What's a WineWonk?

Wine Blogs by Wonk

Footer

Recent Blogs

Footer

Wine Articles by Blog

Footer
Write about Wine. Read about Life. WineWonks, the Wine Blog Community.

Willamette Valley Vineyards    Friends

The Tricks of the Trade with Daniel, our Cellar Master!

Date: Tue, Apr 13, 2010 Winery Blogs

Daniel Shepherd, our Cellar Master, teaches us the tricks of the trade when topping off barrels.


Read Full Wine Blog Post

Bud Break 2010

Date: Tue, Apr 13, 2010 Winery Blogs

Chelsea Brittan, our Viticulturist, talks about this year's bud break:

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc- Coming Soon!

Date: Tue, Apr 13, 2010 Winery Blogs

Very exciting news reposted from our Direct Sales Manager, Becky Rochester's blog, I was born with a suitcase in my hand: wine adventures around the world, on the soon-to-be Sauvignon Blanc planting at Tualatin Estate!


Watch out New Zealand, there is a new competitor coming your way! Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Willamette Valley AVA of Oregon. You betcha. It may be 3-5 years away from being in the bottle, but the buzz has already started. I will be documenting this project from start to finish. Watch for videos, pictures and postings on this blog to see the progress of Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc from "still deciding on a name" Vineyard.

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Finds from the Field: with Erik

Date: Thu, Apr 8, 2010 Winery Blogs

Our National Sales Team are BUSY people traveling the country (and world) experiencing some very special food and drink treasures. I love hearing their stories, so this is the first blog post in a series highlighting some of their favorite restaurants, people, places from the field.

Who better to start us off than Erik McLaughlin, our National Sales Director!

IDAHO- Bardenay was America’s first Micro-Distillery/Restaurant. They now have two locations in the Boise area and one in the Northern resort town of Coeur d’Alene. Of course, one must start the evening with a signature cocktail made from their house distilled Gin, Rum, or Vodka, but wine is no second thought for these lovers of the spirits. Owner Kevin Settles and Wine Director Cindy Limber have produced one of the Northwest’s best wine lists with many selections of outstanding Oregon wines. www.bardenay.com

MONTANA- In 1919 Alfred Heimer, Buffalo Bill Cody’s Chef, opened The Rex Hotel and Restaurant in Billings, Montana with the financial backing of his previous employer. For the past 91 years, The Rex has been the place for great food, cold beer, and fine wine in Montana. www.therexbillings.com

WYOMING- August Spier and Alan Hirschfield have created not only a landmark restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at their Snake River Grill, but along with Executive Chef Jeff Drew they are offering some of the best Rustic Fine Dining you will find in America. Make sure to enjoy a glass of Willamette Valley Riesling, that they pour when you order my favorite entrée, Jeff’s immaculately executed pan seared Steelhead Salmon served with house made Dumplings. www.snakerivergrill.com

UTAH- The Goldener Hirsch, located mid-mountain in Deer Valley, Utah, is where those in the know stay when they come to ski of the best snow on earth. You don’t have to stay overnight though to indulge a little at the restaurant at Goldener Hirsch. While there, make sure to enjoy a bit of Oregon with our Whole Cluster Pinot Noir which is served by the Glass. www.goldenerhirschinn.com

COLORADO- Great skiing, high fashion, and superb sushi are the calling cards of Aspen, Colorado. Takah Sushi is the underground hot spot for sushi frequented by the local cognoscenti and tourists alike. Skip the Sapporo when you go to Takah Sushi though, as their sommelier, Kian Loo, has assembled an outstanding wine list, prominently featuring many Oregon wines, and he knows how to pair them with the best sushi from the sea. www.takahsushi.com

CALIFORNIA- Andaz in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter is a gorgeous kaleidoscope of architecture, history, and San Diego culture. Enjoy some of the world’s finest wines, including ours, served by the taste, half-glass, or full-glass in their “Ivy Wine Bar” from their 88 selection wine preservation/dispensing system. Then head up to the “Ivy Rooftop” to enjoy a beautiful sunset and San Diego’s legendary weather before heading back down to dance the night away in the “Ivy Nightclub” with all the beautiful people of San Diego. www.sandiego.andaz.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/

What do you think about Erik's picks? Have a place you think Erik should check out? Leave a comment!

