Department of Agriculture so we can have a small menu of food (and it will be simple, French bistro deliciousness, and we will always strive to have a few vegetarian items available). Tentative open hours are as follows:

Sundays, Mondays and Tuesday will be ‘by appointment only’ until our “Grand Opening.”

Saturday, September 19: noon to close at the Brooks Street space. This day is my and Scott’s 10th wedding anniversary, so if it is slow, we reserve the right to close up early, although not before 6 or so. I think we’ve earned it, right?

Wednesday and Thursday, September 23 and 24: 2 to 8 at the Brooks Street spaceFriday and Saturday, September 25 and 26: in the new Minnesota Ave space. It is Oktoberfest, so stop by and check the new place out. We will most likely NOT have food yet, except our beloved oyster crackers. Yummy!

Wednesday and Thursday, September 30 and October 1: 2 to 8 at the Brooks Street space

Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3: in the Minnesota Ave space. Oct 2 is Art Hop – we are hoping to have music, but our two go-to music artists are out of town that weekend – if you know anyone interested in playing, let us know. October 3 is the first day of Fall Fest Downtown – pop on by and check us out – again, probably no hot food yet.

We should be in the Minnesota space from this point on, although we will be closed the weekend (from Thursday on) of October 15. The next week, we’ll do our official opening so stay tuned for more info on that.

Thanks to you all for your interest and support!

Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyard to host FAN event this month

2009-09-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! I haven't posted anything in months - I gotta tell you, this summer thing with no school has been quite an adjustment. Woohoo for this Tuesday!!!

We'll be announding the location of our move very soon - stay tuned.. In the meantime, here's a press release from the folks at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard in Terrbonne - should be a great event, and if you haven't been up to their location, it is worth the trip.

Sunday, October 4th at 3:00 pm
Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyard
70455 NW Lower Bridge Way
Terrebonne, Oregon

Redmond, OR - September - Every day in Deschutes county, over 650 children are homeless, 1 in 7 go to bed hungry, and more than 6500 children don’t have access to adequate healthcare. Too many parents are faced with deciding: Heat? Or eat?

To help ensure all children in Deschutes County have access to basic-need services, the Heat? Or Eat? Benefit will be held on Sunday, October 4th at 3:00 pm at the Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyard in Terrebonne.

This fun, family event will feature several booths highlighting Terrebonne’s growing Agritourism industry. Educational displays will showcase the Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch with alpacas to pet and learn about, Deep Canyon Preserve with information on Pheasant and Chucker hunts, Rainshadow Organics vegetable farm, Maragas Winery and local vineyards.

There will also be a silent auction, horse-drawn wagon rides, wine tasting, art, and music provided by Erin Cole Baker and Casey Elliott. Beverages & hors d'oeuvres will be provided. Entry to the event is $10 and children under 12 are free.

All of the funds raised from this benefit will be used to support Family Access Network. FAN is a local non-profit organization that is committed to building a healthy community by alleviating the suffering of children in need. Through FAN advocates in each public school, children and families are connected to essential services including food, shelter, healthcare, clothing, job opportunities, child support, and more

Old White Guys

2009-05-21T08:06:00.001-07:00

After millions of years waiting on tables I slowly weaned myself from restaurants by teaching hotel/restaurant management at a little college in San Francisco, and supplemented that meager income working in the teeniest wine shop on the planet. It was, literally, under the stairs at the St. Francis Hotel. We specialized in older vintage Napa and Sonoma wines. The majority of the reds were 1985 and 1986 Cabernet Sauvignons for under $20 a bottle – and this was in the early to mid 1990s. I kid you not. The whites, unfortunately, were mostly from 1985 and 1986 as well.

Have you ever had a (domestic) chardonnay older than, say, five years or so? They turn an amazing, glowing shade of rich gold and lose their fruit to become… undrinkable, in my opinion. My boss used to sniff at me and say that appreciating these older chards was an “acquired taste.” Methinks he just wanted to unload this old stuff on some poor suckers from out of town. Frankly I hope I never do acquire a taste for that stuff since it tasted like aspirin.

This was back in the when California chardonnays were expected to be buttery malo-lactic fermentation oak bombs. These days the pendulum has swung away from that (and thank goodness – YUCK!) to a cleaner, crisper style (neutral oak or stainless steel) that can handle more bottle time – and allow us to taste the fruit. You’ve heard me lecture on oak before – if you can taste the oak, you can’t taste the fruit, and that means there won’t be much left once the wine matures.

Oak is one of the many factors that influence the ability for a wine to age well, along with acid, alcohol level, tannins (present in reds as a result of fermentation contact with skins and stems) and the presence of residual sugar, to name but a few. Fundamentally, the wine has to be balanced and well structured in order to flourish with bottle aging. Much of this depends on the natural characteristics of the grape varietal.

Viognier, for example, is a robust white wine grape with a natural acidity and full, complex fruit flavors that make it a good candidate for aging. For the southern Oregon and northern California viogniers I have tried, vintages 2005 and 2006 are getting to their peak just now. We planted Viognier at Crater View Ranch Vineyard in Jacksonville in 2006 and brought in our first harvest this past fall 2008. After fermentation, we put it in neutral oak barrels where they now wait. We will bottle, most likely, at the end of summer and then… wait some more. Wait for the blow-you-away fruit to mellow, for the flavors to integrate. Patience is required. But even then, I am only talkin’ 4-5 years, not 10 or 20. I have yet to find a US white that can survive that long.

Does that mean the 2008 Pinot Gris showing up in the stores are inferior? Of course not – many white varietals peak in their youth, thanks to being naturally fruit forward. Sitting on a deck overlooking the ocean, do I care that my sauvignon blanc with the hint of residual sugar will be over the hill next winter? Uh, no, I don’t.

Compared to red wines, some of which hit their peak 20 plus years after harvest, it seems as though quibbling over a year or two with whites is absurd (and frankly, quibbling over something like wine is indeed silly). But given the shorter life span of whites, that year can make a big difference.

Originally published at: http://bendnights.com/blog/old-white-guys/

Another View from Brooks Street, Part 2

2009-04-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Wow. Had I known that people actually read this blog I would have been a little bit more careful about what I wrote!

Seriously, I guess I do need to clarify a thing or two about our tasting room. Yes, we are closing the Brooks Street tasting room space, but it will be open until someone else takes over that space. Also, once it is closed, and before we get the winery open, we will do stuff on the lawn of Balay on the weekends and on Farmers’ Market Wednesdays. Balay is just across Brooks Street from us, they have a great backyard that overlooks the river.

And once the winery space is open, we are planning on doing tastings out of there, and hopefully we can get a place with the proper zoning for us to do special events on site as well. We would have done this whether the economy was great or in the tank.

Thanks for all the encouragement and support!

Another View From Brooks Street

2009-04-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, Scott and I opened the tasting room for our winery, Volcano Vineyards, on Brooks Street in Downtown Bend. Since that time we’ve done what we could to improve and increase awareness of that still-secret little back alley. And to this day, we still get the brow crinkle, even from longtime Bend residents. “Brooks Street? Where is that??” Shortly after we opened, we became active in the Downtown Bend Business Association: Scott is now on the Board and is chair of the beautification committee, which brought the planters and flower baskets to Brooks Street, and I have done work on the marketing committee and assisted the DBBA staff with some municipal issues. We worked on the Brooks Street coalition to get the seasonal banners, and are working with the city and delivery companies to help renew the ‘pedestrian walkway’ feel Brooks Street was originally intended to have, rather than the back alley for Wall Street it has become. But last week we added another little feature that has become all too common to Brooks Street lately: the “For Lease” sign.

Yes, that sounds very dramatic, but for us, it will be a good thing.

We are working on opening a winery facility here in Bend for the production of our Magmita Sangria and our second label, Magna Wines. Because of permitting and licensing issues, we can’t have the tasting room open – the OLCC allows three locations under our winery license: we have our main winery facility in southern Oregon as one, our house is another (from where we ship) and the third is now the tasting room, but that will be transferred to the new winery space. And even securing that has taken longer than we thought it would – we are regulated from the feds down to the city. The hoops are many.

So we, too, are altering our business, not giving up.It is a good time for us to close our storefront retail outlet. Our overall sales are up this year, thanks to our expansion to new markets. Scott and I are the business – and now is the time for us to focus on growing. The kicker for us is that our best customers walk into the tasting room with their Google maps and still say “Wow, you are really hard to find” – it makes more sense to be hard to find in a larger production space than being hard to find paying downtown rent. Closing date? Not sure yet – it will depend on getting a new tenant in the space. I feel totally overwhelmed with work right now, so I hope that happens soon.

Stay tuned. The process of opening the winery will be long but we’ll try to make it as exciting as possible!

originally published at: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/

Festival Festivities

2009-03-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Many many many years ago I went to a fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation in San Francisco. There were 60-something Napa and Sonoma wineries in attendance plus a killer silent auction – a dream afternoon, right? The food options, however, were limited – lots of fruit (and yuck-o, fruit with wine? no thanks) and stinky cheese. There is only so much stinky cheese you can consume at one time, so I admit I probably did not have enough food in my system when I hit the wine gauntlet. Was I tasting and spitting? Oh no, drinking it all down, baby! At one point I jumped behind a table to give a bathroom break to a small winery owner whose chardonnay I loved – no malolactic fermentation, not over oaked – it was yummy. So he offered me a free bottle if I would cover his table for him and like any good drunk girl, I sold the heck out of his wine. I started chatting up this cute guy, Lance, and found out very quickly that he had gone to high school with my new boyfriend, Scott (and funnily enough the conversation ended pretty quickly after that bit of information was disclosed… I wonder why?). Shortly thereafter my buds Bradly and Jim decided I had had enough and they led me to Jim’s car, smartly putting me in the front seat, as halfway to my apartment, in the middle of the Castro, Jim had to pull over so I could yack. Really lovely. I was in my late 20s, throwing up in the daylight on 17th Street from drinking too much. Bradly and Jim dumped me off at my apartment and I called Scott and made him come over to take care of me (no, not that way, I mean in the holding my head over the toilet way – ah, new love!). I was hung over for a week. And that, my friends, is how NOT to enjoy a wine tasting event.

The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival was two weekends ago and it has a somewhat deserved reputation for being a crazy booze fest. And on that Saturday it was true: folks in costumes dry humping, cougars asking for Volcano tattoos on their chests, one woman slung back a taste of our wine like a shot of whiskey – it was a spectacle indeed. But Sunday and Friday, the folks more concerned with actually tasting the wine were in attendance and many of them had specific tactics for getting the most out of this great collection of wineries.

1. Eat something before and during the event. Take it from me, this is VERY IMPORTANT.

2. Spit out the tastes. (Yeah, right) No, seriously, it is very difficult to keep track of how much you have consumed when you are having a little taste here and a little taste there. Those little tastes add up very quickly.

3. Take the time to do a little research before the event: Find out what wineries will be in attendance and select 5 or so as your priority. Don’t just visit places you are familiar with. This is a perfect chance to try something new.

4. Start by tasting whites first, then go around and try the reds.

5. If there is a competition associated with the festival, focus on the gold and silver medal winning wines. While it may not be a big time, world renown competition, it will pre-screen the

6. Take notes! Even if it is something as simple as “Wow, that Vineyard Manager from Quail Run is cute!” You’ll be trying lots of wine and meeting many people whilst consuming alcohol – if you want to remember any of it, write it down – or better yet, use that camera on your cell phone to take photos of the bottles you particularly enjoyed.

7. If the festival doesn’t have a Wine Will Call, complain to the organizers. We wineries have been chirping at some of these event folks for years to provide this – it allows you, the customer, to buy your wine at a booth, then pick all the wines your buy throughout the day up at one spot close to the exit. You don’t have to lug around bottles of wine. Basic customer service, wouldn’t you say?

