Portland Wine

A Blog for Clients, Customers, and Wine Geeks everywhere.

       We truly admire and trust many wine critics, but this month we encourage you to buck the trend and ignore the critics. In an age of vintage charts and shelf-talkers, finding the right wine can be a difficult task. Much of the wine-buying public defers to these professional palates that dictate their tastes to the masses. We think the critics sometimes miss the point. Good winemakers in underrated vintages can make sublime wines, Oregon’s 2007 vintage being the perfect example. The ’08 vintage has seen fanfare worthy of a Hollywood diva while the ’07’s have largely received shrugs and indifference. Our side-by-side tasting revealed the unique merits of each, and while the ’08’s have real age-ability, the ’07’s are classically subtle and elegant. In this heyday of over-the-top cocktaily reds that overwhelm food, a moderate-alcohol wine like this month’s ’07 Brooks Oregon Pinot becomes an increasingly rare treat that whispers Old World sensibility: Wine was made to be drunk with food. Listen, we also appreciate cocktail wines of 15%, but at the right time, and in the right place…which is not next to our dinner of grilled salmon. So, don’t just jump on the bandwagon—trust your own palate.
       I believe that farming in this way, by keeping the earth alive and the ecosystem intact, is the only way to really achieve that concept of terroir. ~ Jimi Brooks 1966–2004
       Jimi Brooks started Brooks Winery in 1998. He passed away in 2004, prematurely at the age of 38, but he left a philosophical legacy about winemaking and viticulture that family and friends carry on today by continuing the winery in his name and honor. Jimi believed “that the quality of any wine comes from the care taken in the vineyard.” His winemaking philosophy was simple: Balance in both the vineyard and the resulting wines, and only organic and biodynamic farming. His philosophy really speaks in the Brooks 2007 Janus vintage of Pinot Noir. We feel this month’s Oregon Pinot Noir will give you a great appreciation for the subtleties of this elegant-styled Pinot from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Though the ’07s came in a little leaner, it resulted in a classically styled vintage.
       Speaking of trends, the latest rage in the U.S. these days is “un-oaked” Chardonnay. This must be amusing to the French because in Chablis it’s always just been that way. Here, our palates were trained to adapt to over-oaked, tropical-fruity, buttery-style California Chards, but in recent years, folks have finally tired of this total manipulation of the grape and are now starting to appreciate what the Burgundians have known and loved all along: a flinty, pure, mineral expression (of the mineral-laden land) that only an un-oaked Chardonnay from Chablis can deliver. Our white this month is from Petit Chablis, the lower region of Chablis, where you can experience the same style of crisp, lean, and refreshing Chardonnay at a fraction of the cost of the Grand Crus. Enjoy with shellfish, chicken, and cream-sauced pasta.

Recipe of the Month
Alder- or Cedar-smoked Salmon
The Native Americans smoked their salmon on cedar or alder wood planks, and this tradition continues every year at the Oregon Pinot Noir Festival. Both of our selections this month will pair well with the salmon.
Ingredients:
Untreated cedar plank large enough to accommodate your fish lemon slices
6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pat of butter Soy sauce to drizzle
Instructions:
Soak the untreated cedar or alder plank in water for 6 to 24 hours.
Preheat your outdoor grill for high heat. Place the plank on the grill and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 2–3 minutes, until dry. Remove the plank from the grill and adjust the grill settings for medium heat. Rub each fillet with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil and top with slices of lemon. Place the plank back on the grill at medium heat and cover the grill. Cook until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork at the thickest point. The exact cooking time will vary according to the thickness of your fillets. When fillet is almost done, brush with butter and drizzle soy sauce on top.

Wines

Frédéric Gueguen
Petit Chablis
100% Chardonnay
Region: Petit Chablis, France
Vintage: 2008
This wine comes from the low-lying areas of Chablis, the region of Petit Chablis, where the soil differs just slightly from its famous neighbor’s Grand Crus. It’s a great introduction for this type of “un-oaked” Chardonnay, which has many of the classic qualities, such as a floral aroma on the nose, a flinty-mineral palate and a crisp, tart lemon finish. Throw some oysters on the grill and enjoy! Organic.
Brooks
Janus
100% Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Vintage: 2007
Fear not the underrated ’07 Oregon Pinot Noirs. Though the ’08’s garnered all the hype, the ’07 vintage is what the original Oregon Pinot mavericks strived for. Bright, with good acidity and a soft cherry aroma, this lighter-style, elegant wine is true to its terroir without over-the-top extraction. The subtlety of this wine beckons to lighter fare such as chicken, grilled salmon, roast pork, and cream-sauced pastas.
Biodynamic.

