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

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

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

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

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

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

Latest Reviews

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

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

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

Two of our wines made the list.

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

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

Crush is Coming!

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

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

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

WOW, what a week for wine!

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Broken Window

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

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

Why we close the Tasting Lounge at 5 pm

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. By closing at 5, the tasting room is available for private parties. We have just a $25 per hour room fee and a $150 per hour minimum of wine sales. Bring in your own food, or have it catered. We can accommodate up to 35 people inside – even more if it is warm enough to use our outside space, or up to 20 for a sit down dinner inside, plus seats for an extra 12 outside, again, weather permitting (for dinners, service is extra). Call or email for more info: 541-617-1102 info@VolcanoVineyards.com

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

Squashing a rumor...

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.