Festival season is underway, Sip in McMinnville is this weekend, and we, Volcano Vineyards, are one of only five Oregon wineries invited to pour at Pebble Beach Food & Wine the weekend of April 16. The next weekend is the Astoria fest. Here in Bend we have the Promenade du Vin/Wine by the River event every fall. The mountains are bringing themselves to you, Mohammed. Take advantage!

Syrah: Sexy and Seductive? Or Sybil?

2009-02-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last year I had a self proclaimed wine snob in our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge who snorted when I told him our 2004 Syrah was a “cool climate” Syrah. He dismissed me as “spinning” the marketing on our wine. He was obviously an idiot, as that wine won a double gold medal at the Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging. His idea of Syrah was the big, fat, flabby high alcohol fruit-bomb wine typically coming out of Walla Walla, parts of California and Australia (where they call is Shiraz – yes, same grape). So, not only was he a blow-hard who really wasn’t quite the wine connoisseur he fancied himself to be, but his palate has yet to evolve enough to appreciate elegant, refined Syrahs.

Settle down, I am only kidding - he is perfectly fine preferring one style of Syrah over another, but I do wish he would realize that it is a stylistic preference (and often dictated by climate – I don’t think we could ever do a high-alcohol Syrah from Lakeside Vineyard – it just doesn’t get that hot there).

I realize that it is very hip these days to be in love with syrah from Walla Walla. Especially here in Bend, it seems to have a cult-like following. And with good reason. I have complete admiration for the Walla Walla wineries, in fact, I am downright jealous of what they have been able to do over the last ten years: a cohesive, united marketing effort coupled with self policing has elevated the region to world class status. Mark Retz from Zerba Cellars will tell you that they absolutely have a marketplace advantage with Walla Walla on their label.

Scott made our Volcano Vineyards 2006 Fortmiller Syrah in a “Walla Walla” style – very fruity, higher alcohol than we usually have, longer aging in oak. That is what people expect when they order a Walla Walla syrah: a big, bold, fruity explosion of luscious, almost inky wine. It’s a style that has its place: for example, when you are sitting in front of the fire having wine for dinner. If you are planning, however, to have wine WITH dinner, a more subtle syrah – and yes, it is sometimes referred to as a “cool-climate” Syrah - would probably be your best choice.

I hereby confess to being uncool. I prefer my Syrahs refined, elegant, well balanced and generally lower in alcohol. A personal choice, a matter of taste, a stylistic preference.

The big, bold, high alcohol wines are perfect to have on their own since once you’ve tasted them, it is difficult to taste anything else – your palate is blown. When in a restaurant, I find that if I am spending more than $10 on food, I would really like to be able to taste what I am eating.

So the big bold fruit bomb wines knock your socks off on first sip, then… kablam! Your mouth goes nearly numb. And these fruit bombs can be any varietal from any region – it is a winemaker choice to let the fruit hang until the sugars (which convert to alcohol during fermentation) hit high numbers. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense. After all, the fruit bombs are the big sellers these days, the consumers seem to prefer them. The glossy wine mags, despite their editorial musings on the flaws of high alcohol wines, consistently award them scores in the 90s.

There are higher alcohol wines out there that retain some acidity and have decent structure – and keeping that acidic backbone is the key. I recently had a Pinot Noir with a 16% alcohol – very unusual for a Pinot Noir - and it was lovely, a perfect complement to duck. But frankly, if I am going to polish off a bottle of wine, I’d rather not be hung over the next day. (And no, for anyone getting his judgmental hackles in a twist, I do not consume a bottle of wine a night on a regular basis. By myself, that is. Scott and I do usually split a bottle a night, but after all, we are professionals. Sheesh.)

For me, wine is food, and its purpose is to be part of a memorable meal. When made in a well-balanced, well-structured style, Syrah is one of the most food friendly of the red wines, paring with the traditional “red” foods, like steak, mushrooms and game, but it also perfectly complements salty and bitter foods, such as olive tapenade, roasted vegetables, and lighter fare accented with lemons or capers. It is a great option for vegetarian fare.

So save that big crazy fruit bomb wine for an afternoon when you aren’t going anywhere and aren’t having dinner for a few hours. You’ll find it pairs perfectly with mid afternoons and soul searching conversations.

Originally published on: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/

The Newport Seafood and Drunk, eerrr, I mean, Wine Festival

2009-02-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

Wine is all about aromas. Scents, fragrance, and bouquet are of primary importance. If nothing else, this week has been a week of varied smells.

We arrived in Newport early last week and learned a little something on the journey. Our youngest son is indeed susceptible to car sickness: last year’s vomiting incident was no fluke. But while last time he threw up after we got out of the car, this year it happened right there in the backseat. All over his Spiderman suit, his booster seat, the floor. Mmmmmm mmmmm good. Then we get to the house to find that a short in the electrical box caused the electricity to have gone out days earlier. And all the crab bait in the freezer was no longer frozen. Or fresh. So while Scott was cleaning out the minivan (and really, were they not designed with kiddo’s eliminations in mind?) I was suppressing my gag reflex to clean out the rotting fish. And despite three pounds of baking soda there is still a whisper, the merest hint of brininess in the air when we open the freezer. Ah. The sea.

Many, many winery people warned us that the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival is a crazy booze-fest of drunk twenty-somethings (and I know what you are thinking – what in the world is wrong with that???). But I’d have to say that out of the three days of the festival that only held true for Saturday, which was a spectacle indeed. Folks dress up in costumes, everyone screams when someone breaks a glass (and inevitably people start breaking glasses on purpose, and are quickly shown the door). I think its boozy rep is a bit overblown. While lots of places were complaining their sales were down 50% from last year, we felt the weekend was a great success – we’d never been here before so anything over breaking even was a bonus. Our 2006 Merlot won Gold here at Newport and we sold out of it and the 2005 Bordeaux Blend quickly. This was the perfect place for our Magmita Sangria.

The Newport Chamber of Commerce, who hosts the event, and the OLCC are of course well aware of the "festiveness" of this festival and they have set very strict guidelines for what we can and cannot do. Taste and glass pours we being closely monitored, no open bottles were to leave tasting areas, and the place was crawling with police. If a winery were to violate the OLCC regulations, hefty fines – and I am talking thousands of dollars – were levied. So of course there is the a-hole who comes up to us as things were winding down on Saturday and says that he "would have bought a case” except he felt “gyped” on his glass pour, so he wasn’t going to buy anything. Did he say anything at the time he got his glass? Of course not. Was he actually planning on buying a case? I seriously doubt it. What a bunch of BS. Like we are supposed to risk a hefty fine so he can get a quicker buzz? I don’t think so. But these few festival buttheads make for great stories later.

As we usually find at these events, most folks are so friendly, they love wine and are interested mostly having fun while trying great wines and yummy food. And a remarkable number of people were over for the weekend from Bend and had never heard of us. These events are a great excuse to get spend a long weekend away doing the wino and foodie thing on a budget. We’ll be at Sip in McMinnville the weekend of March 13, but we won’t be at Astoria, as it is right after Pebble Beach Food & Wine – that one, not so much for the budget conscious, but if you have the means, I highly suggest checking it out. If you go, be sure to look for me – I’ll be the one chatting up Eric Ripert. Or trying to, anyway.

Blah Blah Blog

2009-02-12T04:03:00.000-08:00

My first blog for BendNights.com is now live. To read it, and other edgy Bend bloggy stuff, check out: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/

I can't imagine having enough to say to do this blog and the BendNights blog, but I'll give it a shot.

So, how 'bout this weather we've been having?

All righty, a quick update on us. We are looking for a bigger Tasting Lounge space Downtown, and are hoping to find someone to sublease the Brooks Street spot. I am happy to say we’ve outgrown that location, and want to start doing more events in the Tasting Lounge, like wine dinners and technical tastings. We are still also working on getting a production facility up and running here in Bend by this summer – gotta get that Magmita Sangria bottled!

We started looking for investors for the Magmita Sangria and the Magna Wines last summer, but put everything on hold once it became clear the economy was tanking. I don't think we had a really clear picture of what our next step was going to be - Scott was thinking we might have to move to southern Oregon, I wanted to stay in Bend, were we going to use our current winery facility for the second labels or build our own and if so, how tricked out would it be... many, many uncertainties. But we seem to have narrowed our focus and as long as I can get Scott to stop coming up with new ideas ("Hey, let's do a whole line of frozen chicken called Lava Clucks" - it's maddening - somthing new every day) I will have our new business plan done by early March. It is all becoming clear to me now.

Double Double Gold

2009-01-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

First blog of 2009 and I have good news. The results of the Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging are out and we got TWO DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS: one for the Lava Red, and one for the 2006 Lakeside/Serenade Syrah. The ’05 Syrah got just plain old Gold, same with the ’06 Merlot.

The Platinum Judging is an invitation-only competition for Pacific Northwest wines. To qualify, wines must have won a gold medal or better in a major national or international wine competition during the previous year. To earn a DOUBLE GOLD, all the judges must agree that the wine is a gold medalist. To get a roomful of varied palates to agree on something like that is quite a feat.(Don’t you love that visual? A room of palates – it reminds me of that weird circus troupe that used to be on Northern Exposure every once in a while. Their ring leader was the guy who plays Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street and he was in love with Marilyn. Ah… I loved Northern Exposure!).

We will be taking it easy the rest of January, filling out our year end reports to states we ship to, compiling our OLCC Privilege Tax statement, pulling together our 2008 financials – all that fun stuff. We’ve cut back the tasting room to four days a week, and will try to catch our breath. Scott is working with Doug Hough, our designer, on the labels for 2007 and finalizing the designs for the Magmita and Magna lines. Things pick up in February with the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival the weekend of the 20th. And we are hoping to pull together a wine dinner this winter sometime – stay tuned!

Kissing 2008 Good-Bye

2008-12-29T07:51:00.000-08:00

In our December newsletter, I hit a nerve – I have never gotten so many comments on a newsletter before, and there was one particular line that seemed to resonate with people, and in case you missed it, here it is:

Scott and I have been on the precipice of financial ruin for the last 3 three year. Welcome to our world.

We were flooded with folks dropping into the Tasting Lounge to commiserate. Those moments were the highlight of this holiday season.

But I am not sure if it is easier or more difficult to maintain a positive attitude now that everyone else is in our boat. The emotional roller coaster of owning our own business has gone from highs and lows oscillating month to month to a daily ride. One hour we are on top of the world; the next, things seems bleak. We strive to maintain perspective, focus on the big picture, be thankful for what we have, live in The Now, all of that. Lately, it has become our mantra. Great on a macro level.

But let’s get real. On a micro level, the daily stress is suffocating. It is frustrating for us, as we are right in the range we predicted in our projections, falling between best case and worst case. Our sales are up almost 30% over last year. What is killing us right now? Debt servicing and cash flow.

So, yes, I confess, we do have high consumer debt – but allow me to defend myself. And frankly, it seems we do need to defend ourselves these days since the BIG BANKS are trying to deflect their questionable practices by blaming the little guy – we were apparently too greedy, too impatient, too materialistic. What about those of us who have been squeezed so tightly that we had to use credit cards to buy basic necessities? Groceries, gas, health care, etc.
Scott and I are absolutely, astoundingly in credit card debt. And no, we did not buy a boat or a flat screen TV, we used those credit cards for the business and for basic life stuff (and yes, I do mean groceries, health care, etc). Mr. Visa and Ms. MasterCard helped finance harvest one year and we are still paying it off. And we have been paying it, methodically, every month.

So why, then, did I just receive notice from THE BIG BANK that they would be increasing my interest rate? And they are a bank getting BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in bailout money from the government (read: the taxpayers). I guess they figure all us cardholders should pay, as word on the street is that they raised rates across the board – because they can.

All they’ve done now is increase my monthly minimum to them without allowing me to bring down my balance. And frankly, if it comes down to the choice between paying my credit card bill and buying food for my little boys, guess which one I am going to pick? What are they going to do, ding my credit rating? Knock yourselves out. I am a small business owner; my credit has been shot since we started this venture. My priorities are NOT about keeping big bank executives in their McMansions for the good of the American economy, but about keeping my family housed and healthy and keeping my business viable. Scott and I joke that we have almost a million dollars in “liquid assets” (the wine) that are anything but liquid. I wish there were a bank that would consider it as collateral, but while banks will foreclose on a house, they don’t want to be in the wine business (hmmm – maybe that should clue us in… haha).