 

I don’t normally blog about wine racks, but these are so cool and I think they will solve lots of peoples space issues.  They fit perfectly in Palet lockers at Portland Wine Storage or any confined space where extra storage is needed.  Thanks to our Welder and some tweaking of an older model we found great way to increase the capacity of a cellar.  Their ability to roll out of the way for easy access is key.

Oh yeah, anybody using the older model come see us and we will switch it out to this second improved version.

My wife and I have scheduled a week (7/17 through 7/23) in Williamette Valley for our 40th wedding anniversary. We will be staying in Newburg as our home base during the week. Was hoping some of the members could provide some advice.

Looking for places to enjoy lunch each day. Place or winery where we can enjoy a bottle of wine, good food and a nice view.
 

Any wine, wine tasting or wine dinner events open to the public.
 

Any other recommendations to make the trip as memorable as possible.  Must see wineries, etc..

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
 

Bob from Florida

May 2010 Newsletter

                                                                Romorantin!
This is what a French importer exclaimed as he strolled into our office. “Cool! Where did you get this wine?” (French-accented English perfected from years of hunting down obscure French wines and bringing them stateside.) And we agreed—it’s quite a find. We told him we were tasting it as a possible option for this month’s wine club. His distress at having none of it in his cache for us to sell made the decision for us. We love introducing obscure varietals from areas not commonly known, and this one takes the cake: Cour-Cheverny is an appellation created specifically for the one and only grape to come out of the region. This ancient vine has quite an interesting history. Thought to have been introduced by King Francis I of France (1494–1547), it’s a hybrid of Pinot Blanc and Gouias Blanc. The king, coming from the commune of Romorantin-Lathenay, suggests the name was thus created. This crossbreed, cultivated in the Loire Valley for centuries, miraculously escaped the phylloxera outbreak of the late 1860s. There’s no telling how it fell into obscurity, though perhaps it got squeezed out by its more famous neighbors Sancerre ( Sauvignon Blanc) and Vouvray (Chenin Blanc). Don’t let this influence you! We’re smitten with its likeness to white Burgundy, its fruity freshness, stone minerality, and lively acidity. Domaine Philippe Tessier is an all-organic estate. Salute!
As one Burgundy geek put it, “Burgundy is easy to like, but hard to understand,” and it’s really true. After years in the wine business I can claim only a rudimentary understanding of its complexities. Sure, anyone can spend hundreds or even thousands on a single bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy and be blown away, but that’s beside the point. The thrill is in the hunt because it’s all about place (terroir) and producer. This is where you need a Burgundy-savvy friend or wine merchant to point you in the right direction. When we say “place” we’re not kidding—a couple hundred yards or even feet can make a difference in this part of the world. Our red this month comes from one and a half hectares (3.7 acres) east of Chambolle-Musigny, a commune in Burgundy that incorporates its most famous vineyard in its name (Musigny). It’s at the northern end of the Cote d’Or, where silky and velvety Burgundies come from. In 2003, the estate became completely organic. They harvest and sort manually and ferment in open wooden vats. With the cautious use 15% new oak, this wine reflects the elegance and sophistication of the region.

Recipe

Sautéed Asparagus with Crispy Pancetta and Oyster Sauce
This dish qualifies as a fusion recipe and might not appear to go w/ this month’s wine selections at first glance. The flavor combinations of asparagus, pancetta, and oysters are appealing on their own but have an enhanced effect with both the mineral qualities of the Loire white and Burgundian red.
 

Ingredients:
One bunch asparagus –washed, trimmed, & cut in 1” pieces.

¼ pound pancetta – coarsely chopped.
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce.

Salt and White pepper to taste.
 

Instructions:
Blanch asparagus in pot of boiling salted water – about 2 minutes. In a large sauté pan, crisp the pancetta - remove and hold. Put blanched asparagus in pan w/ pancetta fat and sauté 1 minute. Return pancetta to pan with asparagus and add oyster sauce. Season and serve.
 

