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.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
I'm serious - it's not Sirius!
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
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
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Yea Syrah Syrah
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.
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.
Monday, April 9, 2007
No Flabby Wines
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Wine Dinner at Volcano Vineyards
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
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
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Viognier at Volcano Vineyards
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!
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!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Volcano Vineyards Premiere Blog
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
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
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