What disgusts me even further is “they” can hide behind the twisted rationale that it is not personal, it’s “just business.” Why is it acceptable to excuse their practices as justifiable because it improves their “bottom line?”

And for that matter, why oh why are the 49ers wasting away the talents of Michael Robinson??? Next season, try the guy at quarterback!!!

Five great things that happened this year (we try to do this every night with the boys – it is very fun and a great way to get them to remember the good stuff).

No more diapers at Chez Ratcliff! And yes, that includes Scott. haha
My brother finally got his liver transplant. He is still in the hospital. His donor was a fellow who is in his church. That someone would risk their life is such a deliberate, contemplated way renews my faith in the human race.
I got my faith back. And by that, I mean faith in Volcano Vineyards. At times this year, I was seriously doubting what we had gotten ourselves into and struggling with not knowing where the path was leading. I am still not sure, but I am now okay with not being sure. Everything in my life has turned out fine so far, especially when things didn’t go exactly as I wanted them to. I expect this, ultimately, to be the same.
Scott and I saw The Police. I love, love, love Stewart Copeland. The best part is that we had two more nutso Stuart Copeland fans right in front of us and watching them be as excited as kids on Christmas morning made it that much more fun for me. And for anyone getting a bit judgee-wudgee on me, let me clarify that the concert was a complete surprise to me which Scott arranged on his own, paying for it by selling some of his most prized possessions, we brought our own food and after the show, we slept in our car. For the record, I love Miles Copeland, too. The man is a genius and I try to model our marketing and PR by his example. Yes, that will take some explaining and I will do so in another blog.
Our 2005 Syrah won Best of Show at the National Women’s Wine Competition. The day we found out we had won was a very good day.

Looking ahead, we have great plans for 2009, exciting products to launch, great ideas, lots of hope and anticipation. I try to see the fun in navigating this challenging situation, how I can outsmart the circumstances. A great exercise in creativity, if nothing else.

When I was mulling over 2008 a few weeks ago, a friend asked why I couldn’t ‘start fresh’ right then and there, that very day (which was early December), why wait until New Year’s Day? Well, I see life as a process: change rarely happens in one day, so in effect, we are starting our new phase today and yesterday and next week. But my brain likes categories, it likes a start and a finish, it likes wholeness. If I can asses 2008 as a unit, put in a box, seal it up and stick it on the shelf, you bet I’ll do it. It’s a ritual, a sense of closure, a cleansing. Then I can glance back at it when I need to, but the dwelling in it is over. Venting is part of that as well. Thanks for reading my vent.

Quick 2008 Harvest Update

2008-11-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

We harvested Fortmiller Vineyard last Thursday, the 30th, our latest harvest yet. The grapes, as expected, looked stellar.

For the Lakeside Vineyard Syrah grapes, Scott is trying something new this year – we harvested 7 tons, and fermented two of those tons whole cluster, meaning the stems were still attached. Because of the freeze, the stems were brown and dry, and should add a soft tannin overtone we haven’t had in our syrahs in the past.

Mother Nature and Mr. Freeze Do a Number on the Grapes

2008-10-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Wineries are an extension of farming, and therefore are subject to the whims of Mother Nature. For the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon, harvest 2007 will be remembered for the rainstorms that rolled through, slowing end of season ripening and diluting the grapes. In 2008 we faced the cold – parts of the Rogue and Applegate Valleys were hit with hard freezes (temps in the 20s) this past weekend, mid-harvest for many. It was only supposed to hit the mid 30s. That Mother Nature, she’s a sneaky gal.

What do freezing temperatures do to wine grapes? It is not as bleak as it sounds. The biggest impact is that it kills the vines’ canopy (the leaves) – so no pretty fall colors, just dead, black leaves. This halts photosynthesis immediately, meaning the vines no longer convert the sun, water and ground nutrients to sugar – the grapes are essentially frozen in their development. No more ripening. This is especially difficult when dealing with later ripening grape varietals like Tempranillo and Cabernet Franc, which in 2008 had probably 2 or 3 more weeks to go before being ready for harvest. Planting those varietals in areas susceptible to early frosts is risky – but when the weather cooperates, the results are worth it – complex wines that benefitted from cooler temperatures with minimal heat spikes. Risk tastes good.

Southern Oregon is loaded with micro-climates: different vineyard sites were hit with frost in varying degrees. Lakeside Vineyard in Talent looks like a set for a Halloween movie, with creepy black vines sagging and crackling. Luckily for us, the Syrah had hit sugar and acid number within our range prior to the freeze. In fact, the numbers are almost identical to 2005, and that vintage turned out okay (Best of Show at the National Women’s Wine Competition, “Outstanding” from Wine Press Northwest, and an astounding 97 points from AlaWine, etc, etc, etc). We let the grapes hang on the vines for five days following the freeze to allow a bit of dehydration to occur – this concentrates the fruit flavors.

Fortmiller Vineyard is also in Talent, but it is about 500 feet higher than Lakeside, which usually protects it from frost. The vineyard is bowl shaped, with a lake in the middle. We all know that heat rises – and conversely, cold falls. The chilly air settled over the lake, and only the handful of vines ringing the lake were damaged. Warmer air moved back in and ripening should continue for the next ten days to two weeks. The vineyard’s bowl shape also helps retain heat, so even after the sun has passed by, the residual warmth remains.

And in a mere two years – or more – we’ll have the results from harvest 2008. I can hardly wait!

Latest Reviews

2008-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

We have reviews of our wines in the newest issues of both Oregon Wine Press and Wine Press Northwest.

Lava Red Blend NV: “Excellent. It opens with aromas of strawberry pie, vanilla and cedar, followed by flavors of black cherries and juicy berries. It’s a big wine that should pair well with a hearty meal.” Wine Press Northwest, Fall 2008

For its October issue, Oregon Wine Press did a review of Oregon red blends. They evaluated submissions “using a single-blind method and a 20-point ranking system for appearance, aroma, taste, balance and finish.” They noted that “the overall quality level of the wines in this month’s category was excellent. So much so that it was necessary to double-blind a dozen wines… to arrive at the final six.”

Two of our wines made the list.

2005 Volcano Vineyards Rogue Valley Bordeaux Blend: “Since this wine is 93% Merlot, it could rightfully carry that designation on the label. But a judicious touch of Cabernet Franc makes up the remaining 7 percent, qualifying it as a blend. Whatever its varietal composition, the end result bears a marked resemblance to the classic Bordeaux appellation of St. Emilion. Ripe black currant, dry earthiness and tasty oak with hints of butterscotch engage the palate throughout.”

NV Volcano Vineyards Rogue Valley Lava Red: “Given such a large selection of excellent red blends in this tasting, it’s surprising that one winery would have two wines that rose to the top. But, after the scores were in, the discussions concluded, the winners determined and the bottles unmasked, that’s how it turned out. The little winery from bend has crafted a big, bold winner from the unlikely marriage of Merlot (75%), Syrah (23%) and Viognier (2%). Structured tannins complement black cherry, currant, cola and oak. Could that tiny touch of Rhone white be responsible for a finish that lingers long?”

Crush is Coming!

2008-09-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Harvest is upon us. Well, not us specifically, as our grapes have three or four more weeks to go. But many Rogue Valley growers have brought grapes in already.

Scott is helping out at Agate Ridge this season, as new winemaker Kiley Evans is a bit understaffed. Kiley was at Abacela up until just a few months ago, and anyone who has read just about anything I have written knows I am a charter member of the Kiley Evans Fan Club. Remember, just last fall the Wine Spectator declared Abacela's Tempranillo as the 2007 Oregon Wine of the Year. Kiley rules!

The brought in Sauvignon Blanc last week, and have been doing Pinot Gris this week (whites usually go first). Scott is really psyched to be working with these different varietals. Stay tuned for more harvest and crush info!

WOW, what a week for wine!

2008-09-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve been really slacking on the blogs lately, which is horrible since it is something I enjoy doing. This summer was nuts, and I have just found out I was delusional thinking that school starting again would somehow settle things down. Wrong-o. September is always great in the Tasting Room as our ideal Bend visitor comes to town – foodies and oenophiles who deliberately travel in the fall. And for some reason, event planners up and down the west coast throw all sorts of wine festivals during September and October, always a challenge for the little winery since it is, ya know, harvest time.

Two weekends ago we were at the World of Wine Festival, held each August at Del Rio Vineyards in southern Oregon. This is one of our favorite wine events, and it features the best southern Oregon wineries and always attracts a great crowd of folks who truly love wine. I swear, half the folks who tried our wines had done research on us before the event. It was fabulous, and is worth the trip. Mark your calendars for next year.

This past weekend was the Promenade du Vin and then Ghost Tree Dinner on the Range out at Pronghorn. The Friday Promenade du Vin was the “replacement” for Wine by the River, and benefited Hospice. If you missed it, that is a shame. The weather was perfect, the setting spectacular, and the crowd was enthusiastic but small enough that we could have great conversations with the guests. Love events like that. The Saturday night dinner was a blast as well, with 6 wineries (including Troon, Jordan and WillaKenzie who were pouring right next to us – I heard several people say “Now, WillaKenzie , where are you? I’ve never heard of you” which made me feel waaaaay better. I LOVE WillaKenzie, they make some of the best Pinot Noir in the state and if folks haven’t even heard of THEM, then no wonder they’ve never heard of us. haha). Not a wine focused event, but lots of fun and for a great cause.

We always get the extremes with events like that dinner – on the one hand, there are people who love wine and food and take advantage of the amazing array of offerings (food from Volo, Scanlan’s, Deep and Merenda to name but a few), and on the other hand there are a few folks who are looking to drink and eat as much as they can stuff down their gullets (and who an blame them, really, the tickets are not cheap). Loved the guy who snapped his fingers at me to pour him a beer (the beer station was on the other side of us). After looking at him like he was crazy (and he was obviously not thinking clearly since snapping at someone is not something polite, clear headed people do) I told him, “No, I won’t get you a beer” - very fun. Can’t do that when you are a waiter!

Save the date: Wine dinner at Jackalope Grill on Monday, October 6. Stay tuned for details.

And one last note… Sorry, Beavers. Yikes. Is Penn State that good???

The Broken Window

2008-08-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, our front window was broken a few weeks ago. It happened early on a Monday morning, right as the bars were closing. Apparently, some fella was desirous of some additional libations and was coherent enough to deduce we had such offerings in out tasting room. He was not, however, sober enough to notice that the front window is double paned with wired safety glass. So, all that happened was he made a very pretty spider-webby design in the top window pane.

He was promptly arrested, thanks to some quick calls to 911 from passersby, which we appreciate. We do not know this guy – but we look forward to having him reimburse us for repairs: a random act of drunken stupidity which will cost close to $1000 to fix.

Why we close the Tasting Lounge at 5 pm

2008-07-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

We frequently get these questions/comments in the tasting room: Why do you close so early? Why don’t you stay open later so we can have a glass of wine before heading out to dinner? I came by but you were closed...

There are several reasons behind our hours that I will address.