Wines:

Domaine Philippe Tessier
Cour-Cheverny
100% Romorantin
Appellation Cour-Cheverny Contrôlée
Vintage: 2007
This medium-bodied white is from the unique grape Romorantin, the only varietal grown in the AOC Cour-Cheverny. Medium bodied this wine still retains some minerality with nice acid on the finish. Reminiscent of Chablis in style, the soils there are silica-like, producing a dry, crisp white, beguiling when young yet also suitable to ageing, like its sister, Chardonnay.
 

Domaine Amiot-Servelle
Bourgogne
100% Pinot Noir
Region: Chambolle-Musigny, Burgundy
Vintage: 2006
This is an elegant style, earthy and subtle Burgundy with pretty cherry pie filling notes and hints of darker fruits finishing with firm acidity. Coming from an area near Chambolle-Musigny, this is a silky seductive example of a Bourgogne level wine. Like many of their Burgundian neighbors this estate uses organic practices.
 

Before I forget again . . does anybody have any extra Ah-so bottle openers?  We have some old bottles that need the subtle coaxing of such a simple device.  I left one in the tasting room 9 years ago but can’t seem to find it now.  In hindsight from our last party, If you have any odd or unwanted wineglasses, feel free to bring them to wine storage!  They, along with our new stems, won’t be worth squat without an Ah-so opener though.

It’s that time of year where a lot of different things all come to a head and you may see us doing more work than normal; we may even seem busy.  Having our anniversay party was good because it somehow motivated us to get other projects back in swing and even take on the odd pipe dream.

Our steel wine rack business is back in production!  This means we can outfit your wine room from floor to ceiling (7ft) and wall to wall with racking!   It is by far the most efficient and possibly the cheapest alternative to stacking boxes.  Ask us.  See it.

We are sprucing up our office.  Now that we realize it’s not temporary we’ve decided to make our office more hospitable.  Keep in mind, however, that we are working in stages; you will see progress in baby steps.  Right now our recycled cork floor is feeling pretty good and we’re looking forward to switching out our office doors with 90 year old VGF doors rescued and restored by yours truly.  I have a fetish-like thing for stripping paint.

We told you we were gonna do it and then it happened.  So thank you for braving the unpredicted sunshine, streetcar construction diversions, and general Friday chaos to come down and help us celebrate our 10th anniversary.



I could spend some time here letting you know about all the things that we had in mind for this party but didn’t materialize, or I could focus on all the unplanned wonders of the evening that we had.  First of all, we had several rounds of big bottle champagnes and sparklers from grower bottling down to Prosecco.  There was no shortage of 2000 vintage but we also had some quality bottles from almost every walk of life.  True standouts from my mouth include an 82’ Chinon, a 2000’ Bonneau Cistene, a 78’ Mouton - alive and kicking, Cameron’s 1’st pinot vintage (die dammit!), a bucket of early oregon stickies, all elements of a full frontal American Pinot retardation, and a whole lot of stuff I personally missed out on because I was probably talking to …you?



We really had a good time.  There were some touching moments, some other moments we wont touch on, and moments where we would happily replay again. 
The party was a big thank you to YOU and it ended up with us getting the imbalance of gratitude.  The fact that you folks are so nice, have so many good things to say about us, really makes it uncomfortable for us to now raise your rent.

 

We’ve been busy at the warehouse. It’s probably got something to do with the lack of snow on the mountain and the excitement of early spring weather in Portland.
The rooftop is covered with healthy indigenous vegetation as well as sporting a new 15 ton high efficiency two phase cooling unit. On the first floor, we captured another 4,000 sq. ft of storage space for commercial use. The space is partitioned out into several medium and large size spaces to accommodate wine importers, wholesalers, and anybody else needing a secure climate controlled space. There are many amenities here at our facility and we see it as a wine business incubator for those starting out as well as for those already established but who are running a lean enterprise.
Our wine retail program, purevinewines.com, continues to grow with new members from all over the country. While part of our job has gotten easier due to all of the new organic and biodynamic wineries, it has at the same time gotten more difficult with so many great selections to choose from; lots of tastings. We’re proud to say Oregon is way ahead of anywhere else in regards to eco conscious farming and biodynamic principles. I’d love to see more Washington wines take up this trend. The club format is a lot of fun for us and keeps us on our toes by always looking for the next wine candidate. Fortunately, the club has not outgrown the supply available to us. Many of the wines we feature are small batch productions with very limited quantities. Right now we are in that "sweet spot" where we are big enough to have the buying power but still small enough where we can provide these rare wines to all our members. We love all the feedback and wine reviews we’ve been getting on the purevinewines site. We encourage more of you to do this as it adds to the overall experience and lets us know if we’re doing a good enough job. We’ve taken special care to follow your suggestions and fulfill your requests.
 

