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To make a reservation please contact Jeff Knapp at 503-565-2308
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June 16, 2011
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March 14, 2011
October 06, 2010
Harvest has officially started this week in the Willamette Valley! Lots of propane cannon booms going off to keep those pesky birds from competing for the sweet loot. Sunshine predicted for the balance of the week, so get out there and taste something. Latest heart throb of mine is the Angela Pinot Noir 2008, which you can find in Carlton right downtown at the Folin Winery Tasting Room or online. Angela is produced by a Kentucky couple and Ken Wright is the winemaker. www.angelapinotnoir.com This is a big, juicy pinot noir that's very special at $50, but worth it for an anniversary, to give as a special gift or to tuck some bottles back in your cellar. Sold in single bottles or a six-pack (10% discount off a 6 pack and 15% off a case when I bought mine at Folin.) Some 2007 still available; 2006 is sold out. Small production so check it out soon.
July 27, 2010
Carlton's Walk in the Park July 31 and August 1, 2010
I sent an email to a friend recently about Carlton's annual Walk In the Park event. It's a great local weekend in the cute town of Carlton with wine, food, art and old cars. There's hardly anything missing here! www.carltonswalkinthepark.com Don't miss it. And here's the rest of my email about places to stop by over the weekend (many wineries will be featured at the event.) We'll have a 1967 Corvette 427 convertible to show at the event; stop by and say "hi".
Some of my favorite wineries:
ADEA -- Gaston Dean and Ann Fisher; Dean is a pioneer in the area and a character!
Twelve -- new tasting room in McMinnville (but they are out in Gaston as well; open by appointment).
Anderson Family Vineyard, off 240, near Newberg (open by appointment). Lovely owners.
Steep slopes; deep roots. Drop-dead view site.
Winderlea in the Dundee Hills -- another great view from a very "green", interesting building. A first-ever rose' out this year, which is tasty!
Styring Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge Road, Newberg (open by appointment but very flexible). Top of the hill view. Couple from TX and their two kids; family owned and run.
Lenne' Estate in Yamhill - unique proprietors and view; ancient sedimentary soil produces black fruit flavors and rich textures: unusual. I love their smoky 2007 pinot noirs.
Biggies not to be missed: Domaine Serene, Domain Drouhin Oregon (known as DDO around here), Archery Summit
In Carlton at the Carlton Winemakers Studio (an incubator for smaller start-up wineries or limited producers) is probably my most favorite right now: Brittan Vineyards. Robert Brittan made Stag's Leap wine in CA for 16 years, plus time at two other great wineries. He's a 30-year veteran. And he helps Mo Ayoub make his wine, too. Also the winemaker for Winderlea. Mo has 4 acres in Dundee and has very special pinot noir. Tasting Room Manager at the Studio is Jeff Woodard who is warm, approachable and extremely knowledgeable. His sister, he will tell you proudly, makes her wine out of the Studio: Retour Expensive, old vines but new on the market and getting lots of press lately.
Most all of these smaller names are primarily pinot noir producers, but Oregon produces lovely pinot gris, and a good deal of chardonnay (much of it low oaked or no oak). I especially love pinot noir rose' and this time of year and there are lots of choices right now.
Trisaetum Winery on Ribbon Ridge Road near Newberg has a lovely art gallery with deck facing the sun and award-winning Reisling.
Too much fantastic wine; way too little time!
July 25, 2010
Rose' tastings prove fruitful for fashion show event.
Three selections have been made to serve to our lucky and well-deserving guests attending the August 7 lunch, rose' tasting and fashion show at AgriVino. www.agrivino.com Click on Dinners and Events and then the August 7 date. Some tickets are still available -- $55 all inclusive of lunch, three rose' wines, fashion show, gratuity and free drawings for jewelry and fashion items.
From ADEA www.adeawine.com, we will pour the 2009 Katulla Sunshine Rose'. "The light red color of this complex rose' catches glints of the summer sun and holds them just for you. Signature pinot noir flavors of strawberry, cranberry and a bit of earthiness and even a bit of spice on the long, dry finish. The wine is perfectly balanced with very playful acids and a nice viscosity that creamy without being heavy in the mouth." 250 cases produced. $20 bottle.