The most basic reason is that traditional tasting room hours, from Paso Robles to Walla Walla, are noon to 5. Tasting rooms are not bars – we are here so folks can sample our wines – especially important for the wines we won’t sell to the distributors. It is an opportunity to try before you buy, plus speak directly with someone who can answer your questions about the wine, the winery, the vineyards, etc.
The tasting room is only one portion of our business – we are a winery and are responsible for the making of the wine, overseeing the vineyards, the marketing , advertising, public relations, online sales, shipping, distribution, special events, compliance and reporting to individual states… and we have no employees, it is me and Scott, with a little help from our friends. It was necessary to set some limits.
Scott and I were both in the restaurant industry for years. We do not want to be a restaurant or a bar. We feel that many others in Bend are already fulfilling this need.
Staffing is also an issue. Our glass prices are very reasonable from the consumer perspective, but the margins we make are quite low, nothing like restaurant glass prices and a world away from the margins that coffee places enjoy – therefore a critical volume would need to be sold each evening to allow us to break even.
Scott and I have two small children. The family dinner is an important part of our lives, not to mention our bedtime routines with reading books, lullabies, hugs and kisses.
By closing at 5, the tasting room is available for private parties. We have just a $25 per hour room fee and a $150 per hour minimum of wine sales. Bring in your own food, or have it catered. We can accommodate up to 35 people inside – even more if it is warm enough to use our outside space, or up to 20 for a sit down dinner inside, plus seats for an extra 12 outside, again, weather permitting (for dinners, service is extra). Call or email for more info: 541-617-1102 info@VolcanoVineyards.com

Keep in mind that Wednesdays and Fridays we usually are open a bit later – Scott or I are generally there until at least 7 on those nights. Call ahead and arrange a private tasting if you like…if we’re around, we’ll happily accommodate you with enough notice and within reason.

Squashing a rumor...

2008-06-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

No, we are not moving our tasting room. I know there was some confusion with Melanie moving her retail wine store off of Brooks Street, but we are staying put.

What we are doing right now is looking for some commercial space for our winery production facility. We’ve looked at spots in SoMi , the Mill Quarter, along 2nd Street, on the west side behind Safeway… all over town, in fact. This facility will be for our Magna Wines, Magmita Sangria, and ultimately for Volcano Vodka as well. The rents downtown (and zoning, for that matter) are structured for retail and dining, not production facilities.

Yesterday was just another day, after all.

2008-06-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

At the 11th hour yesterday my brother’s transplant was called off. Some blood results from the donor came back in the “no go” range, so… now they start from scratch.

And in other news, we made an attempt to eat at the newly opened Ciao Mamba yesterday. Unfortunately, our three year old was acting like a three year old and we had to leave. This is why Scott and I rarely are seen in public!

Tuesday is a big day

2008-06-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those of you who have asked about my brother. For those of you who don’t already know, my older brother, Tom, has been fighting Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) for years. PSC causes the bile ducts of the liver to become clogged. There is no known cause and the only possible cure is a liver transplant. You may have heard of it, as it was what killed Walter Payton, and it was the disease Olympian Chris Klug had, prior to his successful liver transplant in 2000.
And tomorrow, June 17, my brother will undergo a liver transplant at Georgetown Hospital in Washington DC.

Tom has been chronicling his ordeal through his Caring Bridge site. It is fascinating reading. After tomorrow, his wife, Kathy, will update the site on his condition until he is well again to write.http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomasbutler

And to find out more on PSC, check out http://www.pscpartners.org/

Tasting Room Advice from The Wall Street Journal

2008-06-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have had a few people mention to me piece written by John Brecher and Dottie Gaiter that ran in the WSJ a few weeks ago. It was titled “Tips for Tasting Rooms,” a very thoughtful list of suggestions. I am happy to say that most of them, we heed already: we’re kid-friendly, our wine club pressure is so low we usually forget to mention we have one, we have a simple tasting fee that we refund with purchases. Many of their bits of advice are the exact opposite of the “you shoulds” we daily hear from people in our tasting room.

The most frequent “you should” we get, next to “You should serve food” (and considering how tenny weeny our space is and the fact that there are too many restaurants in Bend already, food ain’t gonna happen), is that as part of the tastings, we should give folks a glass with our logo. John and Dottie say “No glass!” and we totally agree. After we moved our collection of winery commemorative glasses for he fifth time, Scott took them all to Goodwill. Two from this place, one from this other place, different sizes, different quality – just a big pain the rump. We opted to use Riedel crystal glasses in our tasting room. And while yes, they can be etched with our logo, the added expense doesn’t make sense.

The one bit of advice we are guilty of not following was “Ease up on the numbers” – meaning don’t spout off the Wine Spectator/Enthusiast etc scores. While we have yet to submit our wines to any of the “number” publications (and that’s a whole nuther blog in itself), our basic info on the wine includes our awards and our Wine Press Northwest or Northwest Palate reviews. This is information we feel is vital to building our brand – as a relative newcomer to the wine industry, people are skeptical, and having that “third party validation” of our wines absolutely adds to our “legitimacy.” Yes, your palates are not fooling you – our wine is indeed yummy!

What's up with Vintage 2007

2008-05-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Scott went down to the winery two weeks ago – it was racking and blending time for the 2007s. He’s going to keep six barrels of the Fortmiller Syrah as a single vineyard designate, then blend five barrels of Fortmiller with seven from Lakeside. For the Fortmiller Merlot, he has decided to blend in one barrel of Tempranillo (from Red Lily Vineyards) which will mean the Tempranillo comprises about 7% – similar to the 2005 Merlot which was blended with 7% Cab Franc.

This weekend, Memorial Day weekend, we’ll be pouring our 2006 Syrah, Lakeside and Serenade Vineyards and 2006 Merlot, Fortmiller Vineyard and offering futures on case sales. Both these wines have already won GOLD MEDALS at major competitions, the Syrah at the SF Chronicle, the Merlot at Riverside. Pop on by! We’ll be in both the old Painted Pony space and in the Tasting Lounge.

Riverside Gold

2008-05-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

The results of the Riverside International Competition were just announced, and we received two golds, one for our 2005 Syrah, and one for our 2006 Merlot. As far as we can tell, wineries from Oregon came away with a total of four gold medals this year (Willamette Valley Vineyards won the other two golds). The Riverside Competition is generally considered to be the most prestigious wine competition in the US. During Memorial Day weekend at our Tasting Lounge in Bend, you can sample the 2006 Merlot, as well as the 2006 Syrah, which won gold earlier this year at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Women Dig Us

2008-04-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

Our Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah, Lakeside Vineyard, Rogue Valley was named Best of Show at the second annual National Women’s Wine Competition, winning the prestigious American Airlines Judges’ Choice Award. The Syrah also won a Double Gold Medal, and was picked as the Sweepstakes Red winner as Best Red Varietal.

The National Women’s Wine Competition is only in its second year, but its slate of judges is unbelievable, a ‘who’s who’ of the top women in the wine industry. For our 2005 Syrah to be chosen as the best wine from over 1600 entries from both the US and abroad is an overwhelming honor. There are hundreds of wine competitions held each year, and the first thing I look at before we decide to enter is the judging panel. When I can look down the list and recognize almost every name on it, I know that is a competition we need to be a part of.

Judges included Laurie Daniel, wine columnist for the San Jose Mercury News whose writing I loved so much Scott and I subscribed to the Merc when we lived in San Francisco just to read her stuff. Natalie MacLean, who publishes the online wine newsletter “Nat Decants” was also a judge. And the judging panel included winemakers from some of my favorite wineries: Elizabeth Vianna of Chimney Rock, and Sally Johnson from St. Francis to name a few. Also Rebecca Murphy, founder of the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, one of the most prestigious wine competitions in the country, and Dr. Ann C Noble, creator of the wine aroma wheel, which I have hanging on the wall in my office.

The National Women’s Wine Competition is the only competition with all-women judging panels, reflecting the marketplace reality that women make 60-70% of all wine buying decisions.

Oh, so soil matters after all…

2008-03-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

A new study by German researchers (from the Service Center of Rural Areas) shows that soil type may have a greater influence than climate on the characteristics of wines. This contradicts conventional wisdom. Taking samples of Riesling grapes grown across Germany, researchers put lots of grapes from different vineyards through identical winemaking processes, then compared them based on soil types. What did they find? Riesling gown in Limestone based soils - even when grown hundreds of miles apart in completely different climates - had similar characteristics of tropical fruit and honey with intense color. Meanwhile, Riesling grown in sandstone soils all showed mineral and citrus qualities. Interesting stuff. These results were based on two years of study and are just the beginning. The next phase of the study will look specifically at climate differences. Stay tuned! And for more info, check out the January 2008 issue of Wines & Vines magazine.

Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah gets OUTSTANDING Review

2008-03-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Spring 2008 issue of Wine Press Northwest is out and for the second year in a row, we’ve gotten a rating of “OUTSTANDING!” I have to say, this is the best review we’ve ever gotten. I LOVE Wine Press Norhtwest! Check this out:

“OUTSTANDING! Top-flight Syrahs from Scott Ratcliff in Bend, OR are becoming a tradition. This vineyard-designate near Jacksonville, OR is on the precocious side with youthful, lip-smacking sweet brambleberries and balanced oak. A dark midpalate leads to a rich and lingering finish of semi-sweet chocolate that brings you back. The Ratcliffs, who have a background in fine cuisine, suggest pairing this with pulled pork or salty and bitter foods such as greens, olives, lemons, eggplant and asparagus.”

Vintner's Dinner at McMenamins St. Francis

2008-03-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Join us on Saturday April 19 at 7 pm at McMenamins St. Francis for a four course wine dinner. Cost is $50 per person. Call 541-382-5174 for reservations. Here is the fabulous menu:

Hazelnut-crusted Rogue Creamery blue cheese with rosemary shortbread and champagne grapes
Volcano Vineyards 2005 Viognier

Mixed greens with Manchego cheese, spiced marcona almonds and Spanish olive vinaigrette Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah

Smoked buffalo tenderloin with truffle butter, roasted fingerling potatoes and sugar snap peas Volcano Vineyards 2005 Merlot

Chocolate lava cake with cherry-Syrah reduction
Volcano Vineyards Lava Red Blend

Another Gold Medal

2008-02-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

We are very pleased to announce that we were awarded a Gold Medal at the 2008 Grand Harvest awards. The Gold Medal winning wine was our Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah from the Rogue Valley AVA in Southern Oregon. The Grand Harvest Awards are sponsored by Vineyard and Winery Management magazine. The focus of the competition is on terroir – the influence of soil, weather conditions, climate, etc. on the grapes. Wines are grouped not by varietal but by region or appellation. Volcano Vineyards was the only Gold Medal winner from the Rogue Valley AVA designation.

Valentine's Day Wine Dinner at Balay

2008-02-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Still have not made plans for Valentine’s Day? You are in luck! We are teaming up with Balay Coffee House (next to The Pine Tavern) to present a five course wine dinner featuring our Volcano Vineyards wines. Cost is $100 per couple. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today by calling 323-6417

FIRST COURSE
Wild Mushroom Tart
Riondo Pink Prosecco

SECOND COURSE
Endive, Apple, Blue Cheese and Hickory Salad
Volcano Vineyards 2005 Viognier

THIRD COURSE
Beef Provencal
Volcano Vineyards 2005 Merlot, Rogue Valley

FOURTH COURSE
Tumalo Farms Cheeses
Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah, Rogue Valley

FIFTH COURSE
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with Creme Anglaise
Harris Bridge Pinot Noir Dessert Wine

Hope to see you there!

...Once Were Waiters

2008-02-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

Since many of you are just learning of Volcano Vineyards, this is who we are:

Scott and I were both introduced to the wine industry at young ages. While I wish we could say that we learned to walk in granddad’s vineyards or jammed Uncle Harry’s bottling line with a Barbie Doll, the fact is our initial exposure was on the consumer side. Scott’s folks were big foodies and started visiting Napa Valley in the late 60s, became members of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, and have amassed an enormous wine cellar. My dad was hit with the wine bug in the early 80s, falling in love with Chateauneuf du Pape. The day we discussed French wines in my high school French class, I was the only person who said anything – Monsieur Beckman was so excited because I NEVER said anything in that class ever and suddenly I was “Cotes du Rhone-ing” all over the place.