A special message to our wine storage clients: Please join us on Friday, April 16th to help celebrate our 10th year in business. "Ten years" sounds like a long time when I say it, but in reality it passed by pretty quick. The best thing about it all is that due to a special blend of cool and quiet cellar conditions, a low stress work environment, and an over-abundance of reservitrol, Tom and I haven’t aged yet!
While there will be plenty of excellent food on hand, we will be relying on you to bring most of the wines; ten year old wines will score extra points.
A lot has happened since we first began in 2000( most of it good) and we are proud to say many of you have been with us the whole time. Amazingly, there are even a few of you who’ve had the discipline to keep your collections from outgrowing your storage space; luckily for us there are only a handful of you.
Do not expect this to be another Scary Bottle Night - and do expect some surprises.
For the first time ever, we have outsourced the lion’s share of the cooking burden to Daniel from "The Po House" on Hawthorne. He’ll be providing a few signature dishes along with some other stuff. Tom and I will also be putting some food out but nothing complicated to distract us from our celebration.
We will be serving food from 5:30 onward. Please join us.

You’ll get an email invitation but mark your calender now. 

One final note on the upcoming party . . we mentioned 10 year old wines were appropriate for this 10 year anniversery,  Yes, a 10 year old wine is good but that doesn’t mean something else won’t be better!  Please do not feel pigeon-holed by our vintage and let your preference guide your success in such an important selection.  The fact is, a ten year old from many parts of the world is stil just a baby; older siblings are welcome and encouraged.  To go one step further, we’d even like to meet that whacky uncle.

This month’s recipe for our wine club ( purevinewines.com ) is really cool and pairs great with red wine.

Creole Daube

There are many variations of this classic dish and I’ve never had one that wasn’t satisfying. This is an Italian leaning version which I like because of the fried (almost burnt) tomato paste that acts as the roux. Excellent additions to this recipe would be anchovies, olives, and capers. Make it as spicy as you like, but go easy if you want it to pair well with the syrah. I suggest using Top sirloin but you really can use any roast as this is essentially a pot roast. It can be cooked in a Dutch oven, a crackpot or any pot with a lid. This is a slow cooked meal and needs to be started early in the day. If you enjoy this dish, I urge you to try making some of the different styles and recipes of it that are out there. Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 or 5 pound Top Sirloin roast

2 Tbl tomato paste

Olive oil 


Thyme

2 medium yellow onions - medium dice


1 bay leaf 


1 green bell pepper - medium dice


Oregano 


1 head of garlic - peeled and chopped


Cayenne or hot sauce

2 (15-ounce) cans whole tomatoes- chopped 


Salt and black pepper

2 (6-ounce) cans tomato sauce 


One cup good dry red wine

½ cup good parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 


4 carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces 


½ pound sliced (or quartered) mushrooms

Optional: One package cooked spaghetti for serving

Directions: Cut the roast in half, and deeply brown each half on all sides in the olive oil in a large skillet. Remove and set aside. Sauté onions and bell pepper in remaining olive oil in the skillet for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and sauté a bit longer. If you can, let the tomato paste fry up and begin caramelizing.
Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. While this mixture slowly simmers, add the herbs, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Add wine and parmesan. Let simmer about 30 minutes. 
After it has simmered for about 45 minutes, add carrots, mushrooms, both pieces of roast, and any juices that have accumulated. Cover and cook over low heat for at least five hours. Remove beef and pull apart using a couple of forks; if it doesn’t want to come apart then it has not been cooked long enough. If necessary, put the beef back into the gravy and cook on low another 30 minutes. Can be served over spaghetti with additional cheese or eaten on its own.