Carlton Cellars www.carltoncellars.com will provide their Agate Beach 2009 Rose'. "Bright, pale ruby-pink. Medium-intense, youthful aromas are of strawberry, raspberries and rhubarb. The wine is dry, with medium+ to high acidity, low tannin, medium body, and medium length. Medium-intense flavors are of rhubarb crisp, green strawberry, and red current candies. 192 cases produced. $17 bottle.
A first-production rose' for Winderlea Vineyard and Winery www.winderlea.com will round out the treats. The "2009 Winderlea Rose' of Pinot Noir was made intentionally from a venerable block of their estate own rooted Wadensvil planted 1974! The blend is complemented by a 10-year old block of Dijon 777. Together they create a fun summer wine with a serious pedigree. We find bright tropical fruits, citrus and Mexican orange blossom on the palate with great acidity and lively finish. Drink now through 2012. 90 cases produced. $20 bottle
June 18, 2010
Rose' wine tasting, lunch event with modeled fashions!
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It's Time for a "Pink Me Up" on Saturday, August 7, 2010! | |||||
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Last of the total of 48 tickets are available!! No unpaid tickets are being held. Purchase online at: http://abbeyroadfarm.com/agrivino/Aug7.html | |||||
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June 14, 2010
May 8, 2010 Winemaker Dinner with Joe Dobbes
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Lenne' Estate Stop Hit the Spot
[originally posted 4/4/2010] On a recent cold, rainy and windy Saturday I muscled out of my warm and cozy house for a little wine touring. I had the foresight to head out Highway 240 from Newberg toward Yamhill for a stop at Lenne' Estate. One lone car was in the parking lot as I pulled into it on this gray day. Heading into the tasting room, a couple were heading out -- aimed for lunch at Jory at The Allison and hopefully near the fireplace, they said. Winemaker Steve Lutz, the sole person in the tasting room, greeted me and my husband warmly and offered up his $5 pinot tasting. We three sipped, spoke of terroir and bud break and checked out the soil sample prominently displayed. Lenns predominate soil type is peavine, Steve told us, a nutrient poor soil which produces small clusters and berries. The resulting wines have a concentrated mid palate and long finish, with black cherry and mineral components in the nose.
In no time at all the day was warmed and lightened by the tasting of these wonderful offerings and I was glad I'd ventured out. Lenne' Estate are producers of handcrafted, estate grown Oregon Pinot Noir. This Oregon Pinot Noir comes from their small 20.9 acre vineyard near the town of Yamhill, Oregon, in the Yamhill-Carlton District. Their winemaking style is minimalist, taking advantage of the profound flavors produced by this unique Pinot Noir vineyard. Lenne' Estate's first two Pinot Noirs were released under the LeNez label and are sold out. They have released their fourth Pinot Noir under this label, the 2007 LeNez Pinot Noir which is 100% estate fruit. They have also released the 2007 Lenn Estate label, the Karens Pommard Pinot Noir and just sold out of the Jills 115 Pinot Noir under this label. All the wines under the Lenn Estate label represent the best barrels from the vineyard in each vintage. We went home with a 2007 Lenne' Estate label and a newly released 2008 Lenne' Estate Sad Jack 777, which I found to be the most interesting of the offerings. We took the 2007 Lenne' Estate label to dinner that night, meeting friends at the new SubTerra Restaurant in Newberg. www.subterrarestaurant.com (Which was excellent and reasonable.) Lenne' Estate's shallow soil, dense spacing and diverse clones (Pommard, 115, 114, 777 and 667) all lend to the fine wine produced on this beautiful vineyard. The tasting room architecture is French inspired and a joy to behold on the Estate hilltop. Can't wait to come back when the sun is shining; I'll be sitting on the deck and back for some more exceptional pinot noir. www.lenneestate.com