Scott and I met when we were both waiters in San Francisco. San Francisco waiters are professionals who love food, love restaurants and love wine (and in the best restaurants, that will always be the case). As a waiter in a four or five star restaurant (such as McCormick & Kuleto’s or The Sherman House), the more you know about the food you are serving and the wine on your list that perfectly complements it, the better the experience your guests will have (and presumably, the better your tip). Restaurants spend an enormous amount of time and money training their wait staffs on wine, wineries, the nuances of food pairing. We were 70 minutes from Sonoma and Napa and spent almost every weekend up there, first visiting wineries, then spending time at Gallaway Vineyards in Healdsburg - the vineyard that Scott helped plant - which belonged to family friends. Once those vines matured, we started home winemaking, using Gallaway Vineyards grapes that were left on the vines after harvest. In the late ‘90s we both got lured into desk jobs, which was a nice break. But we both missed the buzz from the restaurant biz, we missed the people who are drawn to working in food and wine, and we missed the daily exposure to (and the consumption of) all that great food and wine!

In the fall of 2001 we moved from San Francisco to Bend, Oregon. And again, while I wish we could say that we were cashing out stock options or that we had sold our cracker box house for a million dollars, that wasn’t the case. We were renters in San Francisco, and when the house up the street from us in the Inner Sunset sold for $650,000 and the new owners proceeded to knock it down and build a new house, we knew it was time to go. We figured out very quickly that Bend is an entrepreneurial town, thriving thanks to small businesses. After a few months we went back to the Bay Area for a wedding. While there, Scott sent off an email to Randall Grahm, (founder of Bonny Doon Vineyards and the "Original Rhone DeRanger") stating that he was a local boy thinking about going “pro” with his home winemaking and would Mr. Grahm have any advice. About 20 minutes later the phone rang in Scott’s parents’ house (where we were staying) and it was Randall Grahm himself who said he had just had surgery, was bored out of his skull and would we like to come to his house to talk wine. When we arrived, he said to us, “If I were in your position, this is what I would do…” And by the end of that meeting, Scott had thrown his heart off the cliff, and there was no turning back. Volcano Vineyards was born.

Wrap Up of the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for Volcano Vineyards

2008-01-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it, we were awarded two Gold Medals at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The Gold Medal winners were the Volcano Vineyards 2006 Syrah and their Volcano Vineyards Lava Red Blend both from the Rogue Valley AVA in Southern Oregon. Both wines are set to be released later in 2008.

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the world’s largest judging of wines produced in the US. This year, a record 4235 wines from 1500 wineries were tasted.

Wineries from Oregon fared better in the 2008 competition, winning a total of 8 Gold Medals, compared with only 3 in 2007. Volcano Vineyards is the only Oregon winery to have won Gold in both of the last two years, with our Volcano Vineyards 2004 Syrah winning Gold in 2007.

We submitted three other wines for judging, with all three winning Silver Medals. Those wines were our Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah, Lakeside Vineyard, the 2005 Merlot and the 2006 Merlot, Fortmiller Vineyard. All of our award winning wines were grown and produced in the Rogue Valley, Southern Oregon.

For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, Scott will be pouring our wines at the San Francisco Public Tasting on Saturday February 16 at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion from 2 to 5 pm. All wineries who won Gold Medals or better will be there. Tickets are $50 in advance, $70 at the door. Check out winejudging.com for more info.

Review on Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah - Lakeside Vineyard, Rogue Valley

2008-01-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Tasting Lounge will be open Sunday, January 20 and Monday, January 21 from 11:30-5.

Our Volcano Vineyards 2005 Syrah, Lakeside Vineyard, won a Silver Medal at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. And, we just got the review back from Northwest Palate (January/February 2008):

"Floral notes of lavender and rose are pretty and perfumed on the nose, while sweet and equally pretty flavors of plum and cassis fill the mouth. Light oak spice and a sense of dried potpourri infuse the full and soft fruit center of this wine, while lightly brisk acidity lends a lively tone. The tannins are plump and sweet, and the finish is fresh and long. A great wine for garlic-studded leg of lamb."

Sounds yummy, no? You can order directly from our website, and right now there is a glitch that makes your shipping costs very inexpensive: http://www.volcanovineyards.com/store/index.php

Gold and More Gold - WooHoo!

2008-01-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest competition of American wines. Thousands of wineries participate. This year, over 4200 wines were judged. Last year only three wineries from Oregon received Gold Medals, and we were one of them. And the results from the 2008 competition are in...

Sooooo, we are thrilled to announced that our Volcano Vineyards 2006 Syrah, Lakeside Vineyard/Serenade Vineyard, Rogue Valley took GOLD. And, our Rogue Valley Lava Red Blend took GOLD. Release dates for both of these wines will be set in the next few months. The 2005 Syrah, Lakeside Vineyard, the 2005 Merlot/Cab Franc and the 2006 Merlot all took Silver.

From the preliminary look at the results, Oregon wineries fared better this year, winning a total of 8 Golds (last year, Oregon wineries took home 3 Golds, total). Yes, we have TWO of those EIGHT. Not too shabby!! Other winners include Willamette Valley Vineyards, who also won two Golds (Riesling and Pinot Noir), Del Rio Vineyards and Dobbes Family Estate both won Gold for their Pinot Gris, Griffin Creek won Gold in the Syrah $35 and over category, and Zerba's fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon won Gold. Woohoo!!

More details once the final results are tallied. The Tasting Lounge re-opens on Friday, January 18 at 11:30 a.m.

December Sale Item Tasting Notes

2007-12-07T06:42:00.001-08:00

Red Hawk Pinot Gris – Willamette Valley
It is a mantra in the wine industry – great wine is made in the vineyard. John and Betty Pataccoli, who took over Red Hawk in 2005, are reinvigorating the brand with a focus on vineyard health. The amazing results are already evident in their 2005 Pinot gris, a beautifully balanced, crisp and food-friendly wine: melon on the nose with tropical and green apple flavors plus a hint of minerals which come from the rich volcanic Jory and Nekia soils of this Salem vineyard. This is a great appetizer wine, and also pairs nicely with grilled seafood, roasted chicken, or pasta salad. Only 160 cases produced.

Sagelands Chardonnay 2005 – Columbia Valley, Washington
A well-balanced green apple and citrus chardonnay with a nice round finish. Great by itself or pair it with the traditional white wine foods – fish, chicken, salad.

Spangler Sauvignon Blanc 2006 – Southern Oregon
Sauvignon Blanc always reminds me of the coast – dining on Dungeness crab, paired with a bottle of white sitting in the sun at 1:30 in the afternoon. Ah – heaven? Why not capture that moment here in the high desert in December? My favorite of the Oregon Sauvignon Blancs.

Tertulia Cellars 2005 Viognier - Columbia Valley
The name of this new Walla Walla winery means “a social gathering of friends.” The 2005 viognier is their first white release. It contains 22% rousanne, another Rhone varietal valued for its crisp acidity. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed - that is a gentler process that extracts flavor from the fruit of the grape, not the stems, seeds and skins as happens with traditional crushing. Fermentation occurred in 74% stainless steel and 26% neutral French oak, partial malolactic fermentation (the process that turns bitter malic acid into the softer lactic acid). Tertulia’s tasting notes indicate we should experience floral aromas, with pineapple, peach and apricot flavors, a smooth mouth-feel and balanced acidity. I got green apple and honey on the nose, tropical up-front fruit, a rich mouth-feel (from the ML, I would assume), melon, kiwi and pineapple flavors and a clean finish.

Cougar Crest Winery 2005 Viognier – Walla Walla
Estate grown, 100% viognier Cougar Crest tells us to look for floral and citrus aromas on the nose, followed by pear, pineapple, grapefruit and melon with a honey finish. The Wine Spectator gave this an 88, stating that it feels - and I am not making this up - “raw, offering ear and green peach aromas.” I have no idea what an ear aroma might be, and I couldn’t detect anything I would call “ear aroma” so... Also very chardonnay-like in weight and mouth-feel.

Fleming Jenkins Victories Rosé – San Francisco Bay
Yes, this is from California, but this one is special! Produced by Olympic champion Peggy Fleming and her husband, Greg Jenkins, 100% of their net profits from Victories is donated to breast cancer research (Peggy is a breast cancer survivor). Peggy and Greg have their own vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, just above Los Gatos – which happens to be Scott’s hometown. The wine is fragrant, well-balanced and crisp – really, it tastes like spring, and who couldn’t use a little of that in the middle of December?

Territorial Rose of Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley
Floral aromas, strawberry and peach flavors with a nice citrus overtone that gives this wine a bright finish. Try it with grilled foods or even creamy deserts.

Mystic Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 – Columbia Valley
This wine is solid and intense with flavors of blackberry, currant and tobacco, with round tannins and a plush mouth feel. Only 150 cases produced!

Zerba Cellars Sangiovese 2004 – Columbia Valley
They love to blend at Zerba! This Sangiovese has about 10% cab sauv, which adds some interesting nuances. Look for spice and an earthy overtone.

Zerba Cellars Cabernet Franc 2005 - Columbia Valley
Zerba’s 2004 Cab Franc was a huge hit in the Tasting Lounge. This 2005 vintage blended with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the result is a wine rich with black cherry and plum flavors (while the ’04 was distinctly currant). Tasting it right now, the 2005 shows more fruit, while the 2004 had some earthy overtones. As you would expect from Zerba, the nose offers rich vanilla and tobacco aromas. Only 190 cases produced.

Double Gold for Volcano Vineyards 2004 Syrah

2007-11-28T07:13:00.000-08:00

We are very proud to announce that our Volcano Vineyards 2004 Syrah (Rogue Valley) was awarded a DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL at this year's Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging. This is an invitation only event to find "the best of the best" of Pacific Northwest wines. Wines qualify only if they received a Gold Medal or better at one of the major national wine competitions or were selected by the review committee of Wine Press Northwest.

Volcano Vineyards 2004 Merlot was also honored, winning a GOLD MEDAL.

Quick Harvest Update

2007-10-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

We brought in 5 tons of merlot on Tuesday from Fortmiller and Lakeside – it looks fabulous, especially the Fortmiller. We are expecting great things from this 2007 vintage of merlot! Scott was back in the Rogue Valley today, and he and Chris (Hubert, vineyard manager extraorinaire) decided to hold off on the syrah for a few more days. Back in early August we had thought it was going to be an early harvest this year, but… not so much! Another big storm is expected to roll in tomorrow… We’ll know more in a few days, so stay tuned!

In other news, I have only two seats at the bar left for the October 20th dinner, so if you are interested, I would reserve those seats today! Call 541.617.1102.

Odds and Ends

2007-09-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Our website ( www.volcanovineyards.com ) is currently undergoing a redesign, so for the next few weeks, updates will be posted here on this blog. The blog, as well, will be housed on our site once we go live. Stay tuned for more info!

The menu for the Saturday, October 20 Winemaker Dinner is set. It is already half booked, so if you are interested, make your reservations today!

First Course: Crab Cakes with our Volcano Vineyards Viognier
Second Course: Wild Mushroom soup with our 2005 Merlot, Rogue Valley
Third Course: Coq au Vin with our 2004 Rogue Valley Lava Red Blend
Final Course: Tumulo Frams Cheese plate with our 2005 Syrah, Rogue Valley

Cost is $60/person which includes the dinner, one glass of wine per course, and service. Non-refundable payment is due at time of reservation. Call 541-617-1102 to reserve your spot today.

More stuff on sale...

Cancilla Cellars Chardonnay 2005– Willamette Valley, Oregon
A luscious Burgundian style chardonnay with the lightest hints of oak and butter. Soft, supple and food friendly with a good backbone.

EdenVale MidSummer’s Eve White – Southern Oregon
I do believe this is probably the worst name for a wine I’ve ever heard and yes, I know it refers to Shakespeare, but I, being a child of the 70s, have other inter-textual references pertaining to phrases containing the words “summer’s” and “eve.” ) This blend is great on any warm day, even if you have to create the warmth yourself by sitting next to a fire in your living room. A blend of chardonnay, pinot gris and muscat, this wine is off-dry with tropical overtones and a decadent lushness. Pair it with spicy Asian foods – perfection!