Read Full Wine Blog Post

IPNC Announces Featured Wineries!

Date: Thu, Apr 8, 2010 Winery Blogs


Each year the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) unites Pinot devotes together in Oregon wine country to enjoy Pinot Noir from around the world and to savor Northwest cuisine.

This morning, IPNC announced this year's Featured Wineries:

"And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…photos and biographies of this year’s IPNC Featured Wineries are ready for your viewing pleasure. Don’t miss the chance to spend a weekend dining and drinking with these dynamic and talented Pinot producers."

We are one of the 60 wineries in the world to make the list! Congratulations to all selected wineries! We are truly honored to be among such quality producers.

The three day celebration takes place July 23-25, 2010 in McMinnville, Oregon. Tickets are available and are sold on a first come, first served basis.

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Bike Ride and Hill Climb Challenge!

Date: Tue, Apr 6, 2010 Winery Blogs

We are hosting our first annual Willamette Valley Vineyards Bike Ride and Hill Climb Challenge!


Enjoy a scenic 50, 25, or 10 mile bike ride through the beautiful central Willamette Valley on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Ride times start at 8:00 a.m. (50 mile), 9:00 a.m. (25 mile) and 10:00 a.m. (10 mile) at Cloverdale Elementary School located at 9666 Parrish Gap SE Turner, OR. Finish the day at the winery enjoying Willamette Valley Vineyards' delicious and sustainable wines accompanied by an incredible fajita buffet (vegetarian options available).

Registration is $30 and includes ride, souvenir t-shirt, wine tasting, Riedel wine glass, lunch, coupons and discounts, support vehicle and staff, prizes and bragging rights. An extra prize will be awarded to riders who ride their bike up our infamous hill for the Hill Climb Challenge. Guests are welcome for wine tasting lunch at an additional charge that can be purchased online or at the door the day of the event. Space is limited to first 200 registrants. Please register online at www.wvv.com.

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Riesling is Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Week"!

Date: Tue, Apr 6, 2010 Winery Blogs

Just in time to compliment Spring meals, our 2008 Riesling is Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Week"!

Wine Spectator writes: "Light and refreshing, a delicate style that hides its sweetness with lively acidity, playing its lemon and grapefruit flavors artfully." (89 points)


Enjoy a glass yourself!

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Cork ReHarvest Expands to All Whole Foods Locations!

Date: Tue, Apr 6, 2010 Winery Blogs

Article from Sustainable Business Oregon:

Whole Foods expands use of Oregon-based recycling program

Whole Foods Markets announced Tuesday that it will expand an Oregon wine cork-recycling pilot program to all of its 292 locations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Whole Foods is working with the Salem-based nonprofit Cork ReHarvest to collect wine corks and recycle them. Cork ReHarvest spun out of Willamette Valley Vineyards in 2008.

Starting this month, Whole Foods stores will collect corks from customers for the program. Cork ReHarvest has established partnerships with recyclers across the country to take the cork and reuse it.


West Coast corks will be sent to Western Pulp in Corvallis where they will be used in recyclable wine-shipping containers. In the Midwest, the corks go to Yemm & Hart, maker of cork floor tiles. East Coast and UK corks will go to Jelinek Cork Group to be used in a variety of products.

Why recycle cork? Patrick Spencer, Cork ReHarvest’s director and sole employee said there are many misconceptions about cork.

“Thirteen billion wine corks are produced each year,” Spencer said. “Eight billion of those come to the U.S. and 99 percent of them end up in landfills.”

Alternative closures don’t make a good showing either. Screw tops aren’t recyclable in the United States while fake corks are made with petroleum products, Spencer said. Cork is harvested through an environmentally friendly process every nine years.

“There are a number of different opportunities with recycled cork,” Spencer said. “This is an industry that’s in its infancy.”

Cork ReHarvest is getting a boost from Whole Foods Markets which tested the program last year in Portland and Seattle stores.