“Champagne is on the verge of profound change. There is a growing realization in the region that its viticulture has become slovenly and the subtleties of its terroir have been neglected. The era of great growers and great vineyards is just beginning.” ~Andrew Jefford, The New France
         “Terroir” and “grower champagne” are two of the hottest terms in the wine world these days, and for good reason. In the past, champagne was never enough about itself and far too much about big companies, big jets, big ad campaigns, big production, and most importantly, big blends. As Robert Rogness, wine director at Wine Expo in Santa Monica, says, "The best champagnes often cost much less than the most famous champagnes because the price of fame is so high." Champagne is generally blended each year to a specific house style, with big houses purchasing grapes from growers all over the Champagne region to blend. Not exactly conducive to terroir, or individual expression, right? Hey, we’re not complaining—bathe me in Krug, suffocate me with Salon! However, while magnificent at the high end and totally drinkable at the low, these house blends provide little interest for us champagne geeks with more lint than Benjamins in our pockets, and they provide no insight into Champagne’s stunning variety of expression, or terroir. Enter grower champagnes like our December selection, which “will kick Krug’s butt any day of the week,” as our importer, Gabriel, so eloquently put it. Well, it’s definitely a better value, as most grower champagnes are, and it really speaks of its terroir. By the way, to spot a grower champagne, look for RM (recoltant-manipulant, or grower-producer) on the label.
        This month’s grower champagne is from the village of Rilly-la-Montagne, where the Chauvet family dates back to the 16th century. In the town church’s graveyard a stone plaque inscribed in old French bears the name Nicolas Chauvet, Rilly viticulturist, buried there in 1529. Now 500 years later brother-and-sister team Nicolas and Clothilde carry on the family tradition. Nicolas, dedicated to sustainable viticulture, tends the vines, and Clothilde makes the wine. For the Chauvet family, respect of the environment is of utmost importance. Nicolas applies his principles of "viticulture raisonnée," spraying only when absolutely necessary. Classified a "premier cru,” Rilly-la-Montagne is one of the oldest, biggest champagne-producing villages. We know you’ll love this terroir-driven sparkler that’s been handcrafted from vine to bottle by the Chauvet family, whose history in the region is as distinct and special as their champagne. This particular blend is 70% from the 2004 vintage, but the remaining third comes from a number of older vintages, lending depth of character to this refined brut.
     Our second holiday selection also hails from a small, family-owned estate winery, Gifford-Hirlinger, run by the Berghan family. Stateline Red comes entirely from estate fruit, which means the product remains in total control of the grower-producer, from vine to wine. Only 500 cases of this wine were made, and the family uses very low-input viticulture by spraying, like the Chauvets, only when absolutely necessary. Winemaker Mike Berghan ages this red 23 months in neutral oak resulting in a plush, smooth, fruit- forward wine with no rough edges. It’s not hard to appreciate the incredible quality and value of this Washington State red from Walla Walla. Cheers!
Recipe
Crispy Fried Onion Rings
There’s something about the crispy, fragrant onions that compliment a glass of Champagne. If deep frying in your kitchen doesn’t sit well with you, at least try this pairing by ordering some onion rings to go from a nearby restaurant.
Ingredients
2 large Walla Walla Sweet onions, cut into 1/4 thick slices
2 cups flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tsp salt
1 quart oil for frying. Vegetable oil is fine.
2 eggs
Salt for seasoning
Instructions:
Heat oil in deep fryer or large pot (big diameter is better). In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Separate onion slices into rings. Coat onion slices in flour mixture; set aside. Whisk egg and milk into remaining flour mixture. Dip floured rings into batter to coat, then gently press Panko onto rings. Carefully drop a few rings at a time into hot oil. Set cooked rings onto paper towels and season with salt.
Wines
Marc Chauvet Champagne
1/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Pinot Meunier, and 1/3 Chardonnay
Region:Rilly-la-Montagne, Chapagne, France
Vintage: NV
This dry-style grower champagne achieves good balance and a strong, spicy finish. The current blend consists of 30% aged reserve wines with a third each from the usual suspects: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. It’s fully complex with some subtle nuances on the nose, nice sized bubbles, and a delicate balance of yeast and fresh citrus.
Gifford-Hirlinger
“Stateline Red”
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% merlot
Region: Walla Walla, Washington
Vintage: 2005
Each year we pilgrimage to Walla Walla to visit the dynamic father and son duo who put smiles on our faces while they stain our teeth. Expect a well-balanced mouthful of ripe, sweet blackberry fruit, moderate tannins, and a solid, lengthy finish. It’s ready to be quaffed now and will pair well with all your holiday roasts, though it’s also soft enough to complement lighter meats.