Mystic Wines Pinot Noir 2003 – Temperance Hill, Willamette Valley, Oregon
I had this at Hans the day I first met Mystic owner and winemaker Rick Mafit, a buddy of Scott’s. An incredible blueberry and tart cheery, full fruit Pinot noir, I had finished two glasses of it before the first course was even finished. Later than evening I ended up getting into an argument with a woman who blamed all the “evil Californian transplants” for everything that is wrong with Bend. While Rick thought that was hilarious, I decided to move the word TEMPERANCE to the forefront of my vocabulary. Temperance Hill is quite famous for its Pinot Noir, and it is managed by the legendary Dai Crisp. This Pinot Noir is balanced, subtle, and changes as you enjoy it, each sip bringing out new falvors. A treat!

More Dirt on Soil... part 2

2007-09-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

From a nutritional perspective, grapes are less demanding than most crops, and most challenges can be handles through various vineyard management tools, like cover crops, tilling schedules, etc. But there are some basic features one would want when deciding where to plant grapes. (See Wine Science by Ron S. Jackson for more detailed information).

Stressing the vines – fact of fiction? Lower soil fertility is actually a good thing for grape vines, as it forces the energy of the pant to focus on development of the fruit. An added bonus is that many low-nutrient soils are porous – a good thing for many reasons. Porous soil allows the roots to extend deeper. Vines then become less susceptible to drought conditions, since they can source their moisture and nutrients from below the ground. The happy result is more consistency is grape quality fro year to year.

Drainage is also an important factor, assisting the area around to vine to warm more quickly, protecting against cooler temperatures, including frost. Good drainage has also been tied to earlier spring growth.

So, soil type has a more indirect influence on resultant grape quality – still important, but not the dominant factor.

Specific soil types later this week… stay tuned!

Tasting Notes for our Mini-Sale Items

2007-09-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is a "fall cleaning" kind of sale - we have just a few bottles left of each of these.

Sagelands Chardonnay 2005 – Columbia Valley
A well-balanced green apple and citrus chardonnay with a nice round finish. Great by itself or pair it with the traditional white wine foods – fish, chicken, salad.

Sonoma Oaks Chardonnay 2005– Russian River, CA
Don’t let the name fool you – this chard is UN-oaked. I’ve had many a disappointing un-oaked chard that have overtones of metal… errr, I mean, minerals, but these guys got it right. Luscious, round, full bodied with a crisp finish – finally, a chard that pairs well with food. Caesar salad, chicken cordon bleu, even pork chops would work well.

Tertulia Cellars Viognier 2005 – Columbia Valley
The name of this new Walla Walla winery means “a social gathering of friends.” The 2005 viognier is their first white release. It contains 22% rousanne, another Rhone varietal valued for its crisp acidity. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed - that is a gentler process that extracts flavor from the fruit of the grape, not the stems, seeds and skins as happens with traditional crushing. Fermentation occurred in 74% stainless steel and 26% neutral French oak, partial malolactic fermentation (the process that turns bitter malic acid into the softer lactic acid). Tertulia’s tasting notes indicate we should experience floral aromas, with pineapple, peach and apricot flavors, a smooth mouth-feel and balanced acidity. I got green apple and honey on the nose, tropical up-front fruit, a rich mouth-feel (from the ML, I would assume), melon, kiwi and pineapple flavors and a clean finish.

Cougar Crest Viognier 2005 – Walla Walla Valley
Estate grown, 100% viognier Cougar Crest tells us to look for floral and citrus aromas on the nose, followed by pear, pineapple, grapefruit and melon with a honey finish. The Wine Spectator gave this an 88, stating that it feels - and I am not making this up - “raw, offering ear and green peach aromas.” I have no idea what an ear aroma might be, and I couldn’t detect anything I would call “ear aroma” so... Also very chardonnay-like in weight and mouth-feel.

Mystic Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 – Columbia Valley
This wonderful wine is solid and intense with flavors of blackberry, currant and tobacco, with round tannins and a plush mouth feel. Only 150 cases produced!

Bonne Chance Petite Sirah 2003 – Redwood Valley, CA
ORGANIC!!! Anise on the nose, tart strawberry, rich and bold with a deep purple color. Pairs nicely with bold food: steaks, Mexican fare, Cajun cuisine

Mt. Vernon Winery Port – Sierra Foothills, CA
This port is made from Syrah, a bold, rich and lush dessert wine with floral accents and a dark chocolate finish.

The Dirt on Soil - Part 1

2007-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-08-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-08-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

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.

Show Me Something Different

2007-07-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

We are back from St. Louis, travel weary and waaaay behind on things. But while we were there we checked out a few wineries in the Augusta, Missouri AVA, the first officially recognized appellation in the US. Missouri has a long tradition of winemaking and was the second largest producer in the country until prohibition. In fact, in 1873 a wine made from Missouri’s best known varietal, Norton, was chosen as the “Best Red Wine of All Nations” at an international competition in Vienna. Who knew wine competitions were a big thing even back then?

It was great to break out of the wine rut we’ve been in. They make no syrah, merlot, chardonnay or pinot noir or gris in Missouri. Here are some of their featured varietals:

Seyval Blanc: A French/American hybrid, this is a cold climate, early ripening grape with a high acidity that makes it a natural candidate for some residual sugar. The resulting wine is crisp and food friendly, a low-intensity wine that is great on those hot and humid afternoons the Mid-West is famous for.

Chardonnel: A cross between chardonnay and seyval blanc, it is a late-ripening, cold-climate hardy grape. All the chardonnels we tasted had gone through malolactic fermentation and had lots of oak time, so try to guess what I though of them….

Vidal Blanc: Floral and fruity, this is another high acidity wine that can take some residual sugar. I thought it consistently had richer fruit flavors and a bit more depth than the seyval blanc. We brought some of this home with us.

Norton: The king of Missouri red varietals, although Virginia is aggressively promoting this grape as well. Norton is thought to be the same grape as Cynthiana – the differences usually come from the wine’s style. Nortons are comparable to cab sauv, although much earthier with a notable spice and a definitely “grape-eee-ness” that is the typical sign a grape is native to North America (although they suspect Norton is most likely a hybrid). It is definitely a great red when you want something bold and different.

Chambourcin: Nouveau in style, this is a much lighter red, fruity and light. Another cold-hardy varietal that ripens late and thrives in humid conditions. This one has been confirmed a French/American hybrid, so you see, we can do great stuff with the French after all. We grabbed some blends of Norton and Chambourcin as souvenirs. Yum!

Off-the-Beaten-Path varietals are the next big thing in wines, folks, so jump right in and give these wines a try!

Coming Attractions

2007-07-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who popped by the Tasting Lounge to try the 2005s and the finalists from Scott’s 2005 Lava Red Blend trials. We appreciate the feedback!

For the blend, votes were evenly split for the most part, although a slight edge went to the 75% merlot 25% syrah version, which is the one Scott ultimately decided to go with. The 2005 Lava Red Blend will be lighter on the oak than the 2004, each wine having spent only 16 months in 25% new French oak. I know you oak lovers will be disappointed, but we’re sure you’ll appreciate the true fruit you can taste when there is no oak in your way. Yum!

And, although we are sold out of the 2004 Merlot, we are probably going to hold off on releasing the 2005s until Wine by the River which is happening the first weekend in October this year, I believe. We were hoping the 2005 Merlot would be magically ready to go once the 2004 was gone, but it needs a few more months in the bottle to add a bit of refinement. Wines are like little kids – they change drastically during those first three years, then the development levels off a bit – we are going to hold the wines until their evolution has slowed down. In the meantime, for you die-hard Merlot lovers, we now have Zerba Cellars’ Merlot in the Tasting Room.

Menu for July 12 Winemaker's Dinner

2007-07-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

First Course – Blue Cheese Stuffed Figs Wrapped in Proscuitto
Volcano Vineyards 2005 Viognier - Mendocino
Our favorite cheese and wine paring: viognier and blue cheese. The acids of the Viognier balance the creaminess of the cheese, the fruitiness of the wine complements the blue’s strong flavors.

Second Course – Tri-tip and Wild Mushroom Salad with a Red Wine Vinaigrette
Volcano Vineyards 2004 Red Blend – Rogue Valley
With 50% Merlot, 48% Syrah and 2% Viognier, this wine accents foods rich in Umami (the savory taste), like beef and mushrooms. The wine also has a richness from 24 months in American oak which balances out the tangy vinaigrette.

Third Course – Oven Roasted Kalua Pulled Pork
Volcano Vineyards Syrah 2004 - Rogue Valley
We just got the review back on our Syrah from Wine Press Northwest. They rated it “Outstanding!” which is their higest rating. Syrah traditionally pairs well with pork, thanks to its rich blueberry flavors. Since our Syrah is light on the oak, you oak lovers will feel that void filled from the Kalua flavors in the sauce.

Dessert – Poached Pear Custard Tart
Harris Bridge Vineyards Three Roses Dessert Wine – Willamette Valley
A perfect, light, summer dessert paired with this luscious rosé dessert wine from Harris Bridge. Have you ever had a rosé dessert wine before? Aren’t you curious??? Harris Bridge uses an Ice Wine method for their production, waiting until the grapes hit optimal sugars and acids. The result: well-balanced and lush but not overly sweet.

Call today to reserve your spot for this wine dinner. Only $50/person, all-inclusive (non-refundable, due at time of reservation). 541.617.1102

www.VolcanoVineyards.com

Don’t pop your cork!

2007-06-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took the boys up to Hood River to see Thomas the Tank Engine and thought we’d make a few days of it before we went to our summer hours in the Tasting Room (which start this Wednesday, by the way – noon to close daily, except Tuesdays which remain by appointment only). Our plan was to spend Monday and Tuesday visiting the Columbia Gorge wineries. There are some great ones: Pheasant Valley, Syncline, Cathedral Ridge, and the Pines to name but a few. And I was going to blog about it here. However, after settling into our hotel room, the boys were CRAZY and we ended up deciding to leave (before we were asked to) and drove home instead. Two years old plus four years old plus ice cream plus confined hotel room equals nightmare.

So, instead, let’s talk about warm summer days and wine. Last week, a gal brought back a bottle of our syrah she had purchased the day before. The cork has been pushed out and I said, “Looks like you maybe left this in your car overnight…?” And she said, “Yeah, I did!” Well… wine is alive and very delicate and does not like temperature fluctuations. If it gets to hot, it will pop its cork…literally. This is also why we won’t ship wine during the summer.

We also suggest that once you open a bottle, try to finish it within the next 36 to 48 hours or so. While leaving a bottle un-gassed over night it a quick way to see if it has aging potential, any longer than that, it will start to oxidize. If you smell the wine and can detect aromas of rust or metal, the wine is dying. My parents are notorious for opening a bottle of wine, having a glass each, then putting the bottle back in the cupboard for a week or more. The next time they want a glass, the wine is undrinkable. Wine is, after all, fruit. And like most fruit, it won’t last forever once exposed to oxygen. So, drink up! (But, responsibly, of course).

We are tossing around the idea of doing half bottles, although it will probably have to wait until our production increases significantly. Doing a short run of labels for the smaller bottles would cost a fortune. Here’s to the day we can take advantage of economies of scale!

Oh, Those Tasting Fees

2007-06-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

We had a woman in the Tasting Room who angrily threw three dollars at us, enraged that she had to pay to sample our wine. As she stomped out before getting the explanation, I thought maybe this would help clarify things:

#1: The history of complimentary tastes. Wineries initially used complimentary tastes to draw people out to their winery sites – generally miles and miles outside of cities, meaning folks had the winery as their primary destination – guests were “pre-screened,” as it were. The majority of wine regions that don’t need the allure of free wine to attract customers now charge tasting fees. Again, this is a way to ferret out folks with genuine interest in wine from folks looking for a free buzz. So, the first reason we charge for tastings is this: we are not out in a remote winery location. Our Tasting Room is in Downtown Bend.