“We received an incredibly positive response. We’re doing about 100 to 120 pounds per week,” said Erez Klein, wine buyer for the Whole Foods Pacific Northwest stores. “That’s pretty impressive given how light cork is and how long it takes for people initiate new habits.”

Read Full Wine Blog Post

A "Corky" Experience!

Date: Fri, Apr 2, 2010 Winery Blogs

Here is the SWEETEST letter received from Jen Smith of Portland, Oregon. Jen brought in 55.5 lbs. of cork to the Better Living Show to be recycled, but what Jen proves in her letter is how special wine (and corks) can be in our lives.


March 27, 2010

Dear Willamette Valley Vineyards,

Corks! Corks! Corks! Where do I begin... My family and friends are extremely excited that I'm giving away my cork collection that I started collecting in 1997 with the idea of creating a cork filled wall that I could pin things to. I wanted to cover an entire wall with corks so I started saving and asked friends to save their corks for me too. I could not believe how many people just threw away their corks like a piece of garbage. It seems like something so easy to save and use for something else! I've made cork boards, cork wreaths, and cork trivets. I've used corks for garden and yard projects, you name it and I've used corks for it. For a while there, I was definitely known as the 'crazy cork lady.'

I have moved 9 times since I started my collection. I've had them in storage. I've moved all around Oregon. These corks have come with me like a treasure box filled with memories over the years. Some are from special dinners, some from traveling to far away places, and some just from dinner at home with friends and family.

As I was cleaning up the basement staring at boxes I've been hauling around for well over a decade, I started thinking perhaps it is time to give them away to scrap or some school that may be able to make something with them and then I came across this contest and knew right away this was it!

I'm absolutely thrilled with the idea that all my memories bound up in these corks will soon be made into another product that will be used by other people to help create new memories.

Cheers!

Jen Smith
Portland, OR

Thank you Jen for sharing your "corky" experience with us!


Read Full Wine Blog Post

Food and Wine Pairings for your Easter meal!

Date: Fri, Apr 2, 2010 Winery Blogs

I have come up with the perfect food and wine pairings for your Easter meal!

For the main course...

2008 Reisling- The subtle sweetness of our Riesling pairs beautifully with the salty and savory nature of ham and it's crisp acidity makes it quite cleansing.


While picking through your children's Easter baskets...


2007 Founders' Reserve Pinot Noir- This silky Pinot Noir has sweet aromas and flavors of raspberries and red cherries with hints of cocoa and toast, a great match to a Cadbury Creme Egg.
2007 Quinta Reserva Pinot Noir Port Style- The intense flavors of cherry and raspberry with overlays of bakers' chocolate and spice create a delightful combination with a chocolate Easter bunny!
2009 Tualatin Estate Semi-Sparkling Muscat- Nothing like a mouth full of bubbly sugar!


Our Tasting Room is open 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. We would be happy to entertain guests you have in town!

ENJOY!

Read Full Wine Blog Post

How They Won a Trip to Portugal!

Date: Fri, Apr 2, 2010 Winery Blogs

Watch and listen to how Tom Owen and Luci Wisniewski collected 202.1 lbs. of cork in 30 years! They brought all their cork to the Better Living Show and won a trip to experience the cork forests of Portugal.

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Cork is Taking Them to Portugal!

Date: Thu, Apr 1, 2010 Winery Blogs

Congratulations to Tom Owen and Luci Wisniewski of Salem, Oregon for winning the trip to the Portugal cork forests by bringing in the most cork to recycle at the Engery Trust Better Living Show! They bought in 202.1 pounds of cork that they have been collecting for over thirty years!


As the first winery in the world to be certified by the Rainforest Alliance for using 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified cork, we were also the first winery to launch a cork recycling program (Cork ReHarvest) of this kind- one with zero increase to its carbon footprint.

Over 1,000 lbs.of cork was collected at the three day show and has already been delivered to Western Pulp to be recycled.

