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!
Showing posts with label Bend Oregon winery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bend Oregon winery. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Friday, September 3, 2010
Our Bend Winery Opening October 2010!
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!
Monday, March 29, 2010
'06 Merlot Review from Wine Press Northwest
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/
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/
Friday, February 12, 2010
Cake Good!
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Viogn-yea!
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
January Madness
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...
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...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
How to Enjoy the Tasting Lounge
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?
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?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
October 2009 Volcano News
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
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
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Another View from Brooks Street, Part 2
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!
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!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Another View From Brooks Street
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/
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/
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Blah Blah Blog
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.
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.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Double Double Gold
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!
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!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Why we close the Tasting Lounge at 5 pm
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Squashing a rumor...
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.
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.
Friday, December 7, 2007
December Sale Item Tasting Notes
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 Ros̩ РSan 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.
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 Ros̩ РSan 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.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
More Dirt on Soil... part 2
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!
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!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Tasting Notes for our Mini-Sale Items
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.
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.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Stress Case? Relax!
Well, we blew threw eight cases of Relax Riesling this week. I guess the price was right! And now it is gone, but fear not – it you want more, we will gladly order it for you, by the case, at $8 per bottle (as long as the distributor keeps the price the same).
Members of The Order of the Volcano should remember that we will always order wines we do not normally carry for you by the case from the distributors and only charge 10% over cost. AND we will deliver to you in Central Oregon. That’s quite a deal, with some great service on top of it!
But back to the Relax issue. We are no longer going to stock it since it doesn’t really fit with what we are doing in the Tasting Lounge. When we first opened, just over a year ago, we only had two wines released – our Merlot and our Syrah. So we carry wines from other small producers to round out our offerings. We now have four wines, and are finding that most folks who have come in this summer are pretty much only interested on our wines.
We will continue to carry other unique and boutique wines from artisan wineries – these will generally be wines no one else carries, since we buy directly from the producers who are usually friends of ours. Relax is a German wine from a HUGE producer. Ordering a few cases is no big deal, and we are happy to do it. All you have to do is ask!
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!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Yer Outta Here!
I know our hours of operation have seemed inconsistent and non-committal in the past. Much of that has to do with our trying to find optimal hours of operation, coupled with the fact that we are a three person team, and two of us are trying to run the rest of the business plus raise our two and four year old boys. But now that the Tasting Lounge has been open for just over a year we fell like we are hitting the balance, so we decided to abandon the wishy-washy “noon to close” and firm up our hours. Going forward this summer we will be open at 11:30 daily, closing at 6 on Sunday and Monday and 8:30 Wednesday to Saturday. We will remain “by appointment only” on Tuesdays.
The closing times probably seem early to some. But, a few Friday nights ago I had to “refuse service” to two gentleman who came into the Tasting Lounge around 9:30. The first clue that things were amiss was when one of them threw money at me and said, “Just give me a bottle of some sh$t red wine,” to which I responded, “I’m sorry but we don’t have any sh$t red wine here.”
They then seated themselves in the front window and I sat next to one of them and explained to them that I was not comfortable serving them as they had obviously had a great deal to drink before coming here and that I was going to have to ask them to leave. And one fellow said, “Oh, well, don’t you speak so nicely! Aren’t you just soooo polite.” Perhaps they would have felt more comfortable if I had begun swearing and threatening them, but I get the feeling that no matter what I would have said or how I would have approached it, these guys were hoping to cause a scene.
Then they started on the whole, “We’re just working guys, trying to relax after a hard day,” and then made some vague accusations that if diners from Deep were to want some wine I would welcome them with open arms. As I continued to herd them out the door I explained that if some patrons from Deep came into that Tasting Room I would be more than happy to serve them unless they, too, were visibly intoxicated in which case I would also ask them to leave. Then came the “rich a$$h*les” comments as they continued down the street.
Ironically, those two guys probably have more money at their disposal than Scott and I do. We haven’t gotten a paycheck in almost two years and we’ve poured not only our hearts and souls into Volcano Vineyards, but all of our savings as well (not to mention mounds of debt). That particular day I started working at 5 a.m. and it was after 9:30 p.m. that I threw them out. This year Scott and I have had a total of five days off. So we don’t have a lot of patience for this attitude.
This is not the first time we have had some self-pitying, intoxicated individuals come into the Tasting Lounge. The common thread is that these incidents always happen after the sun goes down. So after discussing this most recent episode, Scott and I reminded ourselves that we are not a bar. This is the Tasting Lounge for our winery. We want folks to be able to join us for a glass of wine after work or before heading out to dinner and, most importantly, to be able to enjoy their time with us. Having us act as bouncers is not fun for anyone.
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.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Show Me Something Different
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!
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!
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