#2: We are located in Downtown Bend. Our Tasting Room is surrounded by bars and restaurants. In fact, there is a bar right next door. If you had your business right next to a bar, would you give away any alcohol product for free? We get a lot of walk-by traffic, people who notice our signs and mosey on in to see what’s up. And like it or not, folks, most of the industry is heading towards tasting fees.

#3: The OLCC. Our Tasting Room is kid friendly – we welcome families with kids, have toys and chairs for kids, and advertise that fact. The OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) asks that in return we have certain controls in place to ensure minors are not served alcohol, and one of their requests was “no free tastes.” Do I even need to continue?

#4: We credit back the tasting fee towards the purchase of that bottle of wine. Seems more than fair to us – many wineries won’t even do that, reasoning that the taste is a product (and it is) and you paid to purchase that product.

#5: We almost ALWAYS have additional wines open that we will include in a flight at no extra charge. Unless a visitor is being a butthead, in which case they get nothing. Haha!

#6: We are not a multi-national corporation that can afford to spend millions of dollars promoting their product. The winery is me and Scott. We are very, very small. We didn’t have any money when we started and now we have even less. If someone wants cookie cutter, economies-of-scale, corporate Mega-Mart wine, then we are probably not for them anyway.

#7: Our Tasting Room is a bargain. In contrast to the Mega-Mart wines, the wines we pour in addition to ours are also premium and ultra-premium wines. See similar wines on a restaurant wine list and the glass price will hover close to $20. We are offering folks the opportunity to sample $25, $30 and even some $50 wines for only a few dollars.

#8: Tastes add up. If you are enjoying a full flight – even our shortest flight - you will end up consuming almost the equivalent of a full glass of wine.

Obtaining Closure

2007-06-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Bend Bulletin did a feature story last fall on wine closures – cork vs synthetic vs screw top, etc. They did not consult us before publishing (shocking, I know) and that’s too bad because it is a topic Scott and I have spent many hours researching and discussing. Yes, we are loads of fun at dinner parties.

I bring this up again now because Wine Business Monthly – one of the leading US wine industry trade mags, has just published its 2007 closure survey report. And for the second year in a row, we are quoted. Once it publishes on line I’ll get the link to the article here. The thrust of the piece is that cork still dominates, but screw tops are gaining acceptance from consumers, and new closure types are on the horizon.

For our premiere vintages we opted for natural cork for a variety of reason – consumer perception being one, and lack of studies on long term aging with alternative closures, another. We chose a cork supplier (Rich Xiberta) who controls the full cycle of the cork closure production, from tree selection through final shipment to us. The high incidence of cork taint comes from corks produced without proper quality controls. For our less expensive red blend we chose a synthetic cork, primarily for cost reasons. The corks we use are $.55 each – the synthetic closures are a fraction of that. Since the red blend is meant to be consumed now, long term aging didn’t factor in our decision. For our less expensive wines, we will most likely switch to the screw top closures. Again, costs are an issue, and frankly the screw tops are easier for the consumer (no cork screw needed, a good thing if all your openers are now in the possession of airport security). I do admit the crack of a screw top on opening is not nearly as romantic as the pop of a cork.

We have also decided to switch to the glass stoppers for our top tier wines beginning with the 2006 vintage. These closures are stunning – keepsakes, almost. And recyclable! Sineann uses these closures on its reds - come in to the Tasting Room and we will be happy show you.

Meza and Vino and Volcano Vineyards

2007-05-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

May 31, 2007 at 7 pm - Traditional Lebanese Meza prepared by Chef Ramsey of Barking Squirrel Catering
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT, but you can still add your name to the waiting list. Only $50/person, all-inclusive.
541.617.1102

FIRST COURSE - Lemon, Garlic and Tahini Hummus, Hummus with Buffalo, Baba Ghanouj
Tyee Pinot Blanc -Willamette Valley, Oregon
Pinot Blanc is a high acidity wine, making it very food friendly, especially when paired with the creamy, rich flavors and textures of hummus and baba ghanouj. Its musky aromas and flavors of apple, almond, melon and spice will complement the lemon, garlic, buffalo and eggplant beautifully. Winemaker Barney Watson is one of Scott's mentors - a great guy who makes remarkable wine.

SECOND COURSE - Tabbouli Salad and Fattoush Salad (Lebanese Bread Salad)
Amity Vineyards Riesling 2004 - Willamette Valley, Oregon
This is a dry Riesling from Amity Vineyards, again, a wine with well-balanced acidity, plus clean, up-front fruit that can handle strong spices.

THIRD COURSE - Sumac Lemon Garlic Chicken Kebab and Shaniko Lamb Basha
Volcano Vineyards Syrah 2004- Rogue Valley, Oregon
Our syrah – which was designed to be food-friendly - works perfectly with salty and bitter food, which allow the fruit flavors of blueberry and plum shine through. Lamb is the ideal meat pairing with the syrah as is the lemon and garlic flavors with the chicken dish.

DESSERT - Apricot Baklava with Rosewater Syrup
La Rocca Late Harvest Zinfandel 2002 - Sierra Foothills, California
The apricots lend a nice acidity to balance out the sweetness in the zinfandel. La Rocca wines are organic and made without added sulfites.

Hope to see you there!
www.volcanovineyards.com

Volcano Vineyards Vintage Updates

2007-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Vintage 2005: The 2005s are in the bottle, we’re just waiting on final label approval from the Feds. Both merlot and syrah are tasting great. The merlot is another triumph from Aguila Vineyard in Talent, although for 2005 Scott decided to blend in about 8% cabernet franc. Right now that change is most evident in the nose, which has a distinct hint of cassis, blackberry and violet.

As many of you know, the Aguila Vineyard syrah never fully ripened in 2005. While our original plan was to have two distinct syrah styles for vintage 2005, we’ll only have the Lakeside Vineyard Syrah. Those grapes are a Hermitage Clone, and the site is much more vigorous than Aguila. Right now it is much bigger than the 2004, less earthy, distinct raspberry on the nose, bold fruit throughout and starting to show the classic syrah white pepper on the finish.

Release dates will probably be late summer. After two years of no increase, prices are going up for vintage 2005 – but you can pre-order Vintage 2005 wine now at Vintage 2004 prices. Use our secure on-line store, pop into the Tasting Room or call us toll free at 866.844.9487.

Volcano Vineyards website: http://www.volcanovineyards.com/

Vintage 2006: It’s racking and blending time. Racking is a siphoning process that removes the sediment which accumulates during barrel aging. It is also the perfect time to consider any blending. This last week Scott was in Medford doing blending trials and he decided to keep the Ft. Miller syrah as a single vineyards designated wine, while the Serenade Vineyard and Lakeside Vineyard syrahs will be blended together. Serenade Vineyard is similar to Aguila in that it sits at an elevation (2100 feet), but the vines face west, get sun all day and are treated to a cool breeze that keeps the temperatures from getting too hot. So, the grapes have good acidity but slightly higher sugars than the Aguila grapes. This syrah will be complex with characteristics of both warm weather syrahs and cool weather syrahs. The syrah grapes from all three vineyards were co-fermented with viognier. I’m not going to torture you with the viognier speech again, but if you need a refresher, you can find it in the archives of our blog.

The producers of Rogue Valley wines get together every year for a blind tastings of their barrel samples. This year, our 2006 merlot and syrahs were at the top of the heap. We are predicting the 2006 wines to be our breakout vintage.

The “Virtual” Winery vs The “Micro” Winery

2007-04-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Bend’s newest glossy mag has just published its first issue and we have a nice mention in it. They spelled our last name incorrectly and referred to us as a “virtual” winery, but you know what they say: All publicity is good publicity. So, we appreciate the nod.

But I do want to clear up this “virtual” vs “micro” winery topic. As both business models become more common throughout the wine industry, the distinction is becoming more defined and apparent.

The VIRTUAL Winery: Can be operated by someone living thousands of miles from the production site. They write the checks to a production facility which then handles the entire process – from sourcing grapes through the finished wine in the bottle. The owner can sometimes watch the progress of their wine via the web, and they can even visit on-site and participate in their wine production. Day to day involvement is absolutely unnecessary. In fact, any involvement beyond sending money is unnecessary. The Virtual Winery owner can be as involved or as detached as he or she wants to be.

The MICRO Winery: Run in basically the same way as a 100,000 case per year winery, except production facilities are contracted rather than owned. Producers may grow their own grapes, or source their own. We spent years finding and securing long term contracts with the best growers. Producers of Micro-Wineries have all the final wine-making decisions – yeasts, barrel program composition, blending, bottling issues – the whole shebang. Consultants may be used – just like the giant multi-national producers. But the responsibility for the full-cycle – from grape to wine in the bottle – rests solely with the producer.

You may have read recently that there is only one winery in Central Oregon. That is not true. There is one commercial wine production facility. Volcano Vineyards® is a licensed Oregon winery and the address on our license reads “Bend, Oregon.”

Sometimes it seems as though we are being penalized for not having the millions of dollars it takes to open our own winery facility. Well, we’re working on it. In the meantime, with debt up to our eyeballs, we have focused on the grapes that are producing wines that are winning awards across the U.S. including a gold medal for our 2004 syrah from the largest domestic wine competition in the country (the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition). So, have patience with us. We will have our very own production facility some day. And we seem to be off to a good start. But doing the production facility the right way – to allow us to produce wines of superior quality - will take time and funding. If we decided to do a commercial wine production facility on the cheap, we could have chosen to simply buy bulk wine, get it to Bend on a tanker truck, blend, then bottle it – a perfectly legitimate business model, but not the path we’ve taken.

I hope this clears things up and gives everyone a better idea of what we are doing.

I'm serious - it's not Sirius!

2007-04-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

It used to be jazz and cocktails but somewhere along the way it evolved into jazz and wine. Was it that cocktails fell out of favor on the coasts? That can’t be it – during the swing craze in the 90’s martinis again became the drink of choice (in a wine glass, a la Herb Caen). My theory is the two drink minimum. When faced with a choice, which gives you more bang for your buck? Watered-down well booze or a giant glass of jug wine? No contest, really.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of large format wines – the stuff in a box is great when you aren’t going to pay attention to what you’re tasting. Those wines are gateway wines – they lead to sauvignon blanc, then butter-bomb chardonnay, then merlot, followed by cab sauv… the next thing you know you’re dropping 125 bucks for a bottle of Pinot noir. (I am apparently stalled between the merlot and Pinot phase, having not yet experienced the elusive Pinot epiphany.)

Whatever the cause, jazz and wine are now linked and it is a union that works. Come experience it for yourself in the Tasting Room this Thursday night from 6-8 p.m. Tenor saxophonist Duncan McNeill and keyboardist Scott Hersh will play a mix of standards dating from the 30s to the 80s (yes, we’re starting off easy with the standards).

No cover. Great wine. Amazing music.

Hope to see you there.
Volcano Vineyards
930 NW Brooks Street
Downtown Bend, OR 97701
541.617.1102
www.volcanovineyards.com

Yea Syrah Syrah

2007-04-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

People in the Tasting Room are always asking me if I’ve heard of Such and Such Winery in South Africa or the hot new boutique wine from Santa Barbara or if we’ve been to So and So’s Tasting Room in Washington. My answer is usually and sadly, no. With running the business and dealing with kid stuff, we lose track of a lot of the wine world outside of Oregon. So, one Saturday when the kids were napping I grabbed a year’s worth of back issues of Wine Spectator, Wines & Vines and Wine Business Monthly, determined to get through as many as possible. So I spent two glorious hours reading about the leading wineries from South Africa, the new boutique producers in Santa Barbara, the research and technological breakthroughs… I felt reconnected, savvy, in the know.

That night, my two year old had a bout of nightmares, waking up every two hours screaming for me (and smacking Scott away with a “No! I want mama!” when he answered the call instead of me). The next day in the Tasting Room a guy asked me if I knew the origins of syrah. I had just read about that the day before, and I could FEEL my brain trying to make the connections to where it had stored away that info. All I could think of was “Croatia” but even as I said that I knew it wasn’t right. (I was, or rather, my brain, was confusing syrah with zinfandel). He said, “Iran! It originated in Shiraz, Persia!”