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Statesman Journal Best of the Mid-Valley

Date: Tue, Mar 30, 2010 Winery Blogs

We are nominated for SIX "Best of the Mid-Valley" awards this year presented by The Statesman Journal! Vote for us daily in these categories:

Entertainment:
Best Winery
Best Annual Event- Mo's Crab & Chowder Festival
Best Place to Bring Out of Town Guests
Best Place to Propose Marriage
Best Wedding Venue

Food & Drink:
Best Place to Buy Wine

Last year we were honored by winning the Best Winery Category and we would love to duplicate it! :)

Read Full Wine Blog Post

Q & A with our Winemaker, Forrest!

Date: Tue, Mar 30, 2010 Winery Blogs

A couple weeks ago I asked our facebook fans if they had any questions for our winemakers. Sure enough questions poured in! Our head winemaker, Forrest Klaffke, answered them below.

Q & A with Forrest Klaffke


Brian Shapiro: I read recently about" Carbonic Maceration" being used on red wine in certain parts of Rioja. My winery does what Tim calls "Extended Maceration." Would the only difference between these two be the lack of a CO2 atmosphere in the latter? Also, what unique fermentations does Forrest do to get some of those tasty Pinot's my sis keeps sending me!!

Forrest: They are different types of fermentation. Carbonic maceration is a dry fermentation (absence of oxygen) allowing the fermentation to be intra-berry, similar to the way Beaujolais is made . All berries are still whole. Extended maceration is when they keep the macerated berries in the new wine after fermentation.

Darla Alders Turk: How do you ferment a cluster of gapes? That 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir was great.

Forrest: Add yeast, fermentation is a natural process like making bread.

Gayla O’Brien: Does Forrest or Willamette Valley Vineyards sell that yummy port he makes?

Forrest: I make it, Willamette Valley Vineyards sells it. I started making port style wines in 1982. In 1985 and 1986 I made port from black Muscat of Hamburg. I started making port from Pinot Noir in 1993. The latest vintage, 2007 Quinta Reserva Pinot Noir Port Style, is available in the Tasting Room. My latest port creation, a tawny port, has been aging for seven years and will hopefully be released within the year.

Lee Valentine: Do aged red wines, like the 2001/2002 Griffin Creek Syrah, always have sediments? Should I expect the same with my Signature Cuvée Pinot Noir?

Forrest: Sediment isn’t always found in the Signature Cuvée Pinot Noir, but possibly. In the Syrah it is expected. Many higher-end wines are unfiltered and minimally processed for more flavor.

Terrie Pearson-Holvey: I'm a little confused about the aging process of reds, how long is good for some and how long is to long for others, can you break it down for me please?

Forrest: Well, generally most wines at release will tend to improve with some aging. Usually the more expensive the wine, the more age-worthy it will be. Since I don’t know all wines, I can’t give a good answer, but the best way is to buy several bottles, drink one now, one in a year, and one in 2-7 years for a Pinot Noir or 2-10 years for a Cabernet Sauvignon and evaluate. At Willamette Valley Vineyards, we include peak drinkability on our back labels, which is very helpful.

Eric Neutzling: Why does Willamette Valley ferment with carbonic maceration when they claim to sell high quality Pinot Noir? Is it because they figure nobody will know the difference?

Forrest: Our Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir is done with carbonic maceration. It is a century-old technique used in the Beaujolais area of France. It is a dry, oxygen-free fermentation atmosphere that produces a unique and fruity Pinot Noir. We use many other old-world winemaking techniques (e.i. Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs).

If you have a burning question post it below in the comments our on our facebook page and I will get it answered for you!

Read Full Wine Blog Post


Friends of Winewonks

Wine Spectator Online

#1 Online Wine Store

Manage Your Cellar

PokerStars Bonus Code

PokerStars Marketing Code

Check out some More Wonks Blog Communities!

Whether you like Baseball Blogs, Basketball Blogs, Beer Blogs, Car Blogs, Football Blogs, Poker Blogs, Wine Blogs....there is a Wonks Community you will enjoy!

WineWonks.com is owned and operated by Dimat Enterprises.


More about Dimat
"Dimat" is a major Poker Book publisher, with a popular Poker Forum, which originated from the book Internet Texas Holdem, by Matthew Hilger. Internet Poker Rankings tracks the top online poker players. Poker Bonos Gratis was designed to bring Free Poker Gifts to the Spanish Speaking Market.