Right, right, right, it all clicked in! Round about 600 BC or so some fellow is alleged to have “borrowed” some samples of this wonderful vine and smuggled them into what is now France and the rest is history. But later that night as I was reading an article by the brilliant Dr. Carole Meredith of UC Davis, I learned that her genetic testing showed that the varietal actually originated in the Rhone Valley. Oh well. The result is still the same – that’s one tasty grape!

There are two distinct styles of syrah: cool weather climate syrah and warm weather climate syrah. You can try them both for yourself in our tasting room – both display the classic characteristics of their style.

Our Volcano Vineyards 2004 Syrah is the cool climate syrah – the vineyard sits at 1600 feet, a high, cool spot in the Rogue Valley, challenging since some years the grapes never fully ripen. 2004 was a great year, steady warmth and more heat days than usual. As you’d expect in a cool climate syrah, ours is lower in alcohol – the grapes don’t get as ripe, so the sugar levels don’t get as high. Simply put, the fermentation of the sugars is what determines your alcohol level. Other classic cool weather syrah characteristics include blueberry and floral aromas, with cherry and plum flavors. It is more subtle and complex and is the syrah most Pinot noir lovers can appreciate.

Zerba’s 2004 Syrah is a classic warm weather syrah – the heat creates riper grapes, higher sugar levels, and the wine checks in at 14.85% alcohol. But, it has a nice backbone to support that higher alcohol so it doesn’t overwhelm your taste buds. Other classic warm weather syrah characteristics the Zerba has include dark berries, tobacco, and the distinctive white pepper/spice undertones.

Both styles are the result of the grapes terroir - where they are grown, not just the soil, but the climate, the geography and everything else that affects their development. Which leads to our next topic - terroir.

No Flabby Wines

2007-04-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went out to dinner with some girlfriends – a crazy Thursday Moms Night Out. The girls always make me pick the wine for some reason, which, frankly, puts a lot of pressure on me. Everyone’s taste is so different, we’re lucky if we can agree on red or white. It was a “steak” kind of evening, so red it was, and I ordered a syrah out of the Columbia Valley. Well, the girls LOVED it. I didn’t. It was flabby, no backbone, no acidity, the classic “high alcohol fruit bomb.” It completely drowned out the flavors of the food I was trying to enjoy. Why a restaurant would put a wine like that, so UN-complimentary to food, on its wine list was beyond me.

A few days later I was in another Bend restaurant, one with a fantastic wine list. And there was that same syrah. I asked the owner about it, and he said it was their best selling red wine. I was stunned. When I mentioned that I thought it was completely un-food friendly he said, “True, but people don’t care.” And I thought, “Ah-ha!”

A big reason Scott and I moved to Bend 6 years ago from San Francisco was to slow down and enjoy life (although ironically we’re working more than ever now, but hopefully that will settle down someday!). The lifestyle we wanted was one where we could hike without worrying about beating bridge traffic or not have to put our bikes on the car before we could take a ride. To lose the commute, to not have to ride on MUNI, to be able to walk to work. And most of all, to have the ability to enjoy the here and now. That includes tasting and enjoying food and wine. Truly dining. Experiencing flavors.

So, why drink wine that destroys the flavors in the food you’re eating? Think about that, and next time we’ll talk about syrah specifically.

Wine Dinner at Volcano Vineyards

2007-03-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Sumptuous Spring Dinner in the Volcano Vineyards Tasting Room:
Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 7 pm

We had originally planned to do this dinner with a certain catering company who did our fall dinner in the Tasting Room back in October, but when I called them last Friday to finalize the menu, I was informed by their voice mail that they’d gone out of business. Sooooo, I made some mad phone calls and Incredible Edibles came through. We have a great menu planned – take a peek:

FIRST COURSE
Mixed Greens w/ mandarin oranges, toasted almonds and avocado
Bonne Chance Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Redwood Valley, California
I love sauvignon blanc; its crispness and earthiness are like spring in a glass. Woohoo! Cheesy vernal simile out of the way! Bonne Chance makes this from organic grapes. The wine is lush, fruity and will compliment the sweetness of the oranges and sesame dressing, while balancing the richness of the avocado with its crisp acidity.

SECOND COURSE
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers and Black Forest Ham, Fontina & Asparagus Flat Bread Squares
Volcano Vineyards Syrah 2004 Rogue Valley
Our syrah (you know, the one that got the GOLD MEDAL at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition) shines when paired with smoky, salty and bitter foods (ham, bacon, and greens like asparagus). Refined and sensual, the syrah has firm tannins and dark plum overtones with a hint of raspberry and flowers throughout. There are many syrahs out there right now that are all fruit and no backbone, and when paired with food, they bury all the flavors. The Volcano Vineyards Syrah is subtle and complex and lower in alcohol than the current fashion, which makes it very food friendly.

THIRD COURSE
Herb Crusted Tri Tip with a Volcano Vineyards Merlot shallot sauce and served with horseradish smashed red potatoes
Volcano Vineyards Merlot 2004 Rogue Valley
Admit it – you secretly like merlot. And our merlot will convert your friends, even if they take their wine advice from the drunk, unpublished writer in “Sideways.” Besides, he's FICTIONAL, for Pete's sake. Anyhoo - Polished, with smooth, controlled tannins, our Volcano Vineyards Merlot shows layers of spice and black cherry, jammy with hints of cocoa. It pairs well with savory foods like mushrooms, cured ham, parmesan cheese, seaweed, asparagus, most fish and meat. In other words, foods rich in umami, the elusive “fifth taste.”

DESSERT
Key lime Tart
Harris Bridge Pinot Gris Dessert Wine 2005 Willamette Valley
Pinot Gris has hints of citrus which are accented when paired with the Key lime tart. Both dessert, and dessert wine, are balances of acidity and sweetness. Modeled after the German Eisweins (aka Ice Wine), the wines of Harris Bridge are crafted by allowing the grapes to reach the optimal balance of sugars with acidity, then the grapes are picked, frozen and pressed. The resulting wine is more concentrated and lush – and more versatile – than the typical, sweety-sweet dessert wine. And how cool is it that they are doing something different in the Willamette Valley?

We have a few spaces left - call the Tatsing Room today to reserve your spot!
541.617.1102
www.volcanovineyards.com

Viognier at Volcano Vineyards

2007-03-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Viognier Flight Thursday March 29: five viogniers, tasty appetizers, only $10

Viognier: our favorite Rhone white! Both Chardonnay and Viognier share tropical fruit flavors and a creamy mouth-feel. Even with little or no wood aging, Viognier can be as full-bodied as an oaky Chardonnay, but has much more distinctive fruit character. It also has a typically deep golden color, and usually shows rich and intense flavors of Orange blossom, violet, honey aromas, apricot, peach, mango papaya, kiwi flavors, anise, mint, hay, and tobacco. It’s a fun white you can pair with spicy or stongly-flavored foods: Thai, Mexican, Chinese cuisine, and our favorite match - blue cheese. Check out the five featured wines in our flight:

Abacela Winery Viognier 2005, Southern Oregon: Grapes are from both the Umpqua and the Applegate Valleys in southern Oregon. Whole cluster processing, fermentation in 100% stainless steel. These guys are detail oriented and methodical. Just check out Abacela’s website for the “weather” page – they monitor EVERYTHING – heat index, wind, sunrise, sunset, barometric pressure… which reminds me, did you know that 25% of all meteorologists in the US earned their bachelor degrees at Penn State? Amazing. But, I digress… Ah, let’s see, rose petal, honeysuckle and peach aromatics, mango and banana(!!!) finished off with a hint of wood. I picked up hints of coconut and pineapple on the nose (not quite a piña colada, but pleasantly reminiscent of it) with a light mouth-feel and a crisp finish.

Tertulia Cellars: 2005 Viognier - Columbia Valley, Washington: The name of this new Walla Walla winery means “a social gathering of friends.” The 2005 viognier is their first white release. It contains 22% rousanne, another Rhone varietal valued for its crisp acidity. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed - that is a gentler process that extracts flavor from the fruit of the grape, not the stems, seeds and skins as happens with traditional crushing. Fermentation occurred in 74% stainless steel and 26% neutral French oak, partial malolactic fermentation (the process that turns bitter malic acid into the softer lactic acid). Tertulia’s tasting notes indicate we should experience floral aromas, with pineapple, peach and apricot flavors, a smooth mouth-feel and balanced acidity. I got green apple and honey on the nose, tropical up-front fruit, a rich mouth-feel (from the ML, I would assume), melon, kiwi and pineapple flavors and a clean finish.

Roxyann Winery: 2005 Viognier - Rogue Valley, Oregon: Roxyann’s Winemaker, Gus Janeway, is our consulting winemaker. His guidance has been invaluable! Gus is generally considered to be a master of red wines, so let’s see how he does with a white. Roxyann’s tasting notes suggest a floral nose with pineapple, guava, and spiced lemon zest throughout. The promise is of a rich and luscious warm weather viognier. It has less of a traditional viognier nose: no floral aromas, but I got hints of honey and pink grapefruit, but I was definitely reminded of chardonnay. Crisp up front with a smooth finish, green apple and key lime flavors. A good option for a weightier white for the ABC-ers.

Cougar Crest Winery: 2005 Viognier – Walla Walla, Washington: Estate grown, 100% viognier Cougar Crest tells us to look for floral and citrus aromas on the nose, followed by pear, pineapple, grapefruit and melon with a honey finish. The Wine Spectator gave this an 88, stating that it feels - and I am not making this up - “raw, offering ear and green peach aromas.” I have no idea what an ear aroma might be, and I couldn’t detect anything I would call “ear aroma” so... Also very chardonnay-like in weight and mouth-feel.

Valley View Winery: 2005 Viognier – Southern Oregon: This winery was established in 1972, and they are known as “the Rogue Valley’s premiere winery.” Their Anna Maria wines are considered their “reserve” line – they only produce these wines when the vintage merits. This Viognier has a heavenly nose - flowers, tropical fruit, melon, with nicely balanced acidity. ‘The Oregonian’ declared, "It will be hard to find a better Viognier anywhere." I love it; I think its flavor profile is the most viognier-ish of the flight. Scott feels it is a bit thin. What do YOU think?

Join us next Thursday!

Volcano Vineyards Premiere Blog

2007-03-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is something Scott and I have been meaning to do for months. So here it is. We'll focus on what's happening not only in the Volcano Vineyards Tasting Room, but our wine production, events we're doing (and have done) and adventures in small business ownership, and wine industry stuff.

The most common questions we get: "What do you mean, calling yourselves a 'micro-winery'?" Simple answer to that - a "small" winery is one producing under 50,000 cases of wine per year. For vintage 2006, our production in just under 1,000 cases. If that doesn't qualify us as "micro," I don't know what would. Secondly, our business model is similar to the one used by Jim Koch when he first created his Samuel Adams Boston Lager commercially - he made the beer at a brewery in Pittsburgh, PA. They had excess capacity; he wanted to make beer without having to folk over millions to build a production facility. For now, we produce our wines at Foothill Winery in Medford, Oregon. Once our production gets high enough, we are planning on opening a facility right here in Bend. Wish we could do it now, but we are too small and too poor!

Our Tasting Room is located at 930 NW Brooks Street in downtown Bend - we are between The Pine Tavern and Hans back patio. Upcoming events:
Thursday, March 22 6:30 pm: Live music from The Quons
Thursday, March 29 4 pm to close: Viognier Tasting Flight - five Pacific Northwest Viogniers and tasty appetizers, only $10/person
Thursday, April 5 7 pm: Four course wine dinner $45/person
Thursday, April 26 6:30 pm: Live Jazz
Thursday, May 17 6:30 pm: Live music from KouseFly

Visit our website for more info: www.volcanovineyards.com or call: 541.617.1102

Thanks